Sonata Software acquires GBW

On 4 March 2020, Sonata Software announced the signing of definitive agreements to acquire GAPbusters Limited (GBW), a Customer Experience (CX) company headquartered in Melbourne. According to a Sonata Software release, GBW has been among the pioneers in the CX domain serving prominent brands globally for almost 30 years. The transaction's financial details have not been disclosed.

CX solutions play an important role in the digital transformation efforts of most organizations, as companies are increasingly concentrating on measuring and managing customer experience.

GBW has long been known for its shopping mystery, brand/compliance audits and benchmarking services for competitors. Over the past few years, GBW has embraced a platform-based approach to its new solution offerings in employee survey, feedback management, and customer program voice to extend its CX bouquet to exploit advanced AI & ML capabilities to provide "insightful & actionable" suggestions to its customers with more sophisticated Application requirements.

Mr. Srikar Reddy, MD and CEO of Sonata Software said that this acquisition is exciting for Sonata due to reaffirmation of the Platform driven approach to digital transformation adding a significant platform led customer experience offering to the current solutions, creating tremendous value for the existing & prospective customers by delivering a more robust digital transformation offering covering 360 degrees of customer journey. The acquisition reaffirmed Sonata's digital transformation platform-led strategy as it continues to enlarge its presence across the Asia Pacific region and across Europe. Adding to the current solutions a big platform-led customer experience generates considerable value for the existing and prospective customers.

Further elaborating he said that in reality, in the Retail, CPG, Service & Travel Verticals which, despite our own IP's, has been one of the company’s focus areas, we will now be able to offer a one-stop shop with the Customer Experience (CX) solution offering to go with the IP's and all the customers and prospects who are constantly looking to track, calculate, gain insights and develop their services need not go searching for verified, trustworthy and best CX solution with deep industry insights.

Last year, Sonata purchased $5.5 million from Brisbane-based Company, Scalable Data Systems. The procurement legal, administrative & commercial issues will be done in due course.