The move seems to reinforce two recent trends: continuing consolidation in the contact center space and the increasing importance of analytics to the overall contact center application suite.

In a move reminiscent of two 2007 acquisitions (Latigent by Cisco and Informiam by Genesys), Aspect today announced that they have purchased the assets of AIM Technology. UK-based AIM has been in business since 1998 and about two dozen of its employees will join Aspect's ranks, half in the UK and half in the US. The move seems to reinforce two recent trends: continuing consolidation in the contact center space and the increasing importance of analytics to the overall contact center application suite.Bob Kelly, VP of the PerformanceEdge Group for Aspect, laid out the rationale for the acquisition succinctly. About a year ago, the company looked at the PerformanceEdge portfolio and decided that Performance Management was an increasingly important component. While not unhappy with their resale relationship with Merced, they decided that in order to provide tighter integration, it made sense to own the technology instead of partnering for it.

AIM was already known to those who came to Aspect Software from the earlier Aspect Communications. Aspect Communications resold AIM solutions until it was acquired by Concerto to form Aspect Software. Given the relationship between Microsoft and Aspect, one of AIM's key advantages is that it works in a Microsoft environment, unlike Merced, which uses Java.

Before the acquisition, AIM marketed a product suite that delivered three capabilities: reporting, analytics and workflow, in nine different modules. Two of these, Rewards and Compensation, were focused on sales management and will not be offered by Aspect going forward. The remaining modules will be available in three different packages: PerformanceEdge, Performance Management Standard, and Enterprise and eWorkforce Management Analyze.

The most interesting factoid I picked up in my interview with Bob Kelly is that almost 90 percent of AIM's customers are already Aspect customers. For these companies, the tighter integration that the acquisition will bring should be great news.The move seems to reinforce two recent trends: continuing consolidation in the contact center space and the increasing importance of analytics to the overall contact center application suite.