Bridgepointe Buys PPT Solutions, Supercharges CX Consulting Chops

Bridgepointe Technologies has acquired customer experience (CX) and contact center consultancy PPT Solutions, expanding Bridgepointe’s vision of providing end-to-end advisory and life cycle management services to end customers.

The deal, fueled by funding from Charlesbank Capital Partners, gives Bridgepointe’s roster of IT strategists deeper consulting expertise in contact-center-as-a-service (CCaaS) customer engagements. On the other hand, PPT can tap into Bridgepointe’s deep customer base of midmarket and enterprise clients.

“The main thing for them is the opportunity to expand those services into a customer base that we know is already ripe for it,” Bridgepointe chief strategy officer Scott Kinka told Channel Futures.

Bridgepointe’s Scott Kinka

Bridgepointe at the beginning of this year announced a $100-plus million investment from middle market private equity firm Charlesbank, with the intention of fostering organic and inorganic growth.

Its transactions have included giving partner/equity status to its most loyal card-carrying IT strategists/agents, buying partners that existed outside of the Bridgepointe ecosystem, regional TSDs that sell in a hybrid model (including RealCom Solutions), and in the case of PPT Solutions, “strategic adjacencies.” Bridgepointe’s investments in strategic adjacencies began in earnest when it acquired professional services provider Canon Group. That acquisition created Bridgepointe’s life cycle management division. Moreover, it brought on expense and mobility management services as well strategic sourcing and transition management services.

PPT Solutions

PPT has built a hybrid reputation in the channel over the years. On one hand, it is an award-winning partner organization, having sold in the agency model and won awards with Telarus. But leaders from the company said they would always remain a consultancy rather than becoming a pure agency. In recent years, the firm has positioned itself as a professional services partner for agents that want extra expertise in their contact center deals. PPT has partnered with distributors like Telarus, ScanSource and Avant to help those companies’ subagents.

PPT’s Kris Kramer

“We were the first company of our kind to enable the channel with CX resources and solutions, and that’s the type of continued innovation we’ll be able to execute with Bridgepointe’s world-class team and tools behind us,” Kramer said.

PPT, founded in 2013, has landed in the Inc. 5000 five consecutive times. The company is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bridgepointe hails from San Mateo, California, although it has built up a significant East Coast presence in 2022.

Personnel

PPT’s Dennis Weikle

Kinka said it will remain business as usual for PPT’s 50 employees. PPT Solutions will retain its branding and operate as Bridgepointe’s CX arm. PPT founder and managing director Dennis Weikle and managing director Kris Kramer are taking the titles of Bridgepointe managing directors. They will lead the company’s CX division.

“Our people and partnerships are always our top priority, and joining Bridgepointe will provide everyone involved with an incredible opportunity in the coming years,” Weikle said.

In the slideshow above, Kinka speaks to Channel Futures about how PPT Solutions fills needs for both agents and suppliers.