EllisLab Acquired by Digital Locations

Now that the ink is dry on the deal we can publicly talk about it:

EllisLab has been acquired by Digital Locations. We are now a wholly owned subsidiary.

So what does that mean? And how will things change?

Externally, as far as our users are concerned, nothing will change, with one big exception: We now have a lot more resources to invest into ExpressionEngine and into our community. Back when we were bootstrapped we were always limited by available funds. We now have solid backing and the green light to go for it. Over the coming months you’ll begin to see those resources in action.

Internally, not much will change either. Derek Jones and I will continue being 100% responsible for running EllisLab. Although we are a subsidiary, we will operate independently. Our only mandate is to make ExpressionEngine and our community the best it can be. As long as we’re doing that, no one will be breathing down our neck.

So who is Digital Locations? They are a team of very smart people that have recognized that the next iteration of the internet will be driven by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. AI and ML is already being deployed everywhere, from online search, to healthcare, to marketing personalization, to the cars we drive. These technologies have the potential to create much richer experiences for end users.

For anyone that makes their living via the web, the ability to deliver personalized content will be phenomenally important in the future. If you are a web agency, your clients will demand personalization technology so they can better connect with their visitors. People have web sites because they want to effectively interact with their audience. This is a beneficial evolution for both site operators and site visitors.

What’s exciting for us at EllisLab is we get to be on the forefront of this technology, building AI and Machine Learning tools on top of ExpressionEngine that will allow our users to create much more rich, engaging, and personalized experiences on the web.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that some people have privacy concerns regarding technologies such as these, and to be honest, we do too. Our goal is to build a richer experience for those that use ExpressionEngine. We believe that AI and ML can be used in responsible and positive ways for that purpose, without compromising privacy concerns. Our GDPR-compliant consent management features are an example of our desire to give end users control over consent.

We think this is incredibly exciting stuff, and we hope you do too.