News
The Gist
- Acquia's expansion. Acquia has introduced a digital experience optimization solution and acquired Monsido, a web accessibility software from CivicPlus, signifying a move toward more inclusive digital experiences.
- Holistic approach. The acquisition, along with partnerships with Conductor and VWO, allows Acquia to offer a suite for online presence optimization, including SEO, content strategy, user experience and compliance.
- Future of martech. As the martech landscape evolves, Acquia's acquisition is set to complete in early Q1 2024.
BOSTON — Acquia has announced the launch of what it calls its most complete digital experience optimization solution to date, alongside a strategic acquisition of Monsido from CivicPlus, web accessibility software. This expansion of Acquia's Digital Experience Platform (DXP) is designed to empower marketers with capabilities to craft engaging and inclusive digital journeys, according to Acquia officials.
Acquia's DXP: A New Era of Digital Experience Optimization
Acquia's enhanced DXP now integrates the functionalities of Monsido, a platform celebrated for its work in website accessibility, content quality, SEO, data privacy and performance. The acquisition backs up Acquia's commitment to building a digital future that is inclusive and accessible to all users.
Acquia's Monsido acquisition is further supported by strategic partnerships with Conductor and VWO, which provide organic marketing and experimentation and conversion optimization, respectively. This amalgamation of technologies under Acquia's umbrella offers a holistic approach to optimizing every facet of an organization's online presence, from content strategy and SEO to user experience and compliance, according to Jim Shaw, SVP and GM, Drupal Cloud, Acquia, who caught up with CMSWire ahead of the news.
"We also know people are becoming more and more conscious with things like ESG initiatives, and then legislation like the American Disability Act, making (Monsido) very relevant to companies," Shaw said. "... It aligns with the purpose that we have: to make an an open, integrated, empowering, accessible, and safe web for people ... that's Monsido's strength."
Monsido's platform is known for its ability to monitor and enhance website accessibility, ensuring compliance with WCAG and ADA standards. CivicPlus, the former parent company of Monsido, will continue its mission to deliver accessible technology to local governments in the US as a reseller. Brian Rempe, CEO of CivicPlus, expressed confidence in the partnership, saying, "Through this partnership with Acquia, we will continue to make the Monsido solution available to U.S. communities, while also bringing this powerful tool to more markets around the world."
Related Article: 4 Principles for Accessible Web Design & Digital Experiences
Transition and Support for Monsido Customers
For existing Monsido customers, particularly in the public sector, Shaw reassured that the transition to Acquia's platform would be smooth, with no immediate changes post-acquisition. CivicPlus will continue as a reseller of the Monsido solution, ensuring continuity of service.
Acquia's vision for the future includes a more integrated experience where customers may not need to log in to separate systems, enhancing the user experience further.
A Triad of Partnerships: Acquia, Conductor and VWO
Discussing the partnerships with Conductor and VWO, Shaw described the combination of Monsido's accessibility and technical SEO with Conductor's marketer-focused SEO domain as a "killer combination."
He expressed high hopes for this integration, which is expected to provide a comprehensive set of capabilities for the market. With VWO, Acquia aims to introduce a suite of optimization technologies that will enable website and content optimization, as well as experience enhancement, a capability Shaw believes is unique in the market today.
"When you add in VWO, you end up with a set of optimization technologies that enable you to optimize websites, optimized content and optimize the experience," Shaw said. "And we believe that no other DXP has that capability today. So we think that gives us that unique position in the market of being able to do all three things, but from the open DXP perspective that we have."
Related Article: Acquia Launches Acquia Exchange
Webinar
Sep
25
CMS Briefing: A Live Look at What’s Next in AI-Driven Platforms
Learn how leading organizations are using AI‑driven tools to publish faster, personalize smarter and stay secure.
Register
Webinar
Sep
25
Call Spoofing Trends Financial Institutions Can't Afford to Ignore
Don't let robocalls sabotage your customer relationships. Learn how to secure your voice channel.
Register
Webinar
Oct
15
Agentic AI Playbook Real-World Customer Service Use Cases You Can Deploy Now
Boost self-service by 30% and slash call volume by 63% with agentic AI.
Register
Webinar
On demand
Ready or Not: How Data-First Organizations Are Unlocking Agentforce Potential
Learn how to cut through the noise, activate Agentforce and build a Salesforce AI strategy that actually delivers.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
CX Reality Check: What Your Customers Are Really Thinking
Register now and get the insights you need to not just meet rising expectations, but exceed them.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
Content Leaders Collective: What a Good CCMS Actually Looks Like
Discover how content leaders transform clunky systems into growth engines — and why your competitors are ahead.
Watch Now
Where Acquia Thinks Martech Is Heading
The transaction is poised for completion in early Q1 2024, with Acquia backed by Vista Equity Partners. Acquia this week is hosting its annual conference Acquia Engage at the Encore Casino in Everett, Mass., just outside of Boston.
Dries Buytaert, creator of the open source Drupal project, co-founded Acquia in 2007. The company provides infrastructure, support and services to Drupal users. It has released cloud-based tools to enable Drupal development.
Acquia's first big dent in the content management systems world arguably came in 2014, when it made the biggest leap in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management (WCM), jumping from a "visionary" to a "leader" in a web software space packed with giants. Gartner has since retired that report in favor of a DXP Magic Quadrant.
Buytaert earlier this year said he sees an exponential explosion of all marketing technology software thanks to artificial intelligence. "AI will lead to an expansion, not a reduction, of the marketing technology industry,” Buytaert wrote. “Scott Brinker's infographic will grow bigger, not smaller.”
Have a tip to share with our editorial team? Drop us a line:
