Ford has shut down VIIZR

Ford has shut down VIIZR, a software-as-a-service company that along with Salesforce built an app to help tradespeople like plumbers, locksmiths and electricians to schedule field appointments, send invoices and manage customers, TechCrunch has learned. About 40 people who worked at VIIZR were laid off.

 

VIIZR, which was announced in December 2021, was a separate company majority owned by Ford with Salesforce as a minority investor. Its aim, at the time, was to build one of the many digital tools that would catapult the automaker’s commercial vehicle and service business Ford Pro to about $45 billion in revenue by 2025.

 

VIIZR is no longer part of that plan.

 

Ford spokesperson Catherine Hargett confirmed that the automaker ended its investment in VIIZR and discontinued the product November 1 due to lack of customer demand and prioritizing its telematics, fleet management and charging productivity software where demand is strong and growing.

 

Ford Pro is well on its way to hitting $45 billion in revenue — a target that CEO Jim Farley noted during an event in January 2022 that highlighted VIIZR and Salesforce’s involvement. Ford Pro generated $42.7 billion in revenue in the first nine months of 2023, a 22% gain from the same period of time last year, according to the company’s latest earnings. Ford Pro software subscriptions, which includes services that helps a business manage fleets, charging its electric vehicles, data analytics and telematics, reached 476,000 in the third quarter, up nearly 50% year over year.

 

While Ford Pro’s business is booming, the software-as-service app was met with more competition and limited demand.