Aspire CCS

What Aspire CCS does

Aspire Customer Communications Services Ltd (Aspire CCS) is a UK-incorporated boutique advisory firm founded in 2015 by Kaspar Roos that operates exclusively in the Customer Communications Management (CCM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM) markets. The firm positions itself as the world's largest and only analyst firm dedicated to CCM-CXM, employing a senior team of roughly nine people across offices in Great Warley (UK), Oak Brook, Illinois (US), and Hilversum (Netherlands), with more than 100 combined years of CCM-CXM expertise. Its service portfolio spans enterprise advisory (CCM-CXM maturity assessments, vendor selection/RFI-RFP support, operating model and Center of Excellence design, strategy workshops), vendor enablement (the Aspire Leaderboard comparison platform, Aspire Sales Enablement program, thought leadership content), and investor support (due diligence, market sizing, M&A advisory, strategic introductions).

The firm's core technology asset is the Aspire Leaderboard, launched in 2018, which is a dynamic (rather than annual-cycle) online comparison tool that evaluates CCM-CXM software vendors and service providers, with multiple segment-specific grids and an upcoming Interactions Experience Management (IXM) grid covering chatbots, interactive video, and evolving form-based experiences. A second product, Aspire Intelligence, is in development under Dr. Gerhard Heide and is positioned as a next-generation enterprise engagement platform for delivering actionable intelligence to clients undergoing digital transformation. Underlying the products is a proprietary research base built from surveys of more than 300 enterprises across three continents, generating market trend reports (publicly priced at $600), annual State of the Industry series, and customized client deliverables.

Aspire CCS generates revenue through a mix of recurring and project-based streams: advisory and consulting hours or fixed-fee engagements with enterprises and vendors, recurring Leaderboard subscriptions and research subscriptions for vendors and service providers, transactional event sponsorships (Silver $7,500, Gold $15,000, Platinum $25,000 across three regional State of the Industry events), and bespoke professional services for private equity and venture capital clients covering due diligence and M&A support. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with senior analysts directly engaging named enterprise accounts (UK and European banks, insurers, pension administrators, a Fortune Global 500 US health insurer) and vendor accounts (Quadient, OpenText, Messagepoint, Smart Communications, Espire). The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding and operates from its three regional offices, reaching enterprises and vendors in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific (Australia and New Zealand).

Name

Aspire CCS

Legal name

Aspire Customer Communications Services Ltd

Website

https://aspireccs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aspire CCS is a UK-founded boutique analyst and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to Customer Communications Management (CCM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM), serving enterprises, software vendors, service providers, and investors with maturity assessments, vendor selection, research, and the dynamic Aspire Leaderboard comparison platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Communications Management (CCM) & Transactional Messaging (MPAAAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Service Excellence (EDABACAB)

Keywords

• CCM advisory services
• Customer experience consulting
• Vendor selection support
• Maturity assessment
• Market intelligence research

Headquarters

HQ city

Brentwood, Essex

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory and Consulting Services: CCM-CXM advisory services including strategy consulting, maturity assessments, vendor selection support, and operating model guidance for enterprises and vendors. Billed as consulting hours or fixed-fee engagements.
2. Research Subscriptions and Reports: Market Trend Reports and proprietary research publications including CoE 2.0 Research, AI Impact on Customer Communications, and Insourcing vs. Outsourcing reports. Sold as individual reports ($600 for market trend reports) or subscription.
3. Aspire Leaderboard Membership: Vendor positioning and subscription memberships for CCM-CXM software vendors and service providers. Provides independent validation of market strengths and differentiators through the digital comparison tool.
4. Thought Leadership Content: Custom whitepaper authoring, webinar participation, speaking engagements, video content, and content syndication services for vendors seeking market share improvement.
5. Investor Support Services: Due diligence, market intelligence, strategic introductions, market sizing (TAM/SAM models), and M&A support for private equity and venture capital firms.
6. Event Sponsorships: State of the Industry series sponsorship packages ranging from Silver ($7,500) to Platinum ($25,000) across three regional events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Aspire CCS is a boutique advisory firm dedicated exclusively to Customer Communications Management (CCM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM). It delivers independent advisory services including maturity assessments, RFI/RFP support and vendor selection, strategy and consulting engagements, operating model and Center of Excellence design, investor due diligence, and thought leadership content for vendors. Its proprietary Aspire Leaderboard is a dynamic online comparison tool providing continuously-updated vendor positioning across the CCM-CXM market.

Product overview

Aspire CCS is a global advisory firm (not a software product company) dedicated exclusively to Customer Communications Management (CCM) and Customer Experience Management (CXM). The firm offers a portfolio of specialized advisory services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the Aspire Leaderboard (dynamic CCM-CXM vendor comparison tool), CCM-CXM Maturity Assessments (AMA Online self-service and AMA Onsite consulting), RFI/RFP Support & Vendor Selection, Strategy/Research/Consulting services, Investor Support for M&A, Thought Leadership content services, Inspiration Workshops, and the Aspire Sales Enablement (ASE) Program for vendors. The Aspire Intelligence platform is in development as a next-generation enterprise engagement platform. All services are delivered by a senior analyst team with 100+ combined years of dedicated CCM-CXM expertise, serving Enterprises, Software Vendors, Service Providers, and Investors across North America and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aspire Leaderboard: Digital-first comparison tool providing independent validation of CCM-CXM software vendor and service provider market strengths and differentiators with dynamic filtering capabilities.
• Aspire Intelligence
• Aspire Maturity Assessment (AMA)
• Aspire Sales Enablement (ASE)

Products and services

• Aspire Leaderboard A digital-first comparison tool providing independent validation of CCM-CXM software vendor and service provider market strengths and differentiators, with dynamic filtering, continuous updates, and grids dedicated to specific segments of the customer communications market.
• CCM-CXM Maturity Assessment (AMA) Comprehensive evaluation of an organization's communications management strategy, workflow, and mindset, available as an online survey-based self-service report (approximately 30 pages, 60-70 questions) or as an onsite assessment with stakeholder interviews and an executive workshop, scoring maturity and identifying gaps.
• RFI/RFP Support and Vendor Selection Comparative vendor insights, pricing review, vendor pitch evaluation, RFI/RFP process guidance, and assistance with vendor selection for CCM technology, including sourcing model and partner insights for outsourcing and hybrid models.
• Strategy, Research and Consulting Unbiased CCM-CXM consultancy including market research, custom research, strategy workshops, analyst calls, competitive landscape analysis, partner overviews, and go-to-market strategy development for geographical or industry expansion.
• Investor Support and M&A Advisory Investment and M&A advisory including due diligence, market intelligence, custom research, market sizing (SAM/TAM models), technological evaluation, strategic assessments, and strategic introductions for private equity and venture capital firms investing in CCM-CXM.
• Thought Leadership Content Services (Vendor Edition) Content creation services including whitepaper and point-of-view authoring, webinar participation, speaking engagements, video content, blog copy, analyst quotes, and content syndication to improve vendor share of voice in the CCM-CXM market.
• Inspiration Workshops and Best-Practice Guidance Onsite or online workshop sessions exploring consumer, market, business, and technology trends tailored to client needs, covering the role of customer communications in Customer Experience and Employee Experience.
• Aspire Sales Enablement (ASE) Program Six-month sales enablement program designed for Service Provider and Technology Vendor clients, including market knowledge building, go-to-market proposition refinement, talk track creation guidance, customer-facing event support, and checkpoints at two and four months.
• CCM-CXM Operating Model and Center of Excellence Advisory Strategic guidance for evolving operating models and shifting to centralized or federated Center of Excellence (CoE) governance, combining technology, processes, and workforce capabilities for CCM-CXM transformation.
• Market Trend Reports Published research reports covering topics such as AI's impact on customer communications, insourcing vs. outsourcing strategies, CoE 2.0, and proprietary market sizing findings (e.g., $600 per report).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of enterprises now testing or deploying generative AI in customer communications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• MessagepointcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Platinum sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series across all three regional events. Active participant in practitioner panels and industry discussions. Recognized as trusted source of independent industry insight.
• SMART CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Platinum sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series. Featured in practitioner panel discussions on CCM-CXM trends and transformation.
• QuadientcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Platinum sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series. Valued for respecting uniqueness of every business through the Aspire Leaderboard.
• CSG InternationalsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series. Featured in practitioner panels discussing AI-driven customer communications.
• ElixirsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series.
• DoximminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series.
• PreciselyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series.
• Signal (Broadridge Company)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series. Featured in practitioner panel discussions.
• O'Neil Digital SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series.
• Dialog GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series.
• ENITminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor of CCM-CXM State of the Industry 2026 series.
• Holly Small DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite design and development partner responsible for the design and development of aspireccs.com.
• CCM-Specific M&A Advisors and Deal MakerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAspire partners with CCM-specific M&A advisors, deal makers, and M&A practices within leading tax advisory firms for investor support services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IDC: Global market intelligence firm with research coverage in customer communications, CX, and enterprise software markets. Competes with Aspire for enterprise CCM-CXM research subscriptions and vendor-sponsored market sizing engagements.
• Forrester Research: Global research and advisory firm that publishes Wave reports and research covering Customer Experience, CCM, and customer journey orchestration. Larger generalist with broader portfolio, but overlaps directly with Aspire in the CCM/CXM advisory space through dedicated analyst coverage.
• Omdia (Informa Tech): Large technology research firm (formerly Ovum/IHS Markit) covering enterprise communications, CX, and digital transformation. Broader incumbent that competes with Aspire on enterprise CCM and CXM advisory contracts.
• Gartner: Largest global IT research and advisory firm with Magic Quadrants covering CCM, CXM, and CCaaS categories. Overlaps with Aspire on enterprise CCM vendor evaluation and CXM strategy advisory but covers many more adjacent technology categories.

Direct peers

• Nucleus Research: Smaller research firm providing ROI-focused technology research, with coverage including CX and customer engagement platforms. Comparable to Aspire as a boutique analyst serving enterprise buyers and technology vendors.
• Ventana Research (now part of Omdia): Research and advisory firm specializing in enterprise software including CX, customer engagement, and content management. Direct competitor to Aspire on CCM-adjacent research and enterprise advisory engagements.
• Constellation Research: Technology research and advisory firm with dedicated coverage of customer experience, digital transformation, and customer communications. Most directly comparable niche analyst to Aspire with similar subscription, advisory, and event-based revenue model.
• Real Story Group (formerly CMS Watch): Boutique analyst firm focused on digital workplace, content services, and customer experience technologies. Closely comparable in firm size and niche specialist model to Aspire, with overlapping customer communications and CCM vendor coverage.

Emerging players

• Quadrant Knowledge Solutions: Emerging global advisory and research firm publishing SPARK Matrix evaluations in customer engagement, CCM, and CXM. Emerging player in the same vendor evaluation category that the Aspire Leaderboard competes against.

Others

• CXPA (Customer Experience Professionals Association): Non-profit professional association for CX practitioners with research, certification, and community programs. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor, but intersects with Aspire's CXM research audience and event positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aspire-ccs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aspire CCS