IBM agreed to acquire The Now Factory, a privately held provider of analytics software for communications service providers, for an undisclosed sum.
The Now Factory, which is based in Dublin, Ireland, provides real-time insights by analyzing massive quantities of network and business data. The analysis helps network operators understand how their customers are experiencing mobile services. In addition to its ability to detect and resolve issues, The Now Factory’s software helps CSPs better understand how a subscriber interacts with cloud-based services, such as mobile applications. For example, a CSP can use The Now Factory’s software to analyze customer usage of 3G and 4G LTE data services and identify high volume pre-paid subscribers. This can result in a targeted campaign to convert high volume pre-paid subscribers into post-paid accounts.
IBM said the said the acquisition complements its MobileFirst Analytics portfolio, which is designed to enhance the way organizations analyze mobile device usage to provide exceptional customer experiences. For example, IBM InfoSphere Streams augments The Now Factory data mediation and analytics, and extends the range of use cases to include more real-time analytics on data in motion. The Now Factory’s clients can also now access IBM PureData System for Analytics and Hadoop-based IBM InfoSphere BigInsights for exploration and deep analysis of subscriber and network data.
“The Now Factory’s innovative solutions are all about enabling quick insights for better business results in the highly competitive telecommunications landscape,” said Tom Morrisroe, CEO, The Now Factory. “As part of IBM, we can now extend our technologies to a broader range of clients to help them uncover new, untapped growth opportunities, and achieve tangible business value from big data and analytics.”
“Today’s announcement is part of IBM’s strategy to continually establish leadership in the era of big data and capitalize on the opportunity to analyze data in real time,” said Bob Picciano, General Manager, Information Management, IBM Software Group. “The Now Factory’s software enhances IBM’s Big Data and Analytics portfolio by improving the speed, development and implementation of big data solutions, and gives communications service providers the ability to better service their customers.”
