Enplug Latest Firm Acquired In Spectrio’s Digital Signage Roll-Up Strategy

March 31, 2021 by Dave Haynes

The Florida customer engagement solutions provider Spectrio is continuing its strategy of growing through acquisition, buying the LA-based digital signage CMS Enplug.

The deal is on the heels of recent acquisitions of Screenscape and Industry Weapon, and in recent years Spectrio has also acquired 10 Foot Wave and Codigo.

“The acquisition,” says PR, “enhances Spectrio’s robust digital communications platforms, adding enterprise-level management features to meet the needs of global organizations, as well as expanding integrations to enhance the customization of brand communications.”

Enplug has been in the marketplace for several years, started and run by a group of millennials. initially out of a communal work/live house in L.A. The company gradually grew up into a real office and has a CMS and supporting software that serves a number of verticals – from SMB to enterprise.

I’ve been interested in the company’s content and widgets approach, because the 20-something dominant Enplug team looked at the world and presented content differently from the majority of companies run and guided by 40 and 50-somethings …. usually men.

I’ve also been interested in their use of technology, as the tech team had the software player running on Android early and more recently had started using Nvidia’s very slick set top box as a player. I have a test unit on my desk and SOMEDAY I will have time to plug it in!

“Enplug has a remarkable reputation for its flexible and innovative digital signage platform that is easy to manage and scale for global brands,” says Daniel Babb, Spectrio’s CTO. “We are excited to add Enplug’s unique multi-level content creation and interactive communication capabilities to Spectrio’s suite of customer engagement technology solutions.”

Spectrio started years ago with music-on-hold tech for phone systems but has broadened its scope to include Interactive Kiosks, On-Premise Messaging and Music, On-Hold Marketing, Wi-Fi Marketing, and Scent Marketing. Spectrio clients will gain enhancements for digital services, additional content capabilities, and expanded integrations with third-party applications.

The PR does not get into deal terms or how this affects the Enplug brand or its management team. In the most recent Spectrio deal, the team, at PEI-based Screenscape has stayed in place, as has the brand. Enplug was backed by a pile of angel investors.

Based on what I have heard from many, many companies, I assumed 2020 would have been a tough year. But Co-Founder/CEO Nanxi Liu tells me that despite the pandemic, Enplug grew significantly in 2020 and doubled profitability. “The reasons,” she says, “are because of our very successful launch of work-from-home products and the popularity of our COVID-19 Safety Apps.”

Spectrio, meanwhile, is backed by a private equity firm and the company has been quite open about growth plans and interest in talking to companies that would entertain buyouts and takeovers. The Swedish solutions provider ZetaDisplay is taking a similar approach in Europe, though that firm is publicly traded.

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