D-Tools and Portal.io have merged, combining two established software platforms used by residential and commercial integrators across audio/video, security and low-voltage markets.

The transaction brings together software capabilities spanning proposals, system design, project management, scheduling, procurement and service. Rather than immediately consolidate customers onto a single platform, the combined company plans to maintain the existing products and position them for different types and sizes of integration businesses.

G Paul Hess will continue as CEO of D-Tools. Portal.io founder and CEO Kirk Chisholm becomes Chief Product Officer, overseeing product vision and strategy across the combined portfolio. Portal.io Chief Operating Officer Josh Willits will lead the Portal.io business unit.

The companies have worked together for more than a decade, including through the integration of Portal.io's managed product catalog with D-Tools System Integrator (SI). The merger formalizes that relationship while creating a larger software portfolio for the integration industry.

Three Platforms, Different Operating Models

The combined company will continue offering three primary products rather than requiring customers to move to a common platform.

Portal.io will remain focused on speed, simplicity and client-facing proposals. Its positioning centers on helping integrators create and present proposals without the complexity of a broader business-management system.

D-Tools Cloud covers a wider operational workflow, including sales, system design, proposals, project management, scheduling and service. It is aimed primarily at growing integration companies seeking a cloud-based platform across multiple business processes.

D-Tools SI remains the enterprise-oriented product for larger and more complex integration operations.

The decision to maintain separate products is notable because software mergers frequently create pressure to consolidate overlapping platforms. D-Tools and Portal.io instead say customers will remain on their current products and terms, with no forced migration or announced end-of-life plans.

For integrators, that approach reduces immediate operational disruption. It also gives the combined company time to determine where technologies, data and workflows can be integrated without requiring customers to change systems prematurely.

Product Data Is a Strategic Asset

One of the more consequential aspects of the merger is the combination of product-data resources.

D-Tools maintains a large catalog containing specifications and pricing from manufacturer and distributor suppliers. Portal.io also operates a managed product catalog. Bringing those datasets together could improve product information consistency and reduce some of the manual work involved in specifying equipment and preparing proposals.

For integration businesses, product data is not simply catalog content. Accurate specifications, pricing and availability information can influence system design, bill-of-materials creation, proposals, procurement and project execution.

The combined data environment could therefore become an important foundation for future automation.

That is particularly relevant as software vendors increasingly incorporate generative AI and agent-based functionality into vertical business applications. AI systems depend on structured, current business data to produce useful recommendations and automate workflows reliably.

AI Moves Further Into the Integrator Workflow

Both companies are positioning AI as a major part of their future product strategy.

Portal.io previously introduced an AI proposal builder, while D-Tools has been adding AI capabilities across its software portfolio. Following the merger, the companies intend to apply AI across activities including selling, system design, business management and project execution.

The strategy reflects a wider software-industry shift from isolated AI features toward workflow-level automation.

For integrators, the potential use cases extend beyond generating proposal text. AI could assist with product selection, specification, proposal creation, project documentation, scheduling and service-related tasks. However, those applications depend heavily on the quality of product catalogs and customer data.

The merger therefore combines two assets that could become increasingly complementary: workflow software and industry-specific data.

Market Landscape: Vertical Software Consolidation

The deal comes as vertical software vendors increasingly compete on breadth, integration and specialized data rather than on individual point solutions.

Integration companies operate across several connected processes. A proposal can lead to a system design, which can generate procurement requirements and ultimately feed project management and service operations. Fragmented software can create duplicated data entry and inconsistencies between departments.

The combined D-Tools and Portal.io portfolio addresses that fragmentation while retaining separate products for different operating models.

The strategy also reflects the structure of the integration industry itself. Smaller dealers may prioritize proposal speed and ease of use, while larger organizations require deeper project, procurement and operational controls.

By keeping Portal.io, D-Tools Cloud and D-Tools SI in the portfolio, the company can address those segments without assuming that every integrator needs the same software architecture.

Strategic Outlook

The primary strategic question will be how effectively D-Tools and Portal.io translate the merger into a connected technology ecosystem.

Maintaining separate products gives customers continuity, but it also creates potential complexity around shared data, integrations, product roadmaps and AI capabilities. The value of the combination will ultimately depend on whether customers receive measurable improvements without losing the specialized workflows that attracted them to either platform.

The product catalog could become a particularly important differentiator. A broader, more accurate dataset can support better specifications and provide AI systems with stronger information for automated recommendations and proposals.

The companies also plan to expand further into commercial and international markets, potentially increasing the addressable customer base beyond their established residential integration presence.

Both companies are scheduled to exhibit separately at CEDIA Expo 2026 in Denver in September, providing an early opportunity for customers and industry partners to assess the combined strategy.

Top Insights

• D-Tools and Portal.io have merged after more than a decade of partnership.
• The combined portfolio will retain Portal.io, D-Tools Cloud and D-Tools SI.
• Customers are not currently required to migrate between products.
• Product-data consolidation could support specification, procurement and AI workflows.
• AI proposal generation is expected to expand into broader integrator operations.
• The merger creates a larger vertical software platform spanning residential, commercial AV, security and low-voltage integration.
• The long-term value of the deal will depend on product integration, data quality and execution rather than scale alone.

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