Merged Usability Company and WebAbacus rebrand as Foviance

The company formed by the merger in April of The Usability Company and WebAbacus is to relaunch under the name Foviance, with a focus on “the customer experience”.

According to Foviance chief executive Paul Blunden, the company will offer clients a new approach that merges usability and Web analytics to look at all aspects of customers’ online experience. He adds: “The customer experience will increasingly be a major differentiator between companies and will become a fundamental part of brands in the future.”

Experts say that the main factor behind the merger was the increasingly niche nature of usability – basically, making sure that a website is as easy to use and as accessible as possible – and the commoditisation of Web analytics, the detailed analysis of Web traffic and page visits to identify how the whole online experience can be improved.

The new company name was derived from the word “fovea”, the term for the part of the eye where vision is most focused. A new “holding” website, which will redirect visitors to the Usability Company and WebAbacus sites, is being launched at www.foviance.co.uk, with plans for a proper Foviance site in the new year.

Foviance works for 43 FTSE-100 companies, with clients that include AOL, Nokia, Royal Bank of Scotland, the National Lottery and the British Standards Institute. Turnover this year is forecast to be about &£3m.