Microsoft Acquires Ally.io to Boost Employee Experience

Microsoft Corp has acquired Ally.io, a company specializing in Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to help improve employee experience by aligning their work to the company’s strategic mission and core priorities for an undisclosed amount. Microsoft plans to turn Ally.io’s OKR functionality into a new module in its Viva employee-experience platform, officials said on October 7. Ally.io has about 130 employees located primarily in Seattle and Chennai, India. 

Currently, Microsoft Viva has four modules: Connections, Insights, Topics, and Learning. Viva is meant to help companies with employee onboarding and engagement. Viva packages together some already available and some new Microsoft technologies, ranging from Yammer and SharePoint to its analytics and additional “Project Cortex” knowledge-management elements. 

Ally.io, a leading OKR (objectives and key results) company, will join the Microsoft Viva family as part of its employee experience platform (EXP) designed to help companies embrace the new digital work-life, Microsoft said in a statement late on Thursday. Ally.io’s OKR technology will become the core of a fifth Viva module over the next year, Microsoft officials said.

The OKR category is a fast-growing and emerging space, and Ally.io is leading the way as one of the most loved tools on the market. Since its launch in 2018, the company’s products and services have been adopted by over 1,000 leading high-tech, manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare businesses across more than 80 countries.

“Ally.io will power a new Microsoft Viva module. Viva is an employee experience platform that brings together communications, knowledge, learning, resources, and insights from anywhere you work,” the Redmond, Washington-based company said.

“Over the next year, we will be investing to bring Ally.io into the Microsoft Cloud, evolve the existing integrations with Microsoft Teams, and weave Ally.io into Viva, Office, Power BI, and the broader set of Microsoft 365 apps and services,” the company said. “Until then, current customers can continue to expect the same great support and service, and new customers can continue to purchase the existing service through Ally.io.”