Print technology developer EFI has acquired personalised image software outfit DirectSmile, as it continues a growth by acquisition strategy.
Cash rich EFI regularly buys software developers of various types, including MIS and web-to-print, and integrates them into its existing solutions.
Recent buys for this part of the world have included three of the leading Aussie developers, Prism MIS, Online Print Solutions, and Rohan Holt’s Lithotechnics.
DirectSmile technology, including cross media marketing, personalised QR codes and URLs, live tracking and triggering follow ups, will be integrated into EFI’s web-to-print and e-commerce system and into an upcoming EFI variable-data printing product set to debut at the Graph Expo tradeshow in Chicago on September 28 to October 1.
DirectSmile claims to have invented image personalisation in 2001, and has since added more media personalisation and automation software to its offerings, including the ability for printers to build their own web-to-print and print-on-demand applications, and roll out variable data products.
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By selling personalised landing pages with each direct mail piece, DirectSmile says printers can measure the uptake of the campaign, and provide quantified case studies for the power of print.
EFI says the acquisition will bring its customers new capabilities with data-driven digital print, web, e-mail, social media and mobile marketing workflows.
EFI Productivity Software senior vice president and general manager Gabriel Matsliach says web-to-print is one of the fastest-growing parts of the printing and marketing software market.
“This acquisition gives us the ability to further address this segment with additional, best-in-class variable data and cross media technologies,” he says.
“DirectSmile’s customer base, which has a large proportion of agencies, corporate marketing departments and designers, is also highly complementary to EFI’s core client base, which opens the door to new growth opportunities.”
DirectSmile staff, including co-founders and former principals Christoph Schacht and Christoph Clermont, will join EFI’s productivity software web2print solutions group.
Schacht says the acquisition will expose DirectSmile technology to more companies.
“We have partnered with EFI on many past projects to help customers bring more value to their variable data and cross media marketing efforts,” he says.
“DirectSmile customers will be able to achieve higher levels of automated, targeted marketing success as well as gain important new efficiencies through integrations with EFI Fiery digital front ends, EFI Digital StoreFront and other products.”
EFI says it will continue to develop, sell and support DirectSmile products as standalone software for the agency, enterprise and printing industry markets.
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