Uniphore has expanded its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings by acquiring ActionIQ and Infoworks. The two data technology companies will power Uniphore’s new Zero Data AI Cloud solution, which simplifies AI adoption for organizations and eliminates complexities around access to and full data usage.
Since the company launched in 2008, Uniphore CEO Umesh Sachdev has been laser-focused on building an AI platform that could analyze all forms of data – voice, video, text, and adjacent areas such as capturing emotion. John Chambers’ JC2 Ventures backs the company, and there are a lot of parallels to the company Chambers ran for more than 20 years. At Cisco, Chambers articulated the value of an enterprise-wide + global network that could deliver all forms of information – voice, video, and data. Similarly, Uniphore thinks of AI along the same lines – one platform, any type of information across global enterprises.
These most recent acquisitions are designed to help customers simplify their AI deployments. During his keynote at the recent re:Invent event, AWS CEO Matt Garman mentioned that while AI is top of mind, 90% of projects get delayed or canceled. Businesses want AI, but they aren’t sure how to move it from the labs to production.
“The top reason we hear about AI initiatives stuck in a proof-of-concept and not in production is that enterprises don’t have their raw material. That is data prepared in a way that AI models and AI agents can consume. We decided we’re going to change that,” Sachdev said in a recent interview with CNBC.
ActionIQ brings its expertise in customer data with its “Composable Zero-copy Data Platform,” which connects data from multiple sources and prepares it for AI use. Meanwhile, Infoworks brings its Enterprise Data Platform, which uses intelligent tools to discover, organize, and clean data automatically.
The acquisitions address a significant challenge for many enterprises: moving beyond small-scale AI pilots into full-scale adoption. According to Sachdev, the Zero Data AI Cloud avoids the need for massive data integration projects, which are often time-consuming and prone to failure. Instead, it allows businesses to deploy AI solutions in weeks rather than months or years.
The Zero Data AI Cloud is designed to help organizations implement AI by removing common obstacles like data access and integration issues without overhauling existing systems. Built on a multi-layered AI architecture, it works with any cloud setup, data system, or application.
At the foundation is the composable data layer, which allows organizations to use their existing systems without having to move, duplicate, or reconfigure their data. This process is often time-consuming and costly. By integrating seamlessly with an organization’s current data infrastructure, this layer allows organizations to maintain full control over their data.
The knowledge layer organizes raw enterprise data into a structured repository designed specifically for AI to process and analyze. This produces accurate and relevant results for the organization, allowing it to protect and fully utilize its accumulated knowledge by making AI-driven decisions.
The model layer is where organizations can choose or customize the AI models they use. It provides tools to select foundational AI models (pre-trained general-purpose models). It also allows the creation of fine-tuned, smaller AI models tailored to particular industries.
Finally, the agentic layer is where businesses can use AI agents to improve important functions like customer service, sales, and marketing. The agents are ready to use and can be customized to fit specific tasks or workflows. This layer is designed so non-technical employees can create, manage, and deploy them.
In a crowded AI landscape, Uniphore is strengthening its position by incorporating ActionIQ and Infoworks’ capabilities into its platform. The company is known for building human-centric AI solutions like Emotion AI. This technology allows computers to understand human emotions by analyzing tone of voice, facial expressions, and words. For example, it can tell if someone is frustrated during a customer service call or happy during a video chat. Organizations can make digital interactions more personal and human by recognizing emotional cues.
According to Sachdev, Uniphore is an “AI native” company, meaning it has been doing AI since its beginning in 2008. He says that because of this, Uniphore has the depth of experience required and regularly advises some of the largest corporations in financial services, insurance, telecom, and other areas. Sachdev points to Uniphore being recognized on the Deloitte FAST500 list with a 460 percent growth rate as validation.
When asked about future growth, Sachdev said, “The company continues to focus on delivering value to enterprise customers and monitors market conditions. As Wall Street becomes more amenable to tech IPOs next year, we will likely see a lot of tech companies from Silicon Valley get ready to file their papers.” He added, “There will be a time for Uniphore as well, but right now, our focus is on our customers.”
Undoubtedly, AI is the way forward for all companies, but many are hitting speed bumps as they try to get a handle on data. Uniphore has a solid AI platform, and the acquisitions complement it by helping organizations manage their data better, which is critical to AI success. In data sciences, an axiom states, “good data leads to good insights,” but few companies know how to connect and manage data. Uniphore’s goal is to build that into the platform.
