Zift, Relayware to Merge in Channel Management Consolidation

**Editor’s Note: Please click here for a recap of the biggest channel-impacting merger and acquisition news from April.**

Zift Solutions and Relayware are merging to create a company with the resources needed to support channel organizations in multiple areas.

Zift’s Gordon Rapkin

The deal joins Zift, a North Carolina-based provider of marketing, sales and operations processes for channel partner programs, and Relayware, a New Jersey-based provider of software that helps manage partner relationships.

The companies say their marriage will create an “enterprise channel management” provider.

“Enterprise channel management is the natural evolution of channel technology and, with our combined resources, integrated technology and thought leadership, we are dramatically changing the face of channel technology and how it’s delivered through channel as a service,” Relayware CEO Gordon Rapkin said.

The new company will take Zift Solutions’ name, and Rapkin will replace Ken Romley as Zift’s CEO. Romley will serve on Zift’s executive leadership team. The companies say the deal will close in August.

“As a combined entity, Zift and Relayware have the end-to-end enterprise channel management technology, services and strategic insight modern B2B organizations require to simplify channel management and maximize profitability from their entire channel ecosystem,” said Romley.

Lisa Hyatt, Zift’s marketing communications director, says the merged company will have the largest feature set for channel sales, marketing and operations automation.

Zift’s Ken Romley

“Almost immediately, Relayware clients can leverage Zift Channel as a Service (CHaaS), which integrates seamlessly into channel partners’ existing infrastructure and provides new capabilities for digital marketing, content syndication, and social media syndication along with host of additional, integrated marketing techniques,” she told Channel Partners.

Zift customers will get access to Relayware’s partner relationship management (PRM) solutions. Marie Chien, service director of channel marketing strategies for SiriusDecisions, says the merger demonstrates how important it is to have technology that drives engagement with partners.

“The emergence of platforms and applications purposely built for channel marketing and channel sales has offered a vast improvement over forced-built or customized approaches,” Chien said. “As channel organizations look to simplify the way their partners drive success, investing in channel platforms to support the complex challenges of a supplier-partner relationship is becoming a necessity.”

Toni Adams of Qlik, a customer of both companies, praised the move.

“We pride ourselves on being simple, predictable and profitable for our partners and in their engagement with Qlik. Zift and Relayware are part of the foundation of making that happen,” Adams said. “We look forward to experiencing the benefits of this merger in helping accelerate Qlik’s ability to bring even more value to our partners and joint customers,” he said.