Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) has acquired OpenCal – a Vancouver software company that has created an online appointment system.
Daily deal pioneer Groupon bought OpenCal in September but only announced the deal this week when it unveiled a new feature: Groupon Scheduler.
The new tool, based on OpenCal’s technology, is an appointment service that allows merchants to manage schedules and accept bookings directly from consumers.
Groupon Scheduler “seamlessly” integrates into the Groupon deal process, the company states. After purchasing a deal, customers can schedule or cancel appointments through their Groupon account. The tool sends an email confirmation of each booking to both consumer and merchant.
“Simplicity and ease of use were top priorities for Groupon Scheduler,” Mihir Shah, a vice-president of product at Groupon, said in a release.
“We wanted to create a tool that would not only make the Groupon feature process easier for merchants, but also help them run their businesses beyond their Groupon deal.”
Vancouver software designers Simon Vallee and Arash Shiva founded OpenCal in 2009 and now work with Groupon.
Vallee and Shiva could not be reached for comment by press deadline.
Jenny Wagler
@JennyWagler_BIV