ZoomInfo just gave its Copilot users a major upgrade—and it’s more than just a backend tweak. The GTM intelligence heavyweight is now bundling API access into all Copilot plans, allowing users to tap directly into its AI-ready market data across partner platforms. In an era where GTM strategies hinge on data precision, this move could dramatically improve how sales and marketing teams fuel their tech stacks.

One API to Rule Your GTM Stack

ZoomInfo's Copilot isn’t just a co-pilot anymore—it’s a full-fledged mission control for AI-driven go-to-market teams. The new API access allows users to sync ZoomInfo’s rich contact and company data into external platforms like Outreach and Salesloft, enhancing CRM records with updated emails, phone numbers, and missing contact information.

“Data powers the GTM flywheel, and AI is what propels it into overdrive,” said Ali Sadat, SVP of Product Management at ZoomInfo. “Speed alone means nothing without precision.”

Translation? Speedy automation without accurate data is a recipe for chaos. This new API integration ensures that GTM teams start with clean, enriched data—critical for everything from AI modeling to sales outreach.

Plug. Play. Prospect.

The offering is plug-and-play for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), enabling seamless access to ZoomInfo's dataset through apps their customers already use. For instance, sales teams using Outreach or Salesloft can now discover missing contacts and validate email/phone info without ever leaving their workflow.

That’s not just convenience—it’s efficiency at scale.

Why This Matters

API access has often been locked behind premium tiers or enterprise plans in the B2B SaaS world. By including it across all Copilot plans, ZoomInfo is flipping the script—making API-driven intelligence the new baseline. It’s also a strategic push to expand its data ecosystem and increase developer adoption at a time when platform extensibility is becoming a key differentiator in martech.

With competitors like Apollo.io and Clearbit also doubling down on integrations, ZoomInfo’s API expansion sends a clear message: it’s not just about having data, it’s about moving it where it matters, fast.

As new datasets roll out, ISVs can automatically attach them to existing company and contact profiles using ZoomInfo IDs—making expansion feel more like an upgrade than an overhaul.

ZoomInfo’s early partners—Outreach and Salesloft—are just the start. As the company continues to grow its integration roster, expect to see more automation and AI tools powered by real-time, context-rich intelligence.

And for GTM teams still stuck wrestling with stale CRM entries and siloed data? This update may be the nudge they need to make the leap.

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NICE Bets Big on Conversational AI With $955M Cognigy Acquisition

In a bold move to redefine the future of customer service, NICE (NASDAQ: NICE) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cognigy, a leader in conversational and agentic AI, for approximately $955 million. The deal marks a significant leap in NICE’s mission to deliver AI-first customer experiences, combining its CXone Mpower platform with Cognigy’s advanced automation capabilities.

The acquisition isn’t just about expanding tech stacks—it’s about reshaping how businesses interact with customers in an AI-native world.

Why It Matters

In a hyper-competitive market where customer expectations are higher than ever and AI is becoming table stakes, NICE’s acquisition of Cognigy adds rocket fuel to its innovation engine. The integration promises to create one of the most comprehensive AI-powered CX platforms by merging NICE's enterprise-grade tools with Cognigy's dynamic conversational agents.

“These are AI agents that don’t just answer queries—they think, adapt, and act,” said Scott Russell, CEO of NICE. “This is a landmark moment for NICE that sets a new standard for AI-powered customer experience.”

Conversational AI Meets Enterprise-Grade CX

At the heart of this acquisition is Cognigy.AI, a platform that allows enterprises to deploy AI agents across any channel and in over 100 languages. These agents deliver fast, personalized support while freeing up human staff to handle more complex tasks. In essence, Cognigy’s bots are no longer just chat assistants—they’re autonomous service agents with a brain.

Cognigy already counts top-tier global brands like Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé, and Lufthansa Group among its customers. The company is forecasting an 80% annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth by 2026—an attractive prospect for NICE as it looks to expand market share and global reach.

Strategic and Financial Play

Valued at $955 million, the deal includes an approximate $50 million holdback and will be financed through NICE’s existing cash reserves. The board has unanimously approved the acquisition, which is expected to close in Q4 2025, pending regulatory approvals.

For NICE, the acquisition goes beyond technology—it’s a strategic accelerant. Combining Cognigy’s agentic AI with CXone Mpower gives enterprises a unified platform to deploy intelligent agents across front and back-office operations, meeting customers where they are with precision and scale.

The Broader Landscape

This move echoes a larger trend: legacy CX platforms are racing to embed intelligent automation at the core of their offerings. It’s a signal that conversational AI isn’t a sidecar anymore—it’s becoming the driver. Competitors like Genesys and Salesforce have made similar AI-focused bets, but NICE now positions itself at the forefront with a dual-engine model: deep data insights from CXone, and intelligent execution from Cognigy.

The integration will likely unfold in phases, but the vision is clear: AI-first CX at enterprise scale. For customers, it means smarter, faster, and more human-like service. For competitors, it’s a new bar to match.

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AI Search Is Splitting—And Marketers Need to Catch Up

Search, once a monolithic gateway to the web, is now showing clear signs of fragmentation. According to new research from BrightEdge, the AI-driven search landscape is splitting along two very different paths: Google’s “read more” philosophy vs. ChatGPT’s “do this now” approach.

Analyzing thousands of real-world prompts across four high-stakes industries—finance, healthcare, B2B tech, and education—BrightEdge found that ChatGPT and Google AI Mode increasingly disagree, especially when queries are action-oriented. In simple terms, ChatGPT wants to help you do, while Google still wants to help you learn.

And for marketers? This split has massive implications.

One Query, Two Realities

BrightEdge’s data reveals a striking divergence in how AI systems interpret intent. When a query is informational—like comparing online learning platforms or credit cards—Google and ChatGPT largely agree. But when a user asks “how to” take the next step, the responses part ways.

• Healthcare: ChatGPT recommends Zocdoc to find a doctor; Google offers links to hospital directories.

• B2B Tech: ChatGPT nudges users toward tools like AWS CLI and Kubernetes; Google returns tutorials and Stack Overflow posts.

• Education: ChatGPT prefers actionable platforms like Udemy for learning Python; Google reverts to blog posts on GitHub and Medium.

• Finance: ChatGPT points to budgeting apps like Mint; Google sticks to guides from NerdWallet and finance blogs.

On average, task-driven prompts revealed divergence rates ranging from 39% to 62%, depending on the industry.

“AI search is no longer one thing—it’s splitting into at least two distinct philosophies,” said BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu. “While Google thrives as a research assistant, ChatGPT acts like a trusted coach.”

Why It Matters: From Funnel to Functionality

This isn’t just about user experience. It’s about conversion paths. For marketers, the implications are clear: ChatGPT’s responses increasingly align with bottom-of-funnel behavior—users ready to act. Google, by contrast, remains more top- or mid-funnel, feeding curiosity rather than directing action.

If you’re a brand trying to get your product into that action-oriented conversation, optimizing for traditional SEO alone won’t cut it.

Marketing in the Age of Split Search

With Google still holding ~90% of global search share, no one is suggesting marketers abandon it. But as ChatGPT (and similar generative AI tools) become integral to the search journey, there's a growing demand for cross-AI visibility.

BrightEdge's answer? AI Catalyst, its proprietary AI platform designed to unify search strategies across Google, ChatGPT, and other AI-driven environments.

Trusted by Fortune 500 brands, AI Catalyst lets marketers understand how their content is interpreted by different AI models and ensures visibility across all major search paradigms—be it generative or traditional.

In just the last quarter, 27% of BrightEdge clients have begun using Catalyst daily, reflecting the urgency and value of a cross-platform search strategy.

A New Playbook for Search

This isn’t just another AI trend—it’s a structural change in how search operates. With one platform pointing to what to read and the other to what to use, marketers need to adapt their content, strategy, and tools accordingly.

BrightEdge’s research doesn’t just highlight the split—it offers a roadmap. And in this bifurcating landscape, the brands that win will be the ones who learn to speak both AI dialects fluently.

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AI in Social Media Is Gaining Ground—But Trust Is the New Currency

AI isn’t just quietly reshaping how brands market—it’s now redefining how consumers want to interact. A new report from customer engagement platform Emplifi reveals that consumers are warming to AI-powered brand interactions on social media, even as they remain wary of trust, transparency, and accuracy.

Titled “AI in Social Media in 2025: What Consumers Want,” the study surveyed nearly 900 active social media users to unpack consumer expectations and comfort levels around generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The topline takeaway? 73% already use AI for product suggestions or brand discovery. That’s not a trend—it’s a behavioral shift.

AI Can Improve Engagement—But It Needs Guardrails

According to the report, 64% of consumers believe AI will enhance how they engage with brands on social media. But here’s the catch: 60% are concerned about AI giving inaccurate answers. And while AI tools are clearly influencing discovery, they’re not yet a replacement for human interaction—56% of users still prefer talking to a real person for customer support.

Still, AI’s record isn’t bad. 71% of users reported satisfaction with AI-assisted support experiences—suggesting that even if consumers don’t prefer AI-only interactions, they’re often pleasantly surprised when they do happen.

Speed and Access Win—But Trust Matters More

When it comes to what consumers like about AI in customer care, availability (34%) and faster response times (26%) topped the list. These benefits are more than preferences—they’re now expectations. The report highlights that 66% of consumers expect an immediate response, and only 24% are willing to wait more than an hour.

That’s a wake-up call for brands operating with legacy support models or delayed social media replies.

However, trust remains a deal-breaker. An overwhelming 83% of respondents want to know when AI is being used, and half say that labeling interactions as “AI-powered” would increase brand trust. In short, consumers want AI—but they want to know they’re talking to it.

AI in Retail: Ready for Prime Time

Emplifi’s CMO Susan Ganeshan called out an even more encouraging signal: 77% of consumers feel positive about AI in shopping. That number should make any D2C or ecommerce marketer perk up.

But as Ganeshan points out, scaling AI requires more than algorithms. “You just need the right technical partner,” she said. “Brands must approach AI with transparency and accountability to create meaningful interactions.”

That includes integrating brand-specific policies, tone, and historical data into AI responses—essentially, giving AI a human voice backed by brand credibility.

The Data-Sharing Comfort Line

The report also dug into how comfortable consumers are sharing personal data with AI—an area fraught with privacy concerns. The findings show varied comfort levels:

• 48% are fine sharing gender identity

• 40% are okay with sharing clothing size

• 32% are open to sharing purchase history

• 31% are okay with browser history

While these numbers are promising for personalization efforts, they also signal boundaries marketers must respect.

AI Is Welcome—If It’s Honest, Fast, and Useful

AI in social media is no longer optional—it’s operational. But Emplifi’s findings reinforce that brands must deploy it with clarity and care. Consumers want speed and personalization, but not at the cost of transparency or trust. A label, a little honesty, and a lot of relevance can go a long way.

And while some brands may still be hesitant to automate social media or customer care with AI, the message from consumers is clear: Get moving—or get left behind.

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Email Marketing Just Got Smarter: Segment Ninja and Claritas Deliver Real Intelligence to Klaviyo

Email marketers using Klaviyo just got a major upgrade. Segment Ninja, a SaaS segmentation platform built specifically for Klaviyo users, has teamed up with Claritas to roll out a first-of-its-kind integration that brings powerful demographic, psychographic, and lifestyle insights directly into the platform. The goal? Help marketers instantly identify their highest-value customers—and acquire more just like them.

Early adopter Alen, a leading air purification brand, is already proving the results. Using the combined power of Segment Ninja and Claritas’ PRIZM® Premier data, the company saw a 5.2x ROI on segmented acquisition campaigns and up to 60% open rates when targeting high-value audience clusters.

From CRM to ROI: Turning First-Party Data into First-Class Strategy

Marketers have long struggled to bridge the gap between the first-party data they own and the deep segmentation needed to turn that data into meaningful action. Segment Ninja solves this with a simple, one-click interface that pipes in Claritas’ PRIZM Premier, one of the industry’s most robust segmentation datasets.

Here’s what that means for Klaviyo users:

• Instant list enrichment with household-level demographic and lifestyle data

• Dynamic persona generation to tailor content and creative

• Geospatial mapping to find and focus on profitable customer clusters

• Cross-platform reach across 150+ partner channels, including Meta and Google

• One-click integration for pushing segments directly into Klaviyo

It’s a data marketer’s dream—without the data science nightmare.

Proven Results: Alen’s Segmentation Success

The platform isn’t just about flashy features—it delivers performance. During a year-long beta with Klaviyo Elite Master agency Flowium and D2C brands, Segment Ninja demonstrated:

• 17x ROI through address-level matchback attribution

• Precision targeting that extended well beyond Klaviyo’s CRM boundaries

• Seamless activation across Welcome Series, Abandoned Cart, Post-Purchase, and Win-Back flows

For brands like Alen, the secret to growth is clear: find the top 20% of customers driving 80% of revenue, and scale from there. Segment Ninja helps them do just that.

Smarter Campaigns—No PhD Required

One of Segment Ninja’s biggest advantages is its accessibility. Whether you're a Klaviyo novice or a seasoned CRM strategist, the platform’s UI is built for speed and simplicity.

Features like tree map visualizations, downloadable data-rich personas, and the new NinjaGPT—which lets brands simulate conversations with target personas—make it easier to craft resonant messaging without guesswork.

And for teams using Klaviyo with Meta or Google Ads? You can directly retarget or acquire lookalike high-value buyers with unmatched accuracy.

Claritas’ Identity Graph Brings It All Together

At the core of this integration is the Claritas Identity Graph, which enables robust matchbacks, address-level targeting, and multi-channel campaign optimization. With PRIZM Premier’s 68 segment categories and Claritas’ vast reach, Segment Ninja is turning Klaviyo into a segmentation powerhouse.

“Our mission is to help brands turn first-party data into scalable, precision-targeted campaigns,” said Jim Kalogerakos, founder and CEO of Segment Ninja. “With Claritas, we’re giving marketers a direct path to action—and to results.”

Jeff Stevens, SVP of Strategic Partners at Claritas, added, “By integrating PRIZM Premier into tools marketers already use, we’re making precision marketing easier than ever.”

A Smarter Way to Segment Has Arrived

In the increasingly noisy landscape of D2C and email marketing, precision matters. Segment Ninja and Claritas have brought together ease of use, advanced segmentation, and automation into a single, marketer-friendly package inside Klaviyo.

For brands looking to increase ROI without increasing complexity, this integration might be the smartest move you’ll make all year.

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Stova’s New Intelligence Suite Promises One Source of Truth for Event Pros

Stova is making a bold move to streamline event data and boost marketing impact with the launch of its new Event Intelligence Suite—a built-in analytics platform designed to give planners and marketers real-time, actionable insights across every single event.

Forget cobbled-together spreadsheets and post-mortem reports. With this release, event professionals get a customizable, centralized dashboard offering instant clarity on the metrics that matter—attendance, revenue, engagement trends, campaign effectiveness, and more—all updated live.

“Event organizers don’t just need numbers—they need true visibility,” said Kirk Ziehm, CEO of Stova. “We built Event Intelligence to give planners the confidence to act on their data, not just collect it.”

From Fragmented Reports to Unified Intelligence

Sitting natively within the Stova Event Management Platform, the Event Intelligence Suite brings a much-needed layer of business intelligence (BI) to event operations. Instead of toggling between disparate platforms or waiting days for reporting cycles, event teams now have on-demand insights, complete with interactive filters and exportable views.

Here’s what it can do:

• Track key KPIs in real time: registrations, check-ins, revenue, and session attendance

• Visualize global attendee engagement with interactive country-by-country maps

• Understand registration trends over time to optimize campaign timing and staffing

• Evaluate marketing effectiveness via conversion breakdowns and email performance

• Drill into event-level analytics and navigate directly to event settings for quick fixes

• Customize dashboards by event, region, or time range—with full export and share options

In short, it's the kind of visibility planners have been dreaming of—but until now, had to patch together manually.

A Single Source of Truth for the Multi-Event Marketer

Whether you're running one flagship conference or a full global calendar, the Event Intelligence Suite eliminates guesswork and duplication. By aggregating everything into one interface, Stova helps event pros do what every marketer craves: prove ROI, plan smarter, and scale faster.

The platform is built for both agility and depth. If you need a quick snapshot of who checked in today, it’s there. Want to compare registration spikes over the last three quarters? You can do that too.

For organizations that rely on events to drive leads, revenue, and brand loyalty, the intelligence gap between execution and analysis is finally closing.

Why This Release Matters

The event tech space has exploded post-pandemic, with hybrid formats and digital-first expectations pushing data needs into overdrive. Yet, most platforms still treat analytics as an afterthought—or an export.

Stova’s move positions it more like a BI platform for event marketers. That’s a smart bet. As events evolve into year-round, omnichannel experiences, marketers need insights at the speed of engagement. Stova is delivering exactly that.

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MelroseINC's Cloud Storage Test Crowns Avid NEXIS on AWS as Post-Production Powerhouse

Hollywood’s post houses may want to rethink their storage stacks. Los Angeles-based MelroseINC has released a real-world proof-of-concept that finds Avid NEXIS Cloud Storage on AWS outperforms rival systems in the demanding world of TV and film post-production. The study isn’t vendor fluff—it's a rigorously engineered benchmark designed to stress-test cloud storage in workflows involving DaVinci Resolve editing, color correction, and rendering tasks.

Unlike internal vendor tests or limited customer trials, this evaluation was carried out by MelroseTEC’s in-house engineers, alongside seasoned AWS software specialists. The results mark a potential shift in how the media and entertainment industry should approach hybrid cloud infrastructure.

The Benchmark: Three Contenders, One Clear Winner

MelroseINC’s proof-of-concept compared three cloud storage configurations in a production-style environment:

1. Avid NEXIS Cloud Storage on AWS – A hybrid architecture leveraging fast EBS storage

2. Competitor #1 – Direct-to-object storage via S3-compatible protocols

3. Competitor #2 – A file-streaming architecture with smart caching

The findings weren’t subtle.

• Rendering and proxy file generation on Avid NEXIS was 47% faster than Competitor #1 and 28% faster than Competitor #2

• In practical terms, the platform cut job times by up to 15 minutes, translating into major time and cost savings at scale

For media professionals juggling time-sensitive post schedules, those minutes matter.

Future-Proofing the Production Pipeline

“We’re delivering total workflow solutions,” said Zeke Margolis, VP of Cloud Solutions at MelrosePMC. “This means blending on-prem systems with private and public cloud environments that scale and adapt with production needs.”

MelroseINC, through its PMC and TEC teams, has long focused on hybrid and cloud-native deployments. But this POC elevates their message: the future of production infrastructure isn’t just digital—it’s intelligent, dynamic, and optimized for real-world creative demand.

Avid's Stamp of Approval

The partnership with Avid underscores the credibility of the findings.

“As the industry pivots to flexible hybrid and cloud-native workflows, this test proves that aligning infrastructure with creative needs is non-negotiable,” said Richard Duke, Chief Cloud Solutions Architect at Avid.

With support for fast rendering, collaborative editing, and global access, Avid NEXIS on AWS is quickly becoming a core component of the modern post-production stack.

Why This Matters: Hybrid is No Longer Optional

The days of exclusively on-prem post workflows are numbered. Whether you’re running dailies for a blockbuster film or editing a streaming series on a tight turnaround, teams need infrastructure that moves as fast as they do. MelroseINC’s findings confirm what many are already feeling: cloud-first doesn’t mean cloud-compromised—especially when the right tools are deployed.

From enabling cost-effective scalability to unlocking new remote collaboration models, the Avid-MelroseINC combo represents a serious evolution for post-production.

If Speed and Scalability Matter, This Test Speaks Volumes

With this benchmark, MelroseINC positions itself not just as a technology vendor, but as an infrastructure strategist for media teams navigating a fragmented, cloud-hungry industry. Whether you’re rearchitecting for flexibility or trying to shave time off critical workflows, the message is clear: Avid NEXIS on AWS is built to deliver—fast.

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Collibra is doubling down on data governance—this time, tackling the long-ignored 90% of enterprise data that sits unstructured. The company today announced its acquisition of Deasy Labs, a Y Combinator-backed startup known for automating discovery and enrichment of unstructured files like PDFs, emails, and transcripts.

The acquisition marks a pivotal move: Collibra becomes the first platform to unify governance across both structured and unstructured data. For enterprises looking to scale AI with confidence, the addition of Deasy Labs’ technology promises a significant operational upgrade.

Unstructured Data, Finally Governed

The integration means Collibra customers will soon be able to automatically classify, tag, and enrich unstructured documents at scale—without expensive manual labeling or custom AI pipelines. This new layer of automation allows AI and analytics tools to surface smarter search results, more accurate GenAI responses, and maintain compliance in highly regulated industries like finance and healthcare.

“Deasy Labs gives us the ability to tag, filter and enrich this dark data at scale—automatically turning unstructured files into structured, meaningful and trusted data assets ready for AI,” said Felix Van de Maele, Collibra CEO and Co-founder. “This is a leap forward for the industry.”

Founded in 2023 by AI and metadata experts from McKinsey & Company, Deasy Labs quickly gained traction with a platform designed to extract semantic context from unstructured content. By joining Collibra, the startup’s enrichment engine will be embedded directly into the Collibra Platform in the coming months.

What’s Coming to the Collibra Platform

The Deasy Labs integration will unlock:

• Smart Discovery: Automated scanning and semantic tagging of file repositories.

• Semantic Layer Automation: Workflow-driven metadata creation for unstructured files.

• Enterprise-Scale AI Search: Enhanced performance of AI tools with enriched contextual metadata.

This unified governance layer will allow organizations to manage the full AI lifecycle—from discovery and enrichment to policy enforcement—across all data types.

“By bringing unstructured data into the fold of unified governance, Collibra is taking a critical step toward operationalizing AI at scale with confidence,” said Sanjeev Mohan, Principal at SanjMo and former Gartner analyst.

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