Zendesk has announced its definitive agreement to acquire Local Measure, a cloud-native contact center provider and long-time Amazon Connect partner.
The move is expected to enhance Zendesk’s AI-powered voice capabilities, reinforcing its position as a key player in enterprise CX.
The acquisition, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals in Australia, is set to close in May 2025.
Once finalized, Local Measure’s technology will be deeply integrated into Zendesk’s platform, offering businesses an AI-powered, cloud-based voice solution that scales effortlessly.
Why This Matters
For years, Zendesk customers looking for native contact center solutions have relied on third-party integrations. This acquisition changes that—bringing Local Measure’s scalable, AI-driven voice capabilities directly into the Zendesk stack.
“Voice is one of the most personal and powerful ways businesses connect with customers and employees, and managing it at scale requires intelligence and adaptability,” said Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk.
By acquiring Local Measure, we are fast-tracking our ability to deliver a fully integrated, AI-powered voice solution that combines Zendesk’s strengths with the flexibility, security, and scalability of Amazon Connect.
A Natural Evolution of Partnership
Local Measure has been a key AWS partner, developing omnichannel CX solutions that leverage AI-driven automation, intelligent call routing, and seamless integration with Amazon Connect. Over the years, its contact center-as-a-service (CCaaS) offering has grown rapidly, gaining traction with large-scale enterprises in industries like healthcare, telecoms, and government.
For Local Measure, the acquisition means a massive scale-up opportunity. Jonathan Barouch, CEO of Local Measure, added:
We’ve worked closely with Zendesk as a strategic partner, and this next step means faster deployment, lower complexity, and cloud-native innovation—making Zendesk a fresh alternative to legacy contact centre providers.
Why Local Measure Is a Strong Fit for Zendesk
Zendesk’s acquisition of Local Measure is more than just a business transaction—it’s a strategic move that strengthens its AI-driven voice capabilities and expands its presence in the enterprise contact center market. By bringing Local Measure’s technology in-house, Zendesk eliminates the need for third-party integrations, offering businesses a fully native, AI-powered voice solution.
Local Measure has undergone a significant transformation since its founding over 11 years ago. Initially, it focused on customer experience solutions for the hospitality industry, providing tools for brands like Fairmont Hotels and Accor. However, when the pandemic hit, the hospitality sector collapsed overnight, forcing the company to rethink its direction. That pivot led to a partnership with AWS, where Local Measure built a cloud-native contact center solution leveraging Amazon Connect. That decision allowed the company to rebuild itself into a CCaaS provider, offering scalable, AI-driven customer engagement solutions for industries such as healthcare, telecommunications, and government.
The acquisition makes sense for both companies. Local Measure’s platform is designed for high-scale service environments, aligning perfectly with Zendesk’s goal of expanding into larger enterprise deployments. Its AI-driven call routing, automation capabilities, and omnichannel functionality allow businesses to seamlessly transition between voice, messaging, and other digital channels. Rather than stitching together different solutions, companies can now use an integrated Zendesk platform to manage their entire customer experience from start to finish.
Zendesk customers have long expressed the need for a fully native voice solution. Until now, businesses wanting to use Zendesk for customer service still had to rely on external telephony providers for contact center functionality. By acquiring Local Measure, Zendesk addresses this gap and provides a tightly integrated experience. The response from customers since the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive, with many excited that they no longer need to manage multiple disconnected tools.
“We’ve been inundated with customer calls in the last 48 hours,”
Barouch said. “Many have told us, ‘We’ve wanted this for years,’ because they’re currently paying for multiple tools they don’t use—just to make things work with Zendesk.”
This acquisition also strengthens Zendesk’s relationship with AWS. Local Measure has deep expertise in Amazon Connect, as well as AWS’s broader AI and automation tools. With this move, Zendesk is reinforcing its position as a key AI-powered service provider in the AWS ecosystem. The combination of Zendesk’s intuitive platform, Local Measure’s enterprise-grade contact center capabilities, and AWS’s cloud infrastructure creates a compelling alternative to traditional contact center solutions.
The deal positions Zendesk to compete more directly with established CCaaS players like NICE, Five9, and Genesys. Unlike legacy providers that have adapted to the cloud, Zendesk is offering a truly cloud-native, AI-first approach. This means faster deployment, easier scalability, and better automation—all while maintaining Zendesk’s reputation for simplicity and usability.
For Local Measure, joining Zendesk represents a major opportunity to scale. While it has built a strong customer base, the acquisition will allow it to reach tens of thousands of businesses worldwide, supported by Zendesk’s expansive go-to-market capabilities. The alignment in product vision and company culture made this a natural fit, with both teams sharing a customer-first mindset and a commitment to innovation.
The Changing Face of CX – AI and Voice at the Centre
The contact center industry is undergoing a major transformation. For years, companies have been shifting toward digital-first engagement, investing in chatbots, messaging, and automation to reduce reliance on costly voice interactions. Some businesses even went as far as turning off their phone lines, believing that voice was an expensive and inefficient channel. However, the reality is that customers still want to talk to businesses, and AI is finally making voice not just viable but smarter, more efficient, and cost-effective.
Zendesk’s acquisition of Local Measure comes at a time when the industry is seeing a renewed focus on AI-powered voice. AI is no longer just about chatbots—it is transforming how businesses route calls, automate interactions and assist agents in real time. With advanced AI models and cloud-based scalability, companies can now reduce the cost-to-serve for voice interactions while delivering better customer experiences.
The evolution of AI-driven voice technology means contact centers are no longer just service hubs. They are becoming engagement centers where customers move seamlessly between chat, messaging, email, and voice without friction. A conversation that starts in WhatsApp can escalate to a phone call and then be followed up with an email—without losing context. This level of integration is the new standard for CX and businesses that fail to offer it risk falling behind.
What’s Next – Scaling AI-Powered Contact Centres
With the acquisition of Local Measure, Zendesk is making a bold move into the future of customer experience, where AI, automation, and omnichannel engagement define the next generation of contact centers. The question now is: how will Zendesk scale this new capability, and what does it mean for the broader CX industry?
The immediate priority is seamless integration. Local Measure’s AI-powered voice technology will be embedded directly into Zendesk’s platform, creating a native CCaaS experience without the need for third-party solutions. For businesses, this means an end-to-end AI-powered service solution that connects voice, messaging, email, and chat—all managed within a single system. Customers who previously had to rely on multiple disconnected tools will now be able to streamline their operations and reduce complexity.
Beyond the technical integration, the deal marks a major scale-up opportunity for Local Measure. Until now, the company has primarily served high-growth enterprises and large-scale government organizations, with a focus on data privacy and compliance. Now, with Zendesk’s 100,000+ customer base and 6 million agents, Local Measure’s capabilities will be expanded to a much larger global audience. The scale of this transition is enormous, shifting from supporting hundreds to potentially tens of thousands of businesses.
Our customers don’t want a fragmented experience. They don’t want to bolt on third-party solutions and wrestle with integrations—they want voice that’s as seamless and intuitive as every other channel in Zendesk. That’s exactly what this acquisition delivers.
Said Jason Maynard, Zendesk CTO for North America and Asia/Pacific.
The acquisition also deepens Zendesk’s relationship with AWS, reinforcing its position as a key AI-driven service provider within the Amazon Connect ecosystem. AWS is a powerhouse in cloud-based enterprise solutions, and this deal allows Zendesk to tap into the full capabilities of AWS AI tools, including Amazon Bedrock, for generative AI, real-time translation, and advanced automation. The partnership means faster deployment, better AI insights, and increased security for enterprise customers who require scalable, cloud-native solutions.
For Zendesk, this move is also about competing more aggressively in the enterprise CCaaS market. The company has historically focused on SMBs and mid-market customers, but this acquisition signals a clear intent to challenge the top CCaaS vendors in the high-end contact center space. By integrating Local Measure’s AI-infused voice capabilities, Zendesk is creating an enterprise-grade alternative that is easier to deploy, more flexible, and deeply integrated with AI.
Zendesk has made it clear that this acquisition is just the next step in its AI-driven growth strategy. Over the past two years, it has completed three major acquisitions focused on AI and automation, and Local Measure is now the fourth. As AI continues to evolve, Zendesk is positioning itself to be the go-to platform for AI-powered customer experience.
While no single acquisition completes the picture, this deal marks a significant milestone in Zendesk’s journey. The combination of AI, automation, and native voice capabilities will enable Zendesk to redefine how businesses engage with customers at scale.
The future of CX is AI-powered, omnichannel, and seamlessly connected—and Zendesk is making sure it leads that transformation.
