Granicus Acquires Firmstep to Create Industry’s First Unified Civic Engagement Platform

Firmstep’s premiere platform will accelerate Granicus’ mission to bring key government services and transactions online

Denver, CO – April 4, 2019 – Granicus, the leading provider of cloud-based software solutions and digital engagement services for the public sector, today announced that it has acquired Firmstep, a London-based global leader specializing in government service transformation.

The acquisition brings together Firmstep’s proven capability and experience transitioning hundreds of U.K. government services and transactions online with Granicus’ leading public sector communications, government website design, and meetings management software. The Firmstep acquisition enables Granicus to significantly accelerate its mission and commitment to deliver the industry’s first and only unified civic engagement platform.

“U.S. local governments continue to struggle delivering on the promise of digital civic services for their communities,” said Granicus CEO, Mark Hynes. “Solutions designed for the private sector are overly-complex and don’t fit the needs of the public sector, and government-focused point solutions do not integrate well and therefore deliver an extremely poor resident experience. This acquisition allows Granicus customers the ability to provide critical services such as permits, applications, licenses, payments and other transactions to their communities digitally, cost effectively and with the unified, consistent and modern experience users have come to expect.”

Combined technologies from Granicus and Firmstep will deliver a powerful, unified citizen engagement solution for local government, bringing together web content management, online transactions, digital communications (email, text, social), citizen CRM, 311 service requests, and meeting transparency – for the first time, from a single, government-focused provider – enhancing civic engagement along the full citizen journey.

“As the pressure mounts for governments to modernize, one-third of local governments in the U.K. have turned to Firmstep’s easy-to-use online forms and self-service platform that is proven to increase engagement, provide opportunities for new revenue streams, and maximize process efficiency,” said Hynes. “By combining Firmstep with Granicus, we will be the only SaaS vendor that provides a full civic engagement platform designed specifically for government – satisfying the rising digital experience expectations of citizens, while seamlessly integrating into existing back office processes and workflows.”

Firmstep has been accelerating public sector digitization across the U.K. for 18 years, supporting governments’ transition from paper-based and in-person service delivery methods to user-friendly and cost-effective online interactions. Firmstep customers have reduced the need for in-person service interactions by as much as 80 percent, reducing costs for governments and adding convenience for residents.

“Firmstep was founded to empower U.K. governments to deliver easier, faster and better customer service,” said Firmstep CEO Brett Husbands. “By bringing Granicus and Firmstep together, we have the opportunity to replicate the success we’ve achieved in nearly one-third of U.K. local governments in the U.S. – helping government organizations lead with a ‘digital-first’ services strategy, better serve and engage today’s modern citizens, and ensure that every interaction is streamlined and executed with automated workflow and service visibility.”

Together, Granicus and Firmstep will serve over 4,200 government customers and over 2,700 local governments across the U.S. and U.K. The investment reflects Granicus’ commitment to deepening its market presence in the U.K. – doubling the current Granicus client base to over 300 customers, and ensuring the growing network of over 13 million govDelivery subscribers in the U.K. are more directly connected with the community activities, services, events and notices provided by their government and managed by Firmstep.

About Granicus

Granicus connects governments with the people they serve by providing the first and only civic engagement platform for the public sector. Over 4,200 federal, state and local government agencies and more than 185 million citizen subscribers power an unmatched network that turns government missions into quantifiable results. With comprehensive cloud-based solutions for communications, government website design, meeting and agenda management software, records management, and digital services, Granicus empowers stronger relationships with citizens. For more information on how to automate and streamline processes, reduce costs, and increase transparency, visit Granicus.com.

About Firmstep

The Firmstep platform is one of the most widely used Customer Service solutions within the Public Sector. Firmstep has been implemented at over a third of UK local authorities to drive channel shift, create dramatic savings and provide excellent customer service. For more information, visit Firmstep.com.

Media Contact:
Madeline O’Phelan
651.341.3878
madeline.ophelan@granicus.com