Community Brands Closes Acquisition of Education Technology Company Groupcall

September 25, 2018—ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Community Brands, an industry leader in cloud-based software for schools, associations, nonprofits and faith-based organizations, today announced the acquisition of Groupcall, a trusted provider of communications and data analytics solutions for schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities and education software developers, with 70 employees and a head office in London, U.K.

Groupcall specializes in data aggregation and analytics, identity management, payment and parental engagement software for primary and secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Data plays an increasingly important role in education management, but many schools struggle with collecting and using data to improve operations, particularly in cross-department and multi-site environments. Groupcall addresses these challenges with easy-to-use solutions.

“Community Brands and Groupcall are leaders in the field of school software,” said Lawrence Royston, co-founder and Managing Director of Groupcall. “The executives and employees of both companies share a common belief about how technology can help schools, students and families. Joining the team at Community Brands is a fantastic fit for Groupcall and we are eager to bring our combined solutions to an even greater number of schools as part of this new organization.”

The addition of Groupcall, which has technology implemented in more than 20,000 schools, brings new capabilities and complements a complete Community Brands portfolio of education solutions that meets the admissions, enrollment, communications, fundraising, academics and accounting needs of customers. The acquisition follows the strategy outlined by Community Brands to offer greater flexibility and more integrated solutions to meet the unique needs of each school. In parallel to today’s announcement, the company’s research and development teams are nearing completion of other important integration projects.

“Managing and overseeing a successful school looks completely different today,” shared Jean-Paul (JP) Guilbault, President and CEO of Community Brands. “Like other organizations, schools are going through a digital transformation, which has changed the way they attract, engage, and support students and their families. With a complete portfolio of increasingly integrated solutions, we are making this dynamic easier for schools and we are very excited about the new capabilities and expertise Groupcall brings.”

Groupcall was founded by Lawrence and Joanne Royston, together with Alex Felton and Sir Bob Geldof in 2001. Its mission focuses on improving outcomes for all children. Lawrence Royston will continue to lead Groupcall as Managing Director.

Financial details of the transaction were not shared publicly.

Learn more about Community Brands and its K-12 Education Solutions, Groupcall Solutions, Association Solutions, and Nonprofit Solutions.

 

About Groupcall

Launched in 2001, Groupcall provides data, communication, analytics and identity management solutions to schools, local authorities and multi-academy trusts. Co-founded by Sir Bob Geldof, Groupcall is one of the education sector market leaders with products in over 20,000 UK schools. Groupcall has launched a number of award-winning products that increase attendance, improve child safety, enhance parental engagement and support senior leaders to get more value from their data. Groupcall technology also powers the Child Rescue Alert system in the UK. 

Learn more at www.groupcall.com, or follow Groupcall on Twitter and LinkedIn.