Blue Prism this week announced an acquisition that will bolster a strategy to offer its RPA technology using a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, in addition to its traditional integration. The company agreed to acquire U.K.-based Thoughtonomy in a cash-and-stock deal for what could total $100 million. Thoughtonomy has developed a cloud-based platform offering integrated AI technologies such as computer vision, Natural Language Processing and machine learning to enable simpler process automation implementations delivered via the cloud for a range of sectors.
“Demand for RPA keeps growing with companies of all sizes wanting to automate their processes. With Thoughtonomy’s acquisition, Blue Prism will gain an established capability and presence in RPA-as-a-Service, to reach new segments of the market,” said Sarah Burnett, executive vice president and distinguished analyst at Everest Group. “While Blue Prism RPA is at the core of Thoughtonomy’s offering, the acquisition brings other capabilities including different types of embedded intelligence and Wireframer, a coding quality tool. Thoughtonomy will also bring new clients to Blue Prism, boosting its presence in some verticals, e.g. healthcare.”
The companies said the acquisition will combine Blue Prism’s connected-RPA platform with Thoughtonomy’s SaaS capabilities, allowing customers to accelerate automation projects without needing to set up a dedicated infrastructure to support their program.