Spiceworks
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Information technology |
| Founded | January 2006 |
| Founder | Scott Abel, Jay Hallberg, Greg Kattawar, Francis Sullivan |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | IT management software, IT professional network, IT marketplace |
| Parent | Ziff Davis (since September 2019) |
| Website | www |
Spiceworks is a specialized network serving the information technology (IT) sector, headquartered in Austin, Texas. Established in January 2006 by Scott Abel, Jay Hallberg, Greg Kattawar, and Francis Sullivan, the firm develops software solutions for IT management.
The company hosts an online platform where more than six million IT professionals engage in collaboration, seek expert guidance, and explore a marketplace featuring IT products and services from approximately 3,000 technology providers. Spiceworks offers proprietary software at no cost, developed using Ruby on Rails and designed to operate solely on Microsoft Windows. Its capabilities include discovery of IP-enabled devices, an integrated help desk system, and a comprehensive knowledge base.
History
Founded by former executives of Motive—Scott Abel, Jay Hallberg, Greg Kattawar, and Francis Sullivan—in January 2006, Spiceworks secured $5 million in Series A funding from Austin Ventures by June that year. The following year, in August 2007, it raised $8 million during its Series B round from both Shasta Ventures and Austin Ventures. In January 2010, an $18 million Series C investment was led by Institutional Venture Partners. April 2011 brought a $25 million Series D infusion from Adams Street Partners and Tenaya Capital, followed by a $57 million Series E round in 2014 spearheaded by Goldman Sachs.
In 2012, Spiceworks expanded internationally by establishing its European headquarters in London. Marking its tenth year in 2016, the company initially aimed to recruit an additional 100 employees but later reduced its staff by roughly 12% due to organizational restructuring. During this period, several senior leaders departed to join founder Scott Abel’s new venture, Resly Labs (which was later renamed Umuse).
Spiceworks was acquired by Ziff Davis in September 2019, strengthening its position within the IT market.
Software
Spiceworks launched a public beta version in July 2006 and released version 1.0 in November 2006. This initial offering targeted IT professionals at small and medium-sized enterprises with features such as inventory management, network monitoring, and reporting tools. By the end of its inaugural year, the user base had grown to 120,000.
Version 2.0 debuted in December 2007, followed by ongoing updates culminating in version 7.0 by 2013. In December 2014, the company unveiled a free network monitoring product. By June 2021, Spiceworks Desktop 7.5 was phased out as the company shifted its focus toward its Cloud Help Desk platform.
Business model
Spiceworks provides both its professional network and software solutions free of charge to users. The majority of its revenue is derived from advertising displayed on its platform, with a smaller share generated through sales of IT products and services offered via the Spiceworks marketplace.
Corporate identity
The brand’s mascot is "SpiceRex," an orange Tyrannosaurus rex designed by community member and IT specialist Andy "akp982" Phelps. This figure represents the company’s strong ties to its IT user community.
Austin
Since 2008, Spiceworks has organized its yearly user conference, SpiceWorld, which originally took place at the Alamo Drafthouse before relocating to the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center at the University of Texas. Beginning in 2013, the event shifted to the Austin Convention Center, highlighting its expansion as a prominent industry event.
London
In 2012, Spiceworks broadened its international presence by inaugurating an office in London. The inaugural SpiceWorld London conference occurred in May 2012 at Vinopolis in Bankside, signifying the company’s deliberate move into the European market.
SpiceWorld 2020
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Spiceworks adapted by converting SpiceWorld into a virtual event in 2020, drawing more than 3,000 IT professionals from September 15 to 17. This change showcased the company’s flexibility and dedication to sustaining community interaction despite global disruptions.
SpiceWorld 2021
With the pandemic still impacting in-person gatherings, SpiceWorld continued as a virtual conference in 2021, held from September 27 to 29 and featuring Steve Wozniak as the keynote speaker. His participation emphasized Spiceworks’ prominence and visionary role within the IT sector.
Awards and recognition
- 2007 – Awarded Editors' Choice by PC Magazine
- 2007 – Honored as IT Solution of the Year at InnoTech Conference
- 2009 – Included in InformationWeek Startup 50 list
- 2009 – Listed among Top 10 B-to-B Websites by BtoB Magazine
- 2010 – Received PCMag.com Best of 2010 Award
- 2010 – Earned six Windows IT Pro Editors’ Best and Community Choice Awards
These honors illustrate Spiceworks’ significant impact and competitive strength in providing IT management solutions.
See also
- Comparison of help desk issue tracking software
- Comparison of network monitoring systems
- System administration