Top 10 Self-Service and Customer Community software

Latest news about Self-Service and Customer Community software

2024. Beamer buys Userflow to build a consolidated product engagement platform



Beamer, a company specializing in tools for businesses to engage with users through their applications, such as push notifications, has announced its acquisition of Userflow, a startup focused on user onboarding software, for $60 million. Userflow offers a range of modules for creating comprehensive product onboarding experiences, featuring elements like checklists, polls, and product tours. Through Userflow's platform, both developers and non-developers can seamlessly integrate in-app help guides and feature announcements into new or existing applications, utilizing a content editor that supports multimedia content including links, live customer support chat, images, and videos. Notably, Userflow's automated triggers allow developers to set up actions triggered by user interactions, such as advancing to the next step in an onboarding process. Additionally, Userflow facilitates surveys and gathers metrics that can be analyzed through tools like Amplitude or Mixpanel.


2021. NICE acquires smart digital self-service platform MindTouch



NICE, the provider of the CCaaS platform CXone, has completed the acquisition of San Diego-based knowledge management software company, MindTouch. MindTouch, established in 2005, initially relied on funding from its founders until 2016 when it secured $12 million in a Series A funding round. The company positioned itself as a provider of an AI-powered, enterprise-grade knowledge management (KM) platform tailored for mid-size to large organizations, aiming to enhance customer lifetime value. Their solutions encompass KM for customer self-service, agent assistance, and departmental knowledge. With over 100 employees and more than 300 customers worldwide, including notable brands like 8x8, Cisco, Land Rover, Samsung, Verizon, and Whirlpool, MindTouch has made its mark in the industry. Additionally, MindTouch's technology is integrated into SAP Service Cloud as SAP Knowledge Central, extending its reach even further.

2020. Customer feedback software GetSatisfaction is shutting down



Sprinklr, a leading provider of Unified-CXM platform for all customer-facing functions, has recently made the decision to discontinue the well-known customer community and feedback service, GetSatisfaction. A decade ago, GetSatisfaction emerged as one of the most successful SaaS startups, offering paid service plans to renowned companies such as Method Products, Timbuk2, Twitter, and Digg. Over time, the platform attracted additional notable companies including Time Warner Cable, Verizon, Comcast, Mozilla, Mogo Money, Microsoft Hohm, AMC Theatres, Qantas, Apple Inc., Dell, and Facebook. However, it appears that the demand for such software among small businesses has decreased, with many either unwilling or unable to support customer communities. Simultaneously, larger companies have shifted towards more comprehensive CX platforms, leaving GetSatisfaction with a changing landscape. Notably, UserVoice, the main competitor of GetSatisfaction, has recently refocused its efforts on providing product feedback management software for growing SaaS companies.


2020. Microsoft introduces Customer Voice, a real-time customer feedback tool



Microsoft has introduced Dynamics 365 Customer Voice, a real-time customer feedback tool that presents a potential competitor to Qualtrics. This solution serves as a feedback management platform, empowering businesses and organizations to enhance their products, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and cultivate stronger customer relationships through effective feedback management. The collected data is seamlessly integrated with Microsoft's customer data platform (CDP) and is built upon Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. The latter offers customization capabilities, enabling companies to tailor the Customer Voice tool according to their specific requirements.


2020. Freshworks acquires AnsweriQ



Customer engagement platform Freshworks has completed the acquisition of AnsweriQ, a startup specializing in AI tools for self-service solutions and agent-assisted use cases. The primary objective of this acquisition is to enhance customer service efficiency by providing quick and accurate answers to customers. AnsweriQ's AI tools cater to both Freshworks users and customers of competing products. AnsweriQ will continue operating its existing product lineup for the time being, while Freshworks aims to eventually transition these users to its own platform. Additionally, Freshworks plans to integrate AnsweriQ's technology into its Freddy AI engine, further augmenting its capabilities.


2020. Chattermill raises $8M to enable companies to gain customer feedback insights



Chattermill, a startup based in London, has successfully raised $8 million in Series A funding. The company specializes in providing a "customer understanding" platform that leverages machine learning to obtain scalable insights from customer feedback. Chattermill was founded due to the frustration of the lengthy process involved in traditional customer research, where it often takes weeks or even months to obtain valuable insights that may already be outdated when they reach decision-makers. To address this challenge, the developers recognized the potential of machine learning as a key component of the solution, combined with a user-friendly interface that presents actionable customer feedback from various channels.


2015. Sprinklr acquired social customer support service Get Satisfaction



Sprinklr, the provider of social media management services, is acquiring Get Satisfaction, the creators of a platform that enables businesses to connect with customers online and gather feedback on their websites. Get Satisfaction will be integrated into Sprinklr's larger cloud-based social media management business, known as the "Experience Cloud." This integration assists businesses in tracking feedback from individuals across various channels, including social media platforms and their own websites, encompassing approximately 25 potential feedback channels. This acquisition serves as an expansion for Sprinklr, as Get Satisfaction already collaborates with 1,000 businesses, including notable customers such as P&G, Rabobank, SugarCRM, and Service Rocket.


2015. Google to shut down community tool Google Moderator



Google has initiated its spring cleaning process, and as part of it, the idea and feedback collection service known as Google Moderator will be discontinued on July 31. Initially launched in September 2008, Google Moderator provided a platform for users to submit questions, suggestions, and ideas, which were then ranked based on user voting. This crowdsourcing service effectively gathered feedback from a wide range of individuals, allowing them not only to ask their own questions but also to vote for the most important queries to be addressed. While the project has been relatively inactive, users of Moderator will still have the opportunity to download their data from Google Takeout, starting from March 30. This data will remain accessible for a minimum of two years. It is important to note that June 30 will be the last day to generate new content on the service, and the complete shutdown of Moderator will occur on July 31.


2012. Zoho Commentbox - almost new customer support community app



We have vivid memories of the time when Zoho was launching a new SaaS app every month. However, as expected, this rapid pace couldn't be sustained indefinitely. After reaching nearly 30 apps, Zoho has shifted its focus to periodic updates for the existing ones. Nonetheless, the desire to innovate and create something new remains strong. This led the Zoho developers to revamp an old service, incorporating additional features, renaming it, and presenting it as a fresh offering. They have integrated Twitter, Email, and CRM functionalities into Zoho Discussions, which has been rebranded as Zoho Commentbox. The new app is now ready! Interestingly, the prices and descriptions have remained unchanged. Furthermore, the original service, Zoho Discussions, continues to exist alongside the new offering, expanding Zoho's portfolio of apps. Let's recall that Zoho Discussions (or Zoho Commentbox) enables the creation of online customer communities for support and idea generation. Previously, such communities were built using phpBB or vBulletin forum engines, whereas now they can be established using specialized services like Zoho Commentbox. Notably, Get Satisfaction is a well-known representative in this category. It's worth mentioning that Zoho facilitates the import of data from phpBB and vBulletin forums into Zoho Commentbox. The platform supports multiple interface languages and offers free access to one forum without sub-forums.