TouchCommerce Acquired for $215 Million

Customer service software developer TouchCommerce has been acquired by Nuance Communications Inc. in a deal valued at $215 million, the companies announced. The addition of TouchCommerce, in Agoura Hills, will expand Nuance’s customer care products with a range of new digital offerings, including live chat and customer analytics. Nuance, in Burlington, Mass., will pay $110 million in cash and $85 million in a combination of cash and Nuance common stock for TouchCommerce. The remaining $20 million will be paid at the conclusion of an indemnity period. TouchCommerce Chief Executive Bernard Louvat said the company was thrilled to join forces with Nuance to integrate its products. “Our respective capabilities are so complementary and our strategies so similar that it became obvious to both parties that joining forces was the logical next step beyond our existing technology partnership,” Louvat said in a prepared statement. TouchCommerce develops software for consumer engagement through online advertising, social media and retail outlets for a multiple of industries, including retail, hospitality and technology.