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Laying the Foundation with SMS
Our journey began with SMS, the cornerstone of mobile communication in the early 2000s. It was the first piece of our puzzle, and it quickly became clear that this foundation alone wasn’t enough. To truly grow and serve our customers better, we needed to expand beyond SMS and look beyond the Dutch market.
Expanding with Other Channels
As communication channels evolved, so did CM.com. We developed our Customer Data Platform (CDP) and integrated new channels like WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook Messenger. This expansion was more than just adding new features—it formed the basis of our marketing cloud. Each new channel wasn’t just another tool; it was a crucial part of making communication richer and more interactive.
Jeroen captured this evolution perfectly when he said,
“You saw it coming, the shift from SMS to other messaging channels. Messages became richer with media and more options: MMS, EMS, WhatsApp, RCS.”
These advancements allowed us to do more within each conversation, turning customer interactions from simple exchanges into dynamic engagements.
Entering the Payment Market
Recognizing the need for integrated payment solutions, we took a bold step into fintech. The acquisition of Docdata was an important moment that allowed us to build our payment platform. This addition connected communication with commerce, setting us apart from competitors and adding a vital piece to our puzzle. With this, we were able to support full customer journeys where communication and transactions were intertwined.
This article is part of our series, "CM.com: 25 Years at the Forefront of Innovation." Check out the previous articles too:
1. Will You Join Me at Highstreet?
2. From DIY Solutions to a World-Class Operation
3. Pushing Boundaries: The Path to Global Success
Connecting Communication and Commerce
As these services came together, we found ourselves at the forefront of a new trend: conversational commerce. By integrating commercial elements into our communication channels, we improved experiences for businesses and their customers. Gilbert articulated this well:
“We realized we were really good at managing conversation channels, from SMS to WhatsApp. And within those conversations, we can integrate commercial elements, like payments or placing an order. That’s the essence of conversational commerce.”
This approach transformed how businesses interact with their customers, turning each conversation into an opportunity for engagement and conversion.
Adding Depth: The Ticketing Platform
Our venture into ticketing might have seemed unexpected, but it was a natural extension of our services. It takes us back to where it all started: in clubs. With the acquisition of TicketFlow and subsequent expansions, we added another dimension to our offering, complementing our existing communication and payment services. This piece of the puzzle allowed us to support events and experiences, creating a more comprehensive platform for our clients. With the addition of Appmiral, our event app, we have all the pieces to become the technical backbone of any event. From buying a ticket, pre-fun, to paying for your beer.
Preparing for the Future
Communication between businesses and consumers isn't just about marketing; it's often about service too. To enhance personal interactions across all channels, RobinHQ was acquired and rebranded as Mobile Service Cloud. Larger clients needed automation because they frequently received the same questions. DigitalCX had the ideal solution: a platform for creating intelligent AI chatbots.
No puzzle is complete without looking ahead. The acquisition of Building Blocks positioned us to implement AI early on. This allowed our customers to better understand and serve their own customers. Today, we have advanced personalization capabilities across all our channels. This forward-thinking move ensures we're ready for the next wave of innovation, allowing us to continue refining the puzzle and adding new dimensions to our platform.
Jeroen and Gilbert saw the potential of AI ahead of the curve: “We saw the need early on to use AI to help businesses understand their customers better and respond to their questions.”, explains Jeroen. This piece not only made our platform smarter but also future-proofed it for the ever-evolving needs of our clients.
Fitting It All Together
One of our biggest challenges has been explaining how these diverse services create a cohesive whole. But time and again, we’ve seen how having everything “under one roof” provides unparalleled value for our clients. As Jeroen put it,
“There’s something powerful about having everything under one roof. It’s like Microsoft Office—having Word, Excel, and PowerPoint together just makes sense.”
This integration is what makes our platform truly powerful, ensuring that all the pieces work together seamlessly.
The Ever-Evolving Puzzle
At CM.com, we believe we're always at the beginning of something new. Our founders, Jeroen and Gilbert, continue to exchange ideas at all hours—often outside the typical 9-to-5—constantly looking for new ways to innovate and grow. “Everything we’ve come up with has always been outside office hours,” Jeroen notes, illustrating how their best ideas often come from real-world experiences and frustrations, like waiting in line at a festival or struggling with outdated ticketing systems.
Looking ahead, we’re eager to discover and add the next pieces to our puzzle, continuing to innovate and elevate the customer experience. The big picture is taking shape, but there's always room for more innovation, more services, and more ways to serve our clients.
