Atlassian to acquire DX, boosting AI analytics for developers

Atlassian has entered into an agreement to acquire DX, a company focused on engineering intelligence and developer productivity analytics.

Atlassian, which supplies software tools to over 300,000 technology-driven businesses, will integrate the capabilities of DX to enhance understanding of the impact and return on investment (ROI) of artificial intelligence (AI) in software development teams. DX currently provides hundreds of enterprises with insights aimed at improving developer productivity.

AI investment questions

The acquisition comes as technology companies make significant investments in AI tools for research and development (R&D) and engineering teams. However, many organisations are seeking evidence to determine whether these investments are delivering measurable benefits. Atlassian believes the combination with DX addresses these concerns by delivering real-time reporting on developer productivity, system health, and ROI from AI investments.

"Engineering leaders are asking: 'Is our investment in AI truly helping our teams deliver better software, faster?' Today we're taking a big step toward helping our 300,000+ customers answer that question, with the announcement that we've entered into a definitive agreement to acquire DX, a leader in engineering intelligence," said Mike Cannon-Brookes.

According to Atlassian, the addition of DX will allow organisations to identify the effectiveness of AI deployment in their teams and understand whether these deployments are generating value or simply increasing complexity within workflows.

Role of DX in engineering intelligence

DX collaborates with engineering leaders to provide both qualitative and quantitative measurements of software development processes. The platform delivers 360-degree visibility into the developer experience, capturing feedback and signals that help detect bottlenecks and areas for improvement. This enables leaders to benchmark and improve productivity through data-informed decisions.

DX currently works with more than 350 enterprises, including global firms such as Pfizer, Pinterest, and Xero. Its analytics capabilities permit closer observation of key metrics, adoption rates of AI tools, and where process interruptions - sometimes termed 'flow breaks' - occur in the development lifecycle.

"DX is a partner to engineering leaders, helping them measure, benchmark, and improve developer productivity through data-informed decisions. With DX, organizations get the qualitative and quantitative data they need to unlock developer flow," Cannon-Brookes stated. "When customers ask: How do I know if my engineering teams are productive? Where should I be putting my AI dollars? And how do we measure the ROI of AI investments? DX has the answers."

The real-time insights offered by DX are intended to help technology leaders detect and remove obstacles to productivity, and to make informed decisions about where further investment is likely to offer returns.

Integration with Atlassian toolset

By integrating DX with its existing suite of tools - such as Jira, Bitbucket, Bitbucket Pipelines, Compass, and Rovo Dev - Atlassian aims to equip teams with a comprehensive system for work management and engineering analytics. The company states that this integration will help users reduce process friction and improve connection and clarity across software teams.

Most of DX's enterprise clients already use Atlassian products in their workflows to plan and monitor work. The acquisition is expected to enable these clients to further amplify their development efforts by linking workflow data and engineering intelligence insights more closely.

"Every team wins with Atlassian + DX. For developers this means less friction, more flow. For engineering leaders it means more clarity and confidence across the software development lifecycle. For companies, it ensures investments are being made in the right place to win," Cannon-Brookes explained. "Most of DX's enterprise customers, like Pfizer, Pinterest, and Xero, also use Atlassian to plan and track their work. By joining forces, Atlassian + DX will help hundreds of thousands of software teams amplify their impact."

Connecting teams and future plans

Atlassian describes its broader vision as creating a connected 'System of Work' to empower organisations and help customers turn technology into a competitive advantage. Bringing DX into this system represents the next step in Atlassian's approach to supporting technology-driven businesses with actionable insights and productivity tools.

"Atlassian's System of Work is about connecting every team, empowering technology-driven organizations, and helping our customers turn technology into their greatest competitive advantage. With DX, we're taking the next step in that journey. Let's build the future of work, together," Cannon-Brookes concluded.