Lyceum Capital-backed Access Group, the business management software provider, has acquired Tech City start-up Sazneo for an undisclosed sum.
The transaction represents Access’ ninth add-on since Lyceum Capital invested in the company in March 2011.
The deal for the online communication and collaboration technology, likened to Chatter and Yammer, follows the launch of Access aCloud, Access’ SaaS-based self-service platform. The move will accelerate the integration of persistent instant messaging services into the company’s product suite by up to 18 months.
Chris Bayne, chief executive for Access, says: “Sazneo goes beyond the social media tools currently available, taking interactive dialogue to a whole new level. This is Yammer for the enterprise, but for real-time discussion rather than status updates. Sazneo keeps a complete audit trail of conversations including access to documents and links so everyone involved has full visibility and our aim is to build the ‘go to’ place for communicating and collaborating with employees, customers and the supply chain. This technology makes that easily available across any platform including tablets and smartphones.”
The SaaS-based solution is already being integrated into Access aCloud, which has been described by the analyst community as the platform where “social meets enterprise applications”. Sazneo allows organisations to develop different activity streams such as support services, sales, product development or specific projects, bringing a cross-function and multi-company approach to real-time communication.
“Connecting the whole business network, without the additional set-up, takes collaboration beyond the immediate workplace,” says Byrne. “This makes it perfect for connecting with clients or for outsourcing and offshore scenarios.”
