by Nicole Speciale
On May 21st, 2018, Adobe announced its intent to acquire Magento in a U.S. $1.68 billion deal. Magento, based in Campbell CA, is a cloud-based eCommerce provider.
When the deal is done, Magento will provide Adobe with a key component that could further fuel its growth. The need to complete an online sale is the reason why the demand for commerce offerings has taken off.
The Need for Cloud-Based Commerce
The Magento Commerce Cloud fills the gap in Adobe’s portfolio for an enterprise-grade, cloud-based commerce platform. Magneto’s platform integrates digital commerce, order management, and predictive marketing via recommendations. This range of features built into a single platform designed for commerce offers benefits to a range of industries.
Other Tech Titans, like IBM, SAP, and Salesforce, already have their cloud commerce solutions. IBM’s Watson Customer Engagement, Salesforce’s Commerce Cloud, and SAP’s Hybrid Cloud are a large part of their appeal and functionality. Now, Adobe will have a commerce offering of its own to compete more aggressively with other vendors like IBM, Salesforce, and SAP.
Adobe Wants to Provide Enhanced Customer Journeys
The Adobe Experience Cloud has been one of the offerings to beat over the last few years. Magento’s flexible offering enables enterprises to adjust commerce capabilities to meet their specific needs. Adobe’s leadership in the areas of content creation, advertising, and analytics, combined with Magento’s Commerce Cloud, will enable enhanced customer journeys for Adobe users.
Customer Journeys Are the Way Forward
Customer journeys are at the forefront of many enterprises’ focus, and Adobe is no different. Customer journeys are about responding to gaps in offerings that compromise the quality of a customer’s experience with an enterprise, and augmenting or improving the pre-existing ones. For Adobe, eCommerce was a missing piece but the solution will enhance how current and future customers experience Adobe’s platform.
Customer journeys, however, do not end after a solution is implemented; they are about actively monitoring user experiences and acknowledging data and feedback for a continuous cycle.