Jamf, one of the Twin Cities' largest SaaS companies, announced Tuesday that it has acquired ZuluDesk, a Dutch education-technology startup.
Minneapolis-based Jamf makes software businesses use to manage Apple devices. Its main product, Jamf Pro, is used by more than 8,000 schools in the U.S., the company says. Jamf plans to leverage ZuluDesk's business to incorporate apps for parents and teachers into Jamf Pro.
Like Jamf, ZuluDesk operates on the Apple platform. The company provides around 6,000 schools with software solutions that improve education and communication between students, teachers and parents.
Jamf's acquisition of ZuluDesk will expand its reach into 14,000 schools and managing more than nine million Apple devices, including many of the largest districts in the United States, according to Jamf.
As part of the deal, the companies said in a statement, the entire Emmen, Netherlands-based ZuluDesk team will join Jamf. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
"We believe that ZuluDesk's success in creating an education technology solution that leverages iPads, Apple TVs and applications designed for teachers and parents to give Jamf an expanded set of capabilities to help students learn with Apple," Jamf CEO Dean Hager said in a statement.
This is the second company that Jamf has purchased since its own acquisition in late 2017 when it was scooped up by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners for an undisclosed amount. At the time, Jamf said the deal would give it resources to make acquisitions.
In September 2018, nearly a year after the acquisition, Jamf acquired Austin, Texas-based Orchard & Grove, which makes tools for administering Mac computers.
