IBM’s specialist digital bolstered its presence in Germany announcing a deal to purchase Aperto in February this year for an undisclosed sum, in its bid to further capitalise on the market there where digital ad spend is close to €6bn per year.
Aperto is a highly regarded digital service provider in Germany and Europe that serves imminent clients like aviation company Airbus Group, automaker Volkswagen, and conglomerate Siemens. The founders will continue to run the 21-year-old organization, which also has offices in Beijing and Basel, Switzerland. Its more than 300 employees will join IBM iX, already the largest global digital agency, to evolve the experiences clients provide to customers and employees.
“We share a significant alignment of culture, with a focus on understanding client needs, the value of digital, and delivering innovative experiences,” executives from Aperto and IBM wrote on the company’s blog.
After snapping up Ohio-based firm Resource/Ammirati, this is the next big acquisition accomplished by IBM. Together, the firms will add another 600 digital design experts to IBM’s Interactive Experience services division, which specializes in everything from mobile app development to e-commerce site personalization to digital marketing strategy.
“Experience design has become an essential element in business strategy as company’s in all industries seek to deliver more consumer-like experiences,” said Paul Papas, Global Leader, IBM iX. “We look forward to working with Aperto to drive real results for our clients in pursuit of digital reinvention.”
The successful acquisition of Aperto will bring in engaging experiences for companies through a combination of digital, creative and design skills. An experience design is a growing demand of almost all industries today as clients seek to deliver more consumer-like experiences to their customers and employees, and integrate the power of cognitive computing and analytics platforms. IBM just got one step closer to achieving that!
