As the digital workplace continues to evolve, with more focus on remote and mobile working, video has quickly emerged as one of the central components of collaboration. With the right video technology, companies can create the kind of immersive face-to-face experiences that employees need to mimic the traditional office environment.
iotum is a Canadian-based company that specialises in cloud-based collaboration products. Its flagship product is Callbridge, a turnkey CPaaS solution built for resellers. We spoke to the CEO of iotum, Jason Martin, to learn more about the opportunities that the platform can offer.
Tell Us About iotum
Jason told us that he has been in the IT industry since 1992, which means that he has decades of experience to bring to his position. He began as an investor with iotum and eventually took the role of CEO. “Our focus has always been on communication technology. However, we have moved from focusing on individual person-to-person tools to focusing more on group communications. The biggest part of our business is delivering a platform (Callbridge) that companies can white label and deliver to their own user base, under their own brand.”
What are the Opportunities You’ve Seen in Collaboration?
I was keen to learn more about the collaboration opportunities that iotum had seen in the marketplace so far. Jason told me that he thinks that a lot of applications in the marketplace have been evolving to become more integrated.
“Previously, we had apps that would conduct a specific function, one at a time. Now, we have more holistic workflow solutions, where collaboration is just part of the experience”
Collaboration is quickly becoming one of the most essential parts of the way that people work. People want tools that they can access for video and collaboration without having to leave the apps that they’re already using. For example, we recently added a Slack integration in which Slack users can start a Callbridge conference by simply typing /meet, /CB, or /Callbridge. Additionally, customers are looking for solutions that are intuitive enough to capture the ideas and decisions made by groups of people every day. “This is the kind of work that people are focusing on today. It’s about capturing information and collaboration. With our technology, you can tap into everything from automated transcripts generated by artificial intelligence (AI), to recording, live streaming to YouTube, and more.” Via the Callbridge platform resellers are able to offer advanced technologies such as AI, alongside their current solutions, in a short period of time.
Where Are the Opportunities for People to Get Involved?
As a white-label solution, the Callbridge platform is available through resellers around the world today. “The only part we can’t control is the last mile from the desktop to the cloud. That’s something that’s common for a lot of collaboration companies.” This however, provides the perfect opportunity for resellers to demonstrate the strength of their network.
According to Jason, collaboration products are quickly becoming a part of the standard workflow, and that’s something that’s going to become more common in the years ahead. Resellers are looking for a way to easily deliver a lightweight piece of collaboration technology, alongside existing services, and iotum’s Callbridge is exactly that.
“We’re in the process of becoming HIPAA compliant, as we think that medical is a very valuable area. You can connect with a doctor over video today, and once we’re HIPAA compliant, we can see our opportunities multiplying. Medical groups just need to have a secure system in place to support their remote connections.”
Any Other Exciting Opportunities?
Some of the most enticing verticals that iotum is seeing in the collaboration market right now include healthcare, education, government and legal services. “There’s really no end to what the right collaboration solution can do.. Companies are using collaboration and video to reach patients in remote and rural areas and provide them with medical assistance.” We’re seeing new opportunities in things like the funeral market, even. Because the Callbridge platform is modular and flexible it’s use cases apply to many different scenarios.
The new decade seems to be all about cloud and remote communications. Additionally, iotum believes that its solution will be a powerful way to help companies make their meetings better. “We built Cue, a digital assistant that transcribes your meetings, highlights important keywords, and more. It’s an incredible tool for transcription, search, archiving historical records and more.
Opportunities Going Forward?
Right now, things like the Cue are still in the early stages. Cue can listen to and transcribe conversations. However, as more information goes into the system, it will become even more intelligent. “I think we’re going into a world where the plastic device on the desktop is leaving. The channel needs to understand that they shouldn’t be focusing on plastic anymore. They need to consider tools that allow them to bring collaboration solutions into their existing cloud strategy.”
Callbridge is one of the only UCaaS tools in the market that enables resellers to evolve and sell into a more advanced customer base.
“It’s a flexible enough solution to be used in virtually any environment, and that’s what channels need going forward”
You can learn more here or contact [email protected] to discuss.
