UKG
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded | April 1, 2020 |
| Headquarters | |
| Key people | |
| Owners |
|
| Website | www |
UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) is an American multinational technology company with dual headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts, and Weston, Florida. UKG is the AI-first Workplace Operating Platform with unified HR, payroll, and workforce management services.
History
[edit]On February 20, 2020, Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated announced an agreement to form a new cloud computing venture, specializing in workforce management and human capital management. The combined company, valued at $22 billion, would be one of the largest cloud computing companies in the world. The merger was officially completed on April 1, 2020,[4][5][6] and, in August, the company's name was announced as Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), which became effective on October 1.[7]
In December 2021, UKG disclosed that it was targeted by a ransomware attack that was first detected on December 11, 2021. The malware attack affected the Kronos Private Cloud feature used by many large businesses including Boots, Gap Inc., Marriott International, MGM Resorts International, PepsiCo, Sainsbury's, Samsung, Staples Inc., Tesla, Inc., Whole Foods Market, Yamaha Corporation, YMCA, and others while some governmental entities such as the cities of Cleveland, Springfield, Massachusetts as well as the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority were also affected.[8][9][10][11][12] Many sources reported that the attack possibly occurred as a result of the Log4Shell zero-day, but UKG claimed it had no evidence that Log4Shell was responsible for the ransomware incident.[12][13][10][8]
In July 2024, Jennifer Morgan became chief executive officer.[14]
Workforce—Institute and Activity Report
[edit]Established in 2007, Workforce Institute is the company's think tank and research platform for organizations providing information on Human Capital Management issues, including working environment optimization, analytical and educational tools, accommodation of people with disabilities, and more. The organization also conducts surveys and issues annual reports on global workforce trends and developments.[15][16][17][18]
The Workforce Activity Report is an index that analyzes shift work trends from over four million people across more than 35,000 U.S. businesses. Reports are published, and briefings are held each Tuesday before the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Report is published. The Report is widely covered by news organizations and government sources.[19][20][21]
Acquisitions
[edit]| Date | Acquisition | Details | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | EverythingBenefits | Allowed UKG to incorporate EverythingBenefits' procedural knowledge, including its payroll, HR service delivery, and workforce management tools | [22] |
| 2021 | Great Place to Work | Runs Fortune's annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For | [23][24] |
| 2021 | Ascentis Corporation | Midmarket provider of HCM and time management solutions | [25] |
| 2022 | SpotCues | Employee engagement and communication solution. SpotCues was relaunched as UKG Talk. | [26] |
| 2022 | Interboro Systems Corporation | Caribbean market expansion | [26] |
| 2022 | Quorbit | Oxford-headquartered strategic workforce planning software company | [27] |
| 2023 | Immedis | Irish global payroll platform, relaunched as UKG OneView with a focus on multinational workforce management, payroll, tax and funding | [28][29] |
| 2025 | Mo | UK-based employee recognition and culture-building platform, integrated into UKG Beacon for employee engagement capabilities | [30][31] |
Products and services
[edit]- UKG Pro Suite[32]
- UKG Ready Suite[32]
- Workforce Intelligence Hub
- UKG OneView[citation needed]
Awards and recognition
[edit]- America's Greatest Workplaces 2023, Newsweek[33]
- America's Most Innovative Companies 2023, Fortune[34]
- America's Best Large Employers 2024, Forbes[35]
- World's Most Innovative Companies 2024, Fast Company[36]
- America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024 & 2025, Newsweek[37][38]
- America's Best Employers for Tech Workers 2025, Forbes[39]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Maffei, Lucia (August 28, 2020). "Kronos rebrands after merger with Ultimate Software". Boston Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Kronos, Ultimate Software merge to form $22 bln workplace software co". Yahoo Finance. 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
- ↑ Gottfried, Miriam; Lombardo, Cara (February 20, 2020). "Two Big Workplace-Software Providers to Merge". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Kronos, Ultimate Software rebrand as 'UKG' | HR Dive". www.hrdive.com. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
- ↑ "Kronos rebrands after merger with Ultimate Software". www.bizjournals.com. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- ↑ Reiser, Emon (April 2, 2020). "Ultimate Software, Kronos complete merger". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Dan Berthiaume (August 31, 2020). "Kronos, Ultimate Software rebrand as new company following merger". CSA. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
- 1 2 Shen, Michelle. "Ransomware attack on Kronos could disrupt how companies pay, manage employees for weeks". USA Today. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ↑ Byrnes, Jesse (2021-12-14). "Hillicon Valley — Apache vulnerability sets off alarm bells". The Hill. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- 1 2 Korn, Jennifer (16 December 2021). "Kronos ransomware attack could impact employee paychecks and timesheets for weeks". CNN. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ↑ "Springfield warns of ransomware". masslive. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- 1 2 Bray, Hiawatha (15 December 2021). "Emerging 'Log4j' software bug spawns worldwide worry over cyber attacks - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ↑ Goodin, Dan (2021-12-13). "As Log4Shell wreaks havoc, payroll service reports ransomware attack". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ↑ Lim, Dawn (July 20, 2024). "Blackstone Portfolio Operations Chief Jen Morgan Named UKG CEO". Bloomberg.
- ↑ "The Workforce Institute Profile and History". Datanyze.
- ↑ "ovid-19's Workplace Impact Study". Workplace Intelligence. 15 September 2020.
- ↑ "93% of Indian employees believe they are not heard equally at work: The Workforce Institute at UKG". People Matters. 14 July 2021.
- ↑ "A 'Turnover Tsunami' Won't Hit Every Company". Forbes.
- ↑ Mena, Bryan (26 July 2023). "The Fed hikes interest rates by a quarter point and hints at another increase this year". CNN.
- ↑ "Hiring cools as employers added 209,000 jobs in June - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 7 July 2023.
- ↑ "Employers Add 236K Jobs in March as Labor Market Downshifts From February's Torrid Pace". Usnews.
- ↑ Ranosa, Rachel (2021-06-03). "UKG acquires benefits tech platform EverythingBenefits". Human Resources Director.
- ↑ Feffer, Mark (2021-09-01). "UKG Purchases Great Place to Work Institute". HCM Technology Report.
- ↑ "UKG CEO lights the way to an A+ workplace for employees". Fortune.
- ↑ "UKG Acquires Ascentis Corporation | UKG". www.ukg.com. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- 1 2 "UKG Extends Global Reach in Caribbean Market With Acquisition of Interboro Systems Corporation". Bloomberg.com. 28 February 2022.
- ↑ FinSMEs (2022-11-10). "UKG Acquires Quorbit". FinSMEs. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ↑ "Irish tech entrepreneur earns €350m pay-day as US group UKG buys Immedis in €575m deal". Irishtimes.
- ↑ "UKG acquires payroll innovator Immedis". UNLEASH. 7 June 2023.
- ↑ "UKG's acquisition of Mo brings the 'power of recognition'". UNLEASH. 26 November 2025.
- ↑ "UKG Accelerates Global Growth with Strategic Acquisition of UK-based Mo". UKG. 26 November 2025.
- 1 2 Brandau, Mark (February 21, 2020). "Top Three Takeaways From The Kronos-Ultimate Merger Announcement". Forrester Research. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ↑ "America's Greatest Workplaces 2023". Newsweek. 5 July 2023.
- ↑ "UKG". Fortune. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "America's Best Large Employers". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
- ↑ AJ Hess (March 19, 2024). "This company is empowering HR teams with data to meet DEI goals". Fast Company. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ↑ "America's Greatest Workplaces for Inclusion & Diversity 2025". Newsweek. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ↑ "America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024". Newsweek. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Best Employers for Tech Workers". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
External links
[edit]- 2020 establishments in Florida
- 2020 establishments in Massachusetts
- American companies established in 2020
- Cloud computing providers
- Companies based in Broward County, Florida
- Weston, Florida
- Companies based in Lowell, Massachusetts
- Human resource management software
- Multinational companies headquartered in the United States
- Private equity portfolio companies
- Privately held companies based in Florida
- Privately held companies based in Massachusetts
- Software companies based in Florida
- Software companies based in Massachusetts
- Software companies established in 2020
- Software companies of the United States