EFI Acquires DirectSmile GmbH

In an effort to expand its customer base, EFI has acquired DirectSmile GmbH, a provider of software for cross media marketing automation. EFI will incorporate DirectSmile technology into its web-to-print and e-commerce offerings.

Based in Berlin, DirectSmile creates media personalization and automation software, streamlining marketing and production tasks for corporations, agencies, and printing companies.

EFI plans to develop, sell, and support DirectSmile products as standalone software for the agency, enterprise, and print industry markets. DirectSmile’s technologies will grow EFI’s offerings and supply customers with expanded, fully integrated capabilities with data-driven digital print, web, social media, email, and mobile marketing workflows, according to EFI. EFI is currently incorporating DirectSmile technology into a new variable-date printing product, which will debut at Graph Expo 14.

“Being a part of the EFI portfolio is a great opportunity to expose our technology to many more companies,” Christoph Schact, co-founder of DirectSmile, says in a press release. “DirectSmile customers will be able to achieve higher levels of automated, targeted marketing success as well as gain important new efficiencies through integrations.”

Gabriel Matsliach, senior vice president and general manager of EFI Productivity Software, predicts the acquisition will be beneficial for both companies.

“Web to print is one of the fastest-growing parts of the printing and marketing software segment. This acquisition gives us the ability to further address this segment with additional, best-in-class variable data and cross media technologies.”

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the acquisition is not expected to impact EFI’s Q3 or full year 2014 results.