Earlier this year, Intuit announced it was acquiring Mailchimp for $12 billion. Mailchimp employees protested the move, but ultimately, the deal went through.
Intuit is well known for providing services like billing software, including the popular but sometimes divisive QuickBooks. Its acquisition marks an expansion of operations. It intends to use Mailchimp to boost its versatility.
Intuit is reportedly aiming to enable users to aim for small to mid-market success. By combining its billing software with Mailchimp’s automated insights, the company promises to provide formidable metrics to improve ROI and conversion rates. This will take Mailchimp beyond what other autoresponders can do.
Although Mailchimp and Intuit are excited about the partnership, others were less thrilled. When Intuit first expressed its intention to buy the email marketing company, Mailchimp employees were outraged. They said that many of them had joined the company because it sold them the idea of independence.
Hybridization
It’s becoming increasingly common to see different software companies acquiring one another and diversifying their offerings. Many businesses that started out fulfilling one niche have since expanded to become full customer relationship management platforms.
The fusion of Intuit and Mailchimp is significant because it’s a joining of two industry leaders. Mailchimp is widely considered the leader in the autoresponder market. With the acquisition final, more news should come forward soon, detailing what the companies intend to do going forward.
Unaware that life beyond the internet exists, Nick is poking servers and control panels, playing with WordPress add-ons, and helping people get the hosting that suits them.
