- Robotic process automation, or RPA, tools allow businesses use to speed up processes by automating the patchwork of applications and systems in their networks.
- RPA software can perform basic data entry tasks, eliminate keying errors and even generate automatic email responses to customers.
- Here are 8 of the top robotic process automation companies, according to reviews from IT professionals on IT Central Station.
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Businesses are trying to do things easier and faster with the help of software that can connect and automate the patchwork of applications and systems in their networks.
These tools, called robotic process automation, or RPA, can speed up processes and eliminate keying and other errors — saving a business a lot of money. For example, RPA systems can take on basic data entry tasks or generate automated email responses to customers.
It is still a small market, with total revenue of roughly $850 million in 2018, according to analyst firm Gartner. But it is a fast growing market. Gartner estimated the RPA segment posted a year-over-growth of 63% in 2018.
IT Central Station, the review site where IT professionals are able to weigh in on the software they use, recently conducted a survey on RPA tools.
Here are the top robotic process automation companies, according to IT professionals on IT Central Station.
UiPath
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Ranking Score: 79
Most Compared To: Automation Anywhere (41%), Blue Prism (12%), Work Fusion (8%)
UiPath started in Bucharest, Romania in 2005 creating automation scripts. This was before robotic process automation was considered a market. In fact, the company says they realized the market potential of RPA only in 2012 after a customer told them, "We've been using your software to automate processes. Come take a look." UiPath is now based in New York. The company has raised $1 billion from investors, including Sequoia and Accel.
Automation Anywhere
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Ranking Score: 67
Most Compared To: UiPath (61%), Blue Prism (8%), Pega Robotic Process Automation (3%)
Automation Anywhere, which is based in San Jose, was founded in 2003 and currently has more than 2,300 employees. It offers RPA tools mainly to companies, including enterprises, in financial services, insurance, health care, tech, manufacturing, telecom and logistics. The company has raised $550 million from investors, including SoftBank and Goldman Sachs, according to Crunchbase.
Blue Prism
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Ranking Score: 37
Most Compared To: UiPath (35%), Automation Anywhere (16%), Pega Robotic Process Automation (11%)
Blue Prism, which is based in Warrington, UK, was founded in 2011 and has about 1,000 employees. Gartner said it was one of the first vendors to describe RPA as a market "having realized the broad potential of task automation." Blue Prism says it has more than 1,500 customers worldwide.
Kryon
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Ranking Score: 35
Most Compared To: UiPath (52%), Blue Prism (15%), Automation Anywhere (9%)
Kryon was founded in 2008 and is based in Tel Aviv and New York City. Gartner's report on robotic processing automation cited Kryon's "strong capabilities around process/task discovery … based on captured keystrokes, mouse clicks, data inputs and outputs of business users." Kryon has raised $53 million from investors including Vertex Ventures.
IBM
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Ranking Score: 17
Most Compared To: UiPath (55%), Blue Prism (11%), Automation Anywhere (10%)
IBM, a major player in the enterprise software market, is significant vendor in what is still a small and emerging market like robotic process automation. Gene Chao, vice president of IBM's automation division, underscored the importance of RPA in a blog post, saying: "As machines are quickly learning to complete the repetitive and time-consuming tasks that take up much of our workdays, workers are being freed up to think more creatively and ambitiously about their jobs."
Kofax
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Ranking Score: 15
Most Compared To: UiPath (40%), Blue Prism (19%), Automation Anywhere (10%)
Kofax was founded in 1985 as an enterprise software company focused on capturing and managing digital information. The Irvine, California-based company eventually expanded to robotic process automation. It has about 2,400 employees and more than 25,000 customers in different markets, including financial services, insurance, government, health care, and supply chain. Kofax is currently owned by the private equity firm Thomas Bravo.
WorkFusion
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Ranking Score: 13
Most Compared To: UiPath (55%), Automation Anywhere (14%), Blue Prism (11%)
WorkFusion launched in 2012 as part of a research project of co-founders Max Yankelevich and Andrew Volkov at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. Gartner says the company has "a strong product," but it is hampered by limited sales and marketing resources "compared with its bigger rivals." WorkFusion has raised $121 million from investors that include RTP Ventures and NGP Capital.
NICE Robotic Automation
Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Ranking Score: 13
Most Compared To: UiPath (48%), Blue Prism (22%), Automation Anywhere (14%)
NICE Robotic Automation, which is based in New Jersey, is known for software that helps businesses manage the way it engages with its employees. It covers such tasks as onboarding and recruitment, time management and ways to make sure employee issues are tracked and addressed. Gartner says the company has solid customer support and a "simple, flexible, all-inclusive pricing model."
Here's IT Central Station's ranking criteria, for the curious:
