Omniture
Acquired5 known investors
Web analytics and online marketing optimization provider, acquired by Adobe Systems in 2009 for about $1.8 billion.
Also known as Adobe Marketing Cloud Β· Omniture Business Unit Β· Omniture, Inc.
Founders & leadership
Investors Β· 5
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Omniture was an online marketing and web analytics company based in Orem, Utah, that sold enterprise software-as-a-service for measuring, analyzing and optimizing digital interactions. Its product portfolio included SiteCatalyst, SearchCenter+, Discover, Test&Target, Genesis, Insight, Merchandising, Search&Promote, Survey, Recommendations, DigitalPulse and Scene7 β products that were later rebranded under Adobe and folded into the Adobe Marketing Cloud.
At the time of the 2009 Adobe transaction, Omniture was described as the largest worldwide provider of web analytics, with roughly 1,200 employees, 12 products, more than 5,000 customers globally and fiscal 2008 revenue of about $300 million. Its platform was characterized as a scalable SaaS system capturing over a trillion transactions per quarter, supported by a partner ecosystem and a recurring revenue model. Omniture also served as the data-collection provider for large software and commerce companies including Apple, Amazon and Adobe.
Founding story
Before Omniture, Josh James and John Pestana worked with Jeremy Young to build SuperStats, a software-as-a-service analytics product that let small and medium-sized businesses track site statistics in real time. Young later sold his interest back to his partners, and James and Pestana sold the small business and consumer segments to Network Solutions in order to concentrate on enterprise software, which led to the creation of Omniture in 2002. Wikipedia lists the company's founding year as 1996, and TechCrunch likewise reported the company was founded in 1996.
Business model
Enterprise software-as-a-service sold on a recurring subscription basis, generating a recurring revenue model around hosted analytics, measurement and optimization products, complemented by an extensive partner ecosystem.
Recurring subscription revenue from hosted SaaS analytics and optimization products; fiscal 2008 revenue was reported at approximately $300 million.
Traction
Approximately 1,200 employees worldwide and more than 5,000 customers in 2009, with fiscal 2008 revenue of roughly $300 million and a platform processing over a trillion transactions per quarter. The company was named to Inc. Magazine's list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies during its growth phase.
Latest developments
Adobe completed the acquisition on October 23, 2009 and operated Omniture as a business unit until 2011; from 2012 the Omniture name was retired as its products were folded into the Adobe Marketing Cloud, alongside other Adobe acquisitions such as Day Software and Efficient Frontier within Adobe's Digital Marketing Business Unit. Founder John Pestana co-founded ObservePoint with Rob Seolas in 2009, and Josh James left after the sale to found Domo.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Described at the time of the Adobe acquisition as the largest worldwide provider of web analytics, with a portfolio of 12 products and over 5,000 customers; Adobe cited the deal as significantly expanding its addressable market in internet advertising, e-commerce and digital media.
Combined web analytics and measurement with optimization and targeting products across a single hosted platform, which Adobe positioned as complementary to its content creation tools for an integrated create-deliver-optimize workflow.
Technology
A hosted web analytics and optimization platform reported to capture over a trillion transactions per quarter, covering site analytics, search marketing, behavioral targeting and testing, site search and merchandising, and rich media. Data collection for SiteCatalyst and SearchCenter used the 2o7.net domain, and users could opt out of or block the collection.
Go-to-market
Enterprise customers β online marketers, advertisers, advertising agencies, publishers and e-tailers β after the company sold its small business and consumer analytics segments; more than 5,000 customers worldwide as of 2009.
Geography
Headquartered at 550 East Timpanogos Circle, Orem, Utah, with worldwide operations; Adobe noted the acquisition would give Omniture greater global operational scale and faster entry into new geographies. Adobe later moved the former Omniture operations to Lehi, Utah.
History
Omniture was backed by venture investors including Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, University Venture Fund and Scale Venture Partners, and during a period of rapid growth appeared on Inc. Magazine's list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies. It listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker OMTR in 2006, and from 2006 to 2009 β the three years it was public β CEO Josh James was reported to be the youngest CEO of a Nasdaq- or NYSE-traded company. The company expanded through acquisitions: behavioral targeting firm Touch Clarity for $51.5 million in 2007, web analytics company Visual Sciences (formerly WebSideStory) for $394 million and Offermatica for $65 million in late 2007, and the site search and merchandising business of Israeli e-commerce search provider Mercado for $6.5 million in 2008. Adobe agreed to acquire Omniture on September 15, 2009 for approximately $1.8 billion, completing the deal on October 23, 2009. Omniture became a new business unit inside Adobe with James as senior vice president; in November 2009 roughly 108 Omniture staff, about 9% of its 1,200-person workforce, were made redundant as part of a broader Adobe restructuring. Adobe began retiring the Omniture brand in 2012 as the products moved into the Adobe Marketing Cloud, and vacated the former Omniture offices in Orem, Utah in November 2012, shifting much of its Digital Marketing Business Unit to Lehi, Utah.
Risks & controversies
Omniture was criticized for using domain names resembling local network IP addresses (for example 192.168.112.2O7.net, spelled with a capital letter O rather than a zero), which critics said obscured its involvement in data mining and could mislead users or firewall rules. Its collection of usage statistics from Apple, Amazon and Adobe products drew press scrutiny, including reporting on data gathering from Adobe CS3 users. Following the Adobe acquisition, about 9% of Omniture's workforce was cut in a restructuring, and founder Josh James and Adobe subsequently sued each other over a non-competition agreement related to James's later company, Domo.
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 10
launches, deals, and filingsOmniture operated as a business unit within Adobe until 2011; as of 2012 Adobe began retiring the Omniture name as former Omniture products were integrated into the Adobe Marketing Cloud. Adobe vacated the former Omniture offices in Orem, Utah in November 2012.
Omniture made 108 employees redundant, about 9% of its 1,200-strong workforce, as part of an Adobe restructuring that also cut 680 full-time positions globally.
The acquisition of Omniture by Adobe Systems was completed on October 23, 2009.
$1.8B source β
Adobe Systems and Omniture entered into a definitive agreement for Adobe to acquire Omniture in a transaction valued at approximately $1.8 billion on a fully diluted equity-value basis, via a tender offer of $21.50 per share in cash β a 45% premium to Omniture's average closing price over the prior 30 trading days. Omniture was to become a new business unit within Adobe, with CEO Josh James joining Adobe as senior vice president reporting to CEO Shantanu Narayen.
$1.8B source β
As part of the acquisition, Omniture CEO Josh James was to join Adobe as senior vice president of the new business unit, reporting to Adobe president and CEO Shantanu Narayen.
Omniture agreed to acquire the site search and merchandising business of Israeli e-commerce search solution provider Mercado for $6.5 million.
$6.5M source β
In late 2007 Omniture acquired web analytics company Visual Sciences, Inc., formerly WebSideStory, for $394 million.
$394M source β
Omniture bought behavioral targeting company Touch Clarity for $51.5 million.
$51.5M source β
Omniture completed an initial public offering and was listed on the Nasdaq with the ticker symbol OMTR in 2006.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
βΈResearch sources Β· 6
primary sources listed
- Omniture - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org Β· web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Omniture do?
- Web analytics and online marketing optimization provider, acquired by Adobe Systems in 2009 for about $1.8 billion.
- Who founded Omniture?
- Omniture was founded by Josh James, John Pestana.
- Who are Omniture's investors?
- Omniture's investors include Battery Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (HWVP), Scale Venture Partners, STARTUP IGNITION VENTURES.