Kana Software
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Customer relationship management software |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Mark Gainey |
| Fate | Acquired by Verint Systems in 2014 |
| Products | On-site and cloud-hosted CRM solutions, including KANA Enterprise platform |
| Parent | Verint Systems |
KANA Software, Inc. operates as a fully owned division of Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT), delivering both on-site and cloud-hosted CRM solutions tailored for Fortune 500 enterprises, mid-sized firms, and public sector organizations.
In 2014, Verint completed the acquisition of KANA’s operational assets for $514 million.
History
Established in 1996 by entrepreneur Mark Gainey, KANA began by developing software focused on managing email and online communications. The company broadened its scope through acquisitions such as Connectify, Business Evolution, and NetDialog in 1999.
In 2000, KANA undertook a major $4.2 billion purchase of Silknet Software, an early innovator in multichannel marketing software. Although met with analyst doubts, this acquisition expanded KANA’s range of products significantly.
The 2001 merger with BroadBase software enabled KANA to persist independently through the challenges following the dot-com crash.
In 2010, private equity firm Accel-KKR acquired KANA’s assets for roughly $40.82 million. That same year, KANA entered the government CRM market by acquiring Lagan Technologies and rebranding its solution as LAGAN Enterprise, designed to improve resource allocation leveraging data from sources such as 311 call centers.
KANA sustained its expansion via further acquisitions: in 2011 it acquired Overtone for social media analytics, renaming it KANA Experience Analytics; in 2012 it added Dutch mid-market ecommerce CRM provider Trinicom and subsequently Sword Ciboodle, known for contact center software and business process management tools. These strategic purchases enhanced KANA’s comprehensive CRM platform encompassing customer support and social media marketing functions.
After integrating these companies, operations continued under the KANA name with changes in executive leadership including the exit of Ciboodle’s CEO.
In 2013, KANA introduced KANA Enterprise, an omnichannel platform supporting both agent-assisted and self-service customer interactions.
Prior to its 2014 acquisition by Verint for $514 million, the company’s growth strategy centered on increasing market presence through strategic acquisitions and product development aimed at serving a wide range of global industries.