Zendesk has acquired Ultimate, a German customer automation startup, to integrate flexible AI agent capabilities into its platform that can resolve up to 80% of customer interactions by intelligently selecting the appropriate technology—whether large language models, machine learning, or simple rules—rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. The acquisition enables Zendesk to support its vision of a hybrid future where customer inquiries route to AI agents, workflow automation, or human agents based on what makes most sense, with CEO Tom Eggemeier projecting that 70-90% of interactions will flow through AI agents in the future. Ultimate will continue operating independently from its Berlin headquarters with its 140 employees joining Zendesk, and the company will maintain its existing integrations with other platforms including Salesforce and Freshdesk.
Zendesk has been trying to transform customer service since it launched in 2007, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the company sees the industry being altered in a big way by the rise of generative AI. On Wednesday, the company announced it intends to acquire Ultimate, a German customer automa
Zendesk has had a difficult time over the last several months. It has been hounded by activist investors, Jana Partners. It turned down a $17 billion acquisition in February believing it was worth more. Its investors turned down a deal to buy Survey Monkey’s parent company, Momentive the same
Zendesk Expands AI Capabilities for Service Teams CMSWire