Content Guru Explained

Content Guru Ltd
Type:Private limited Company
Area Served:The company provides services in approximately 60 countries
Founders:Sean Taylor and Martin Taylor
Revenue:£ 56.7 million (2022)[1]
Num Employees:400 (2022)[2]
Industry:Telecommunications
Services:Cloud communications software, cloud contact centre software
Parent:Redwood Technologies Group
Hq Location City:Bracknell
Hq Location Country:England, United Kingdom
Products:Storm CONTACT

Content Guru is a cloud communications provider based in Bracknell, UK.[3] The company provides services in over 60[4] countries[5] through its cloud Contact Centre, Storm. These services are provided directly to customers and with partners such as Vodafone, Cinos[6] and Rakuten.[7] Clients include the National Health Service[8] and Serco.[9]

In April 2016, Content Guru received a Queen's Award for Innovation.[10] For work with the National Health Service (NHS), Content Guru has won several awards, including the Crisis Management Innovation of the Year at the IT Europa Awards (2022)[11] and the Best Innovation in Customer Service at the ECCCSA Awards (2021).[12]

History

Content Guru is made up of a number of wholly-owned subsidiaries of Redwood Technologies Group across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe.[13] The vast majority of the revenue generated by Redwood Technologies Group comes from the delivery of cloud services, provided and supported by Content Guru.[14]

Content Guru was founded in 2005 and provides cloud-based customer engagement and customer experience services and cloud contact centre products.[15] [16] [17] The company has offices in the US, Japan, Singapore, the UK, the Netherlands,[18] Germany, Ireland and Italy.

In 2010, Storm was used by ComRes on behalf of ITV News to provide live audience polling for the first televised election leaders' debate in the build-up to the UK 2010 General Election.[19]

In 2013, Content Guru co-founded Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF)'s Business Philanthropy Club (BPC), which enables businesses in Berkshire to provide funding for grassroots organizations and projects in their local communities.[20] Content Guru has been a sponsor of the Pride of Bracknell Forest Awards since 2016,[21] along with its parent company Redwood Technologies. Content Guru supports several local and national charities.[22]

In March 2017, the company announced that it would be delivering services to the United States.[23]

In January 2018, a minority stake of Content Guru and its parent company, Redwood Technologies Group, was sold to Scottish Equity Partners in a £25 million cash deal.[24] [25] [26]

In February 2018, Content Guru announced a partnership with Rakuten Communications to deliver services to Japan.[27]

In 2019, Content Guru became a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CCaaS (Contact Centre as a Service), Western Europe.[28] [29]

In June 2019, Redwood Technologies Group acquired Weston Digital Technologies for its screen recording and quality monitoring functionality.[30]

In early July 2020 Content Guru announced that its product could integrate with Microsoft Teams.[31]

In July 2020, Content Guru was named as a supplier in Crown Commercial Service's Spark Dynamic Purchasing System.[32]

In November 2020, Content Guru was positioned as a Challenger in the 2020 global Gartner Magic Quadrant for Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS).[33] In August 2021, Content Guru was positioned as a Challenger in 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS).[34] In August 2022, Content Guru was positioned as a Challenger in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS).[35] In August 2023, Content Guru was positioned as a Challenger in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS).[36]

In April 2021, Content Guru's parent company Redwood Technologies acquired US-based Potomac Integration and Consulting (PIC).[37]

Controversy

The company came under fire for its role in the Manchester Arena bombing of May 2017 during which Storm failed to operate. This resulted in those affected by the attack not being able to contact police or emergency services.[38] [39]

Vodafone had subcontracted its services out to Content Guru for providing the National Mutual Aid Telephony system. However, when they tried to use it they found an "inability to amend the recorded message and technical difficulties with the server. This suggests there was an inadequate level of knowledge or expertise within Vodafone or its sub-contractor Content Guru."[40] "It took until 0300 GMT on 23 May, four-and-a-half hours after the attack, which took place just after 2230 GMT on 22 May, before a restricted local telephone number was running."[41]

Vodafone and Content Guru continue their partnership, with Vodafone marketing Content Guru's product under the brand Vodafone Storm.[42]

References

  1. Web site: Redwood Technologies Filing History, Companies House.
  2. Web site: Content Guru Commits to Developing New Talent to Support Global Expansion. ContactCentreWorld. November 2022 . 2022-12-06.
  3. Web site: Stephen K Amos presents Bracknell-based cloud provider with top IT award. 27 November 2015.
  4. Web site: Content Guru . 2022-03-17 . NFIA . en-US.
  5. https://www.sep.co.uk/our-portfolio/content-guru/ SEP: A leading cloud contact centre and customer engagement solutions provider
  6. Web site: KPN & Content Guru go Dutch with storm.
  7. Web site: 2018-02-23. News : Rakuten Communications & Content Guru Announce Strategic Partnership. 2020-07-03. ContactCenterWorld.com. en.
  8. Web site: NHS 111 takes home top award at UK Cloud Awards 2017.
  9. Web site: Serco-Content Guru Alliance to Offer Contact Center Platform in Public Sector. 9 May 2017 .
  10. Web site: Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2016 - Press book .
  11. Web site: IT Europa Channel Awards Winners 2022.
  12. Web site: Home.
  13. Web site: REDWOOD TECHNOLOGIES GROUP Ltd - Filing history (Free information from Companies House).
  14. Web site: REDWOOD TECHNOLOGIES GROUP LTD - Filing history (free information from Companies House), Group of Companies Accounts, p.3. 2020-06-30. beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. en.
  15. Web site: Content Guru Reviews, Ratings, and Features - Gartner 2021.
  16. Web site: Content Guru. 4 February 2019.
  17. Web site: Home . contentguru.com.
  18. Web site: Content Guru.
  19. Web site: Comres And ITV News Deliver First Results Of Leader Debates.
  20. Web site: Berkshire Community Foundation Launches Business Philanthropy Club - Blandy & Blandy Solicitors. www.blandy.co.uk. en. 2018-04-16.
  21. Web site: Redwood Supports Annual Pride of Bracknell Forest Award Comms Business. commsbusiness.co.uk. en-US. 2018-04-16.
  22. Web site: Community and Voluntary. 2020-07-02. Content Guru. en.
  23. Web site: Content Guru to storm America on Three Fronts.
  24. Web site: SEP invests in Redwood Technologies Group.
  25. Web site: Berkshire-based Redwood Technologies Group gets £25m. 16 January 2018.
  26. Web site: Scottish Equity Partners has completed a £25m investment in Redwood Technologies Group.
  27. Web site: Rakuten Communications & Content Guru Announce Strategic Partnership.
  28. News: Content Guru in Magic Quadrant for Contact Centre as a Service - Contact-Centres.com. 2016-11-01. Contact-Centres.com. 2018-04-16. en-US.
  29. Web site: Who's Leading Gartner's CCaaS Magic Quadrant 2019?. uctoday.com/. 17 October 2019. en-US. 2020-01-30.
  30. Web site: Heggie-Collins. Sam. Redwood Technologies Group Enhances Quality Monitoring Expertise with Weston Digital Technologies Acquisition Directors Club® News Directors Club® News. 2020-07-15. Directors Club® News. 6 June 2019. en-US.
  31. Web site: storm Integration with Microsoft Teams. 2020-07-17. Content Guru. en.
  32. Web site: 2020-07-15. Content Guru Named as a Supplier on Crown Commercial Service's Spark Dynamic Purchasing System -. 2020-07-16. uktechnews.co.uk. en-GB.
  33. Web site: 2020-11-12. Content Guru Positioned as Challenger for Contact Centre as a Service. 2020-11-12. Contact-Centres.com. en-GB.
  34. Web site: 2021-08-16 . Content Guru Named in 2021 Magic Quadrant for CCAAS . 2021-08-31 . Contact-Centres.com . en-GB.
  35. Web site: 2023-08-10 . Content Guru Named in 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Contact Center as a Service . 2024-01-12 . finance.yahoo.com . en-US.
  36. Web site: 2023-08-11 . Content Guru Named in 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Contact Centre as a Service . 2024-01-12 . Contact-Centres.com . en-GB.
  37. Web site: 2021-04-08 . Redwood Technologies bags US consulting firm . 2024-01-12 . comms-dealer.com/ . en-GB.
  38. News: Manchester Arena attack: National Mutual Aid Telephony system failed. 2018-03-29. en.
  39. News: Manchester terror attack: why did the Vodafone telephone line fail?. 2018-03-27. iNews. 2018-03-29. en-GB.
  40. 27 March 2018. The Kerslake Report. The Kerslake Report: An Independent Review into the Preparedness for, and Emergency Response to, the Manchester Arena Attack on 22nd May 2017. 140. https://web.archive.org/web/20240418215003/https://www.kerslakearenareview.co.uk/media/1022/kerslake_arena_review_printed_final.pdf. 18 April 2024.
  41. Web site: 27 March 2018. Manchester Arena attack: National Mutual Aid Telephony system failed.
  42. Web site: Vodafone Global Enterprise Storm. 16th of November 2018. en-UK. 2018-11-16.