Zendesk Secures Key Industry Recognition as its AI-First Strategy Gains Momentum

SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zendesk today announced it has been recognized as a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Customer Service Solutions, Q1 2026, which Zendesk sees as a reflection of the company's product strength, momentum, and innovation. To us, this recognition is evidence of our AI-first strategy, affirming Zendesk's position as an enterprise-ready platform powering AI for service.

"We believe this result is a direct reflection of our disciplined execution and clear product focus," said Tom Eggemeier, Zendesk CEO. "With more than 20,000 customers and building on our landmark $200M AI ARR in 2025, the Zendesk Resolution Platform is built to handle complexity and deliver consistent outcomes. This recognition from Forrester shows us that we are performing where it matters most and gives us confidence in where we are headed as we lead the charge in delivering the future of agentic AI service."

Zendesk's continued momentum and recognition reflect a significant, accelerating AI-first strategy, further powered by strategic acquisitions. Zendesk expects AI to manage more customer service interactions than humans in 2026. To meet the moment, the company announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Forethought. This proposed transaction will expand Zendesk's AI agent offering on the Resolution Platform, operating seamlessly across all service platforms and channels.

By unifying channels, workflows, and intelligence, the Resolution Platform replaces fragmented tools with a consistent way to handle volume, complexity, and quality across every customer interaction. The Resolution Platform includes:

• Customer Service: Zendesk AI automates customer interactions to enable smarter, faster resolutions. Zendesk blends AI's efficiency with agent empathy, automating routine tasks so agents can focus on what matters most.
  
  
• Employee Service: Zendesk empowers employees with seamless, AI-first service across every phase of work life. Built to deliver real resolutions across every department, it integrates with existing systems, automates workflows, and delivers fast, personalized support that boosts employee productivity and job satisfaction.
  
  
• CCaaS: Zendesk Contact Center, with AI built-in, bridges gaps between channels, agents, and systems, accelerating resolutions across voice, messaging, AI, and Workforce Engagement Management (WEM). It simplifies operations, eliminates fragile legacy complexities, and equips teams to deliver faster service and better experiences.

Forrester evaluated vendors across a wide set of criteria focused on current customer service capabilities including customer service management, customer service operations, and quality management. Zendesk secured the highest possible score of 5 ("Superior relative to others in this evaluation") in 13 criteria within the Current Offering category, including Customer Service Management, Customer Service Operations, and Quality Management. 

Zendesk's recognition as a Strong Performer in the The Forrester Wave™: Customer Service Solutions, Q1 2026 is the latest in an ongoing series of industry acknowledgements that collectively demonstrate to us our accelerating momentum in the market, including being named "Leader" for the company's CRM Customer Engagement Center.

About Zendesk
Zendesk powers exceptional service for every person on the planet. As a leader in AI-powered service, we offer the Zendesk Resolution Platform, designed to redefine customer experience with advanced tools that integrate AI Agents, a comprehensive knowledge graph, actions and integrations, governance and control, measurement and insights, and human expertise. Our purpose-built platform enhances service by combining automation and human insight for seamless interactions. Easy to use, easy to scale, and easy to get value from, Zendesk helps companies strengthen relationships, improve efficiency, and grow. Learn more at www.zendesk.com.

Forrester Disclaimer
Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester's objectivity here.

SOURCE Zendesk, Inc.