Why Equifax is Leaning into M&A in 2021
As Equifax enters the final stages of a historic $1.5B three-year cloud technology transformation, the company is focused on strategic partnerships and acquisitions that expand its core capabilities, leverage its expanded cloud assets, and support the company’s purpose of helping people live their financial best. For more than 20 years, partnership and acquisitions have been a strategic focus as Equifax continues to find ways to solve problems, create value for customers, drive innovation and provide solutions. Now with the company’s evolving cloud-native technology architecture, it’s easier than ever to integrate new partner capabilities and acquisitions fast and securely to create leading-edge solutions.
As digital transformation continues to boom, accelerated by the ripple effects of the COVID pandemic, customers are seeking expertise and solutions around e-commerce and digital channels, and new Equifax companies such as Kount are helping answer the call. Equifax acquired Kount at the start of 2021, and they are already delivering award-winning ID & Fraud solutions that complement Equifax’s cloud-native Luminate Platform. Kount’s global network links 32 billion digital interactions, 17 billion devices, and five billion annual transactions across 200 countries and territories. When these digital identity capabilities are paired with the Equifax portfolio of physical identity assets like address, phone and credit records, the company is able to drive unrivaled trust, security and protection for its customers. In essence, Equifax is providing customers with the confidence they need to support their own customers during a time of rapidly evolving digital commerce.
While Kount is creating a more secure e-commerce environment, other new Equifax acquisitions such as HireTECH and i2Verify provide HR and tax solutions for small and medium businesses, saving them time and allowing them to focus on growth while also streamlining critical income and employment verifications for their employees.
“Consumers, lenders and government partners all look to us for fast, seamless and accurate employment and income verification,” said Bindal. “From helping someone qualify for a mortgage or a government benefit, it’s critical we are considered a trusted and efficient partner.”
For more than 120 years, Equifax has been an innovation leader, paving the way for more people to gain access to the credit they need while helping customers manage their risk. New cloud infrastructure, industry leading solutions and global scale are all part of the Equifax difference that is critical to solving the next generation of business challenges for customers and consumers.