Gannett division acquired by Silicon Valley CRM developer

Silicon Valley-based customer relationship management developer SugarCRM announced late last week it had acquired New Jersey-based W-Systems, a division of McLean-based Gannett Co. Inc.’s UpCurve, which it acquired in 2019.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Under the acquisition, SugarCRM will expand its implementation services for its artificial intelligence-powered sales, marketing and service software. 

“Speed and expertise are critical factors for companies looking to compete on CX,” Brent Leary, founder and principal analyst at CRM Essentials, said in a statement. “SugarCRM’s acquisition of W-Systems, a firm with long and deep commitment to serving the Sugar customer community, addresses a growing need for mid-market companies who want a trusted advisor that can help them navigate and succeed in their adoption of next generation CRM and marketing automation environments.”

W-Systems has also developed add-ons including document management, calendar enhancements, common mapping, file storage and messaging services. The company’s sales, customer success and development teams will join SugarCRM’s North American operation as a result of the acquisition.

“As a dedicated partner of more than a decade, W-Systems shares the same values as Sugar to help our customers create their own customers for life,” Christian Wettre, President of W- Systems, said in a statement. “Our team is excited to take our deep CRM integration and deployment expertise and put it to work for the broader Sugar customer base to help them achieve better business outcomes faster.”

Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper publisher, announced in early April that it was negotiating with its vendors, creditors and pension regulators in order to preserve the company’s liquidity. It was noticeably not on the Fortune 1000 list released in mid-May.

The company also announced mass layoffs, furlough and pay cuts in late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The owner of USA Today, Gannett has a portfolio of 261 local daily newspapers in 46 states and Guam, including the Arizona Republic, the Des Moines Register and the Burlington Free Press.

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