From one helpdesk software to another: Congratulations to Parature!
Parature’s innovations have paved the way for some of today’s best B2B helpdesk software solutions, including TeamSupport
Robert C. Johnson, CEO,TeamSupport helpdesk software
Earlier this week Parature helpdesk software announced that they were being acquired by Microsoft in a deal rumored to be worth $100 million, and I just want to take a moment and congratulate Duke Chung and the entire team.
TeamSupport’s B2B support software is obviously a competitor to Parature, so it may sound a bit strange for me to be congratulating them, but I do think it’s a smart move for Microsoft and good for the entire help desk and customer experience management marketplace.
I’ve long admired what Duke has done with Parature and how they have grown the company. TeamSupport’s help desk software is on a similar trajectory, and while we often battle for customers with Parature, I think it’s easier for us to grow our company due to the trailblazing that Parature did in the early years of the SaaS revolution.
It will be interesting to watch whether Parature can continue to innovate once they become part of Microsoft. Having been the CEO/owner of a software company that was acquired by a much larger partner, I can say that it’s tough going. The spirit of a small and entrepreneurial software company is easily lost when acquired by a larger company, and that’s a big challenge Microsoft and Parature will have to handle.
Parature will also have to be careful about their relationships with other CRM vendors. Will they continue to play nicely with SalesForce and others, or will they restrict the product to working only with Microsoft’s CRM?
The market for customer support software is a huge one and very diverse—Every company that has customers has a need to track their customer interactions and should strive to increase customer satisfaction.
There is plenty of space in the market for B2B customer service software like Parature, TeamSupport, and the many other providers out there, and we look forward to seeing how Parature evolves under Microsoft’s leadership.
Congratulations again to Parature!
TeamSupport CEO Robert C. Johnson is a frequent contributor to this blog, as well as to Wired magazine. Follow the TeamSupport blog and Wired for great customer support tips throughout the year.
