Customer Service and WebRTC: A Technology Game Changer

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

WebRTC

(This was originally written for Daitan Blog)

What is WebRTC? Why is it Relevant to Customer Service?

WebRTC is an emerging standard to enable real-time communications (voice, text, video, data) directly on a web-browser running in any machine or mobile phone. It is like having ubiquitous Skype, but without the need to install any proprietary application or browser plugins.

With WebRTC, web developers can easily embed rich voice/video/data applications into web pages or apps using nothing more than  HTML5 and JavaScript. They can quickly develop new communication applications without owning media pipes (once connection is set, data flows peer-to-peer) and writing just a few lines of code.

Skype, Google Hangouts, and other stand-alone communication applications are changing how we communicate using our laptops and smartphones. WebRTC integrates that change to web services and mobile Apps.

WebRTC and Customer Service: Transforming Customer Communications

One of the greatest challenges for Customer Service today is to keep context independent of channel. A conversation that starts on the website via chat can turn into a phone call and then transition to Twitter to be eventually resolved by email.

The promisse of WebRTC is to be the single channel of real-time communications enabling the seamless transition between data, text, voice, video sharing. For example,  ”Click to Call” buttons become trivial and independent of platform or type of client device.

So what we see in the horizon is a future of no more traditional phone lines, no more proprietary web widgets for chat, and a seamless, integrated channel for real time communication that will both make current problems irrelevant and create a new set of challenges for Customer Service organizations.

Where is WebRTC today?

WebRTC is a standard driven by the IETF and W3C. It is in draft mode and is currently supported by Google Chrome, Mozilla and Opera Browsers. Safari and Internet Explorer are not yet supporting the WebRTC standards, although plug-ins are available for both browsers.

A good gateway for additional information can be found at http://www.webrtc.org/ (which is maintained by the Chrome Browser team).

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Daitan Group is a pioneer in WebRTC development for business applications. Our development partners were the first in the industry to introduce call center and customer service products supporting WebRTC. If you plan to develop WebRTC services, don’t start it before contacting us.
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Top 3 Requirements for Agile Outsourcing

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

render of a shared service concept

(originally written for Daitan blog)

In the past decade or so the software industry has moved from waterfall to Agile Software Development methods.

In waterfall development, marketing and engineering signed a “contract” based on a fixed scope of work (the “Product Requirements Document”) and embarked in a long project based on engineering estimates of execution complexity. That provided a false sense of predictability and risk management. The problem is that requirements change and estimates are proved wrong as soon as developers start writing code, resulting in delays, budget overruns, and mismatch between product capabilities and user needs.

The idea behind Agile is that both marketing and engineering teams develop a relationship of trust and share common goals and responsibilities. Both sides agree that plans are subject to change and work collaboratively, managing schedule, scope and cost,  continuously making plan adjustments often. The result is more efficiency and better products.

Is Your Software Development Agile? Think again

Another trend in software development that has only increased in the past decade is the use of external development teams (outsourcing). It is about cost and risk management and accessing skills where they are readily available.

If you do or plan to use external teams for software development, you must transform your thinking on the relationship with them to materialize the efficiency advantages of Agile development. The interface between product developers and traditional outsourcing providers has not yet caught up with the level of transparency and collaboration required for Agile methods to work.

So, what do you need to look for when working with a software development partner?

Here are the top 3 Requirements for Agile Outsourcing:

  1. Cost Efficiency.  Yes, there are other good reasons to outsource, but managing development costs is still an important driver. The common mistake is to focus in hourly cost per developer. You need to think cost of results and development organizations working in Agile with more capable developers should be able to deliver a lot more than just low cost per head.
  2. Technical Capabilities.  In an Agile development team, every member must interact with others and contribute their ideas. If external developers are seen as second-class contributors, you are on the wrong path. They should be as capable as the internal team and bring their previous technical and process experience in similar projects to add value to the relationship.
  3. Collaboration and Communication.  Since outsourcing often involves teams in different countries, factors such as language, time zone, cultural differences can be a challenge. Before starting a project make sure you can trust your partner and that the communication infrastructure is adequate and that there is a good match of culture, language and capabilities to communicate in real time. Joint development is not a transaction, it needs to be a trusted relationship between teams.
                                                                                                                     
Daitan Group provides development services to accelerate product development in Telecom, Cloud, and Mobile. Click here to see some of the companies that partner with Daitan to develop their products.
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A Sub-Atomic Particle walks into a bar…

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

A couple of days ago, Simon Allen, a friend in the UK got a “Neutron walks into a bar…” joke from Carla (from Oxford High School) and posted it in his Facebook timeline:

This neutron walks into a bar, orders a drink, opens his wallet to pay when the barman shakes his head and says………. “for you, no charge”

Physics, Humor and Language always catch my attention, so I thought for a few seconds and I replied with my own “Particle walks into a bar…” joke:

The Neutron walks into a bar. He was positive he had forgotten an Electron at home.

Since them I have wasted precious minutes (hours?) thinking of other smart particle situations (and involved other people through Twitter and Facebook). I knew I would not be able to stop unless I put all of them in a single place.

So, here it is. The most comprehensive set of “Particle walks into a bar…” jokes  documented in history. Credits to Simon Allen, Roy Atkinson, Allan Berkson, and the public domain (I am sure a few of them are stolen).

They are presented in no particular order.

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An Electron walks into a bar and order a drink for the proton. He found her very attractive.

A Neutron walks into a bar and order a double scotch. Barman: “What is the matter?”. Neutron: “Not the matter, the anti-matter”.

A Proton walks into a bar. Barman: “We only sell to protons, are you sure you are a proton?” Proton: “Yes, I’m positive”

Plutonium Atom walked into a bar. Barman thought he was very unstable.

An Electron walks into a bar. Another Electron walked in to a bar to meet the first Electron. That is repulsive!

A Proton walked into a bar order a double. The barman asks “What is the matter?”. Proton says “Two good friends were in a collision yesterday…”

An Electron walks into a bar… Barman: “What is the problem?”… Electron: “It is the foton. I wish I was as brilliant as him.”

An Atom walks into a bar and orders Diet Coke. Barman “Trying to lose weight?” Atom: “Yes, after Thanksgiving dinner, I am a few isotopes too heavy.”

Two Hydrogen Atoms walk into a bar. “We feel very divided…” Barman: “Helium, is it you?”

An Atom walks into a bar at the hotel lobby. Barman “Sit at the bar?”… Atom: “Yes, I cannot find room in the periodic table. “

Neutrino walked into a bar. “Got a speeding ticket”… Barman: “How fast were you going?”… Neutrino: “Over the speed of light, but I think the radar malfunctioned. “

An Electron walked into a bar.  As he was served a martini, he waved to the Foton and collapsed.

An Atom walks into a bar. Barman “What are you going to have?”… Atom: “A gin-atomic, please”

Carbon and Hydrogen Atoms walk into a bar. “A bottle or red. Organic, please”

A Boson walked into a bar. Barman “What are you going to have?”…  The Boson did not hear what the barman said. He had a noise canceling headphone on.

A Lepton walks into a bar. Barman: “Ice Tea?”

Posted in Life | 2 Comments

Dinheiro em Árvore? Nem no Vale do Silício

Posted on November 26, 2012 by

(in Portuguese, originally written for IVP)

Nos últimos anos, encontrei centenas de empreendedores brasileiros visitando o Vale do Silício. Quando pergunto “qual o seu objetivo nessa visita?”, invariavelmente ouço “tenho uma startup, vim procurar um VC e tentar pegar um investimento”.

Nesse post, eu o convido a visitar a California, mas também explico alguns conceitos básicos de investimento em startups e mostro que “pegar um investimento” não é um objetivo realista para a grande maioria dos empreendedores brasileiros visitando o Vale.

Empreendedor, Angel and Venture Capital

Empresas podem nascer, crescer e morrer de várias formas, mas durante as últimas décadas o Vale do Silício na California desenvolveu um modelo de empreendedorismo que parece maximizar a eficiência do ecosistema empreendedor.

No estágio inicial, uma startup é financiada pelos próprios fundadores (economias pessoais, investimentos de amigos, empréstimos bancários, suor e trabalho). Bootstrapping é o processo no qual a empresa desenvolve o produto e gera receitas para pagar as contas e crescer sem capital externo adicional.

Embora bootstrapping possa ser o caminho para a sua empresa, no modelo padrão existem dois tipos de investidores que fornecem o capital para a empresa crescer. Isso permite planos de negócios com riscos e objetivos mais agressivos.

Angel Investors são indivíduos ou grupos de indivíduos que investem capital próprio. A decisão de investimento ocorre por “gut feeling”, envolvendo experiência no mercado, relação de confiança com fundadores, e paixão pela tecnologia. Normalmente Angels investem cedo na evolução da empresa e, nos EUA, fornecem USD$100-$500k.

Para receber angel investment, uma startup precisa ter um protótipo do produto/serviço e alguns usuários ou clientes. O empreendedor precisa mostrar que conhece o mercado e o problema, sabe o caminho para uma solução viável, e consegue executar. O investimento normalmente é utilizado para completar o desenvolvimento do produto e validar o modelo de negócios.

VC Investors são fundos administrados por profissionais. A decisão de investimento é baseado em análise, já que o VC precisa justificar o aporte para os investidores e manter o perfil de investimento do fundo. Normalmente VCs investem mais tarde na evolução da empresa e, nos EUA, fornecem USD$1-5M em uma rodada inicial.

Para receber investimento VC, uma startup precisa ter um produto no mercado. Para um serviço de Internet, ter 100k’s usuários e taxas de conversão/retenção boas.  Para um produto corporativo, precisa ter vários clientes com validação da proposta de valor e a recomendação de analistas de mercado independentes. O empreendedor precisa mostrar que o modelo está validado e que capital é o último fator necessário para escalar o negócio.

A Startup Brasileira e o Silicon Valley

Para quem me conhece, eu sempre falo que é quase obrigatório para um empreendedor planejando jogar pelas regras do jogo acima visitar o Vale do Silício e passar algumas semanas aqui. Escrevi sobre as razões disso em um post anterior e outro.

Mas vir para o Vale para “tentar um investimento” não é realista porque esse ecosistema é altamente local. Por motivos legais e logísticos, é raro para um investidor Angel ou VC investir em uma empresa brasileira trabalhando o mercado local. Mesmo quando ocorre, o aporte exige que a empresa se estabeleça nos EUA. Então o dinheiro do Vale (1/3 de todo o capital de risco no mundo) não é diretamente acessível ao empreendedor Brasileiro.

A boa notícia é que esse mesmo ecosistema está se formando em outras partes do mundo e o mercado está respondendo à onda de empreendedorismo ocorrendo no Brasil. As incubadoras e aceleradoras estão se multiplicando (com as boas e más consequencias da expansão rápida). Fundos Angel (como a própria IVP) e VC estão se formando (com capital nacional e daqui do Vale).

Mas e a história do empreendedor que recebeu $5M do VC somente com um PowerPoint? E o Instagram que teve um exit de $1B sem ter um modelo de negócios? Sim, mas essas são as excessões que aparecem na mídia e criam a ilusão que é fácil pegar investimentos sem um negócio viável. Para os 98% de startups normais, as regras se aplicam.

Então me siga no Twitter venha me visitar aqui no Vale do Silício (tour), mas não porque você ache que dinheiro para startups cresce em árvores.

Marcio Saito foi de São Paulo para a California para ajudar a estabelecer a Cyclades (a primeira empresa brasileira de tecnologia a se estabelecer no Vale) 20 anos atrás e acabou ficando. Trabalha com tecnologias de Data Center e Social Media. Envolvido com empreendedorismo, hoje coordena o programa de mentoria da Bay Brazil, uma entidade que conecta as comunidades profissionais do Brasil e Vale do Silício.
Posted in DiretodoVale | 1 Comment

Thanksgiving in a Social World

Posted on November 21, 2012 by

This week is the time of the year when we in the US take a break from our busy lives to express Gratitude (and eat, shop, etc).

Gratitude is a positive emotion we feel in acknowledgment of a benefit we have received. Saying “Thank You” is the way to express that emotion which is the basis of life in community. It recognizes that we depend on one another to live, to be ourselves.

We get used to say “Thank You” as a matter of social protocol. This is the time to bring its meaning back to consciousness.

I grew up in Brazil and my native language is Portuguese. We say “Obrigado“, which is not my favorite expression because it equals gratitude with indebtedness. Literally, it says “I owe you something”.

In my travels around the world I have always taken interest not only on the local word to express gratitude, but also on its literal meaning and the social attitude behind it.

My favorite form of “Thank You” is the one used in Malaysia. “Terima Kasih” sounds very friendly and it literally translates to “Receive Love”.

I am no historian or linguist, but I theorize that words equating gratitude and indebtedness have roots in a period in history where gratitude was used as social currency between levels of hierarchy, where favors were exchanged for political loyalty. Words that equals gratitude with love reflect a more equal exchange between peers.

As we shift towards a business environment where stronger relationships are more people-to-people and less customer-to-company or people-to-expert, in Social Business, gratitude has to be more like love and less like indebtedness.

With that in mind, I would like to say Thank You for reading, agreeing or disagreeing, providing feedback and teaching me through interaction in 2012.

Here is a list to say Thank You in other languages.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Posted in Life, Social Media, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Marcio Looking for New Directions

Posted on June 4, 2012 by

Having just completed a cycle in my professional journey, I am now looking for a new job or project, new directions. Thank you for visiting this page and the willingness to read about me and help in the search.

What I do next is as much the opportunities that emerge when I ask friends as it is what I deliberate introspectively. Life is not what we do, but the people we touch along the way.

In my history, I have stayed with companies for many years so these moments of disruption and redirecting are very few. I can afford the time and reflection to find a new pursuit. We are not in a hurry…

What can I do?

You can check my LinkedIn Profile for more structured detail, but if we throw my résumé and professional profiles into a blender, you get something like this:

I can also climb mountains, take nice photographs, play chess, be a good friend. But I digress.

What am I looking for?

Wherever I land, I want to be in an environment where I  can interact with smart people, in an open environment with collaboration and transparency.

Being more specific (but not much), here are a few possible scenarios:

  • Head of Technology, Marketing, Strategy in a small to mid-sized technology company
  • Product, BizDev, Marketing, or Engineering Management in a larger organization
  • Partner in a technology startup, consulting or analyst firm
  • Independent consultant in anything I can help with

As for domain knowledge, I’ve worked 15+ years at vendors of Networking/IT Systems and the past 3 years involved with Social CRM and Social Media Marketing.

If you have product ideas waiting for execution, perhaps I can help. I have a few ideas myself and if you think we could work together, let’s talk.

The world is small these days, but if location is still important, my home is in San Jose-CA, USA. I can travel. I’ve had broad international exposure though business and personal background.

What can you do for me?

You have already done it. Thank you. After having read this, I am sure you are thinking of something.

I am taking this unusual action of writing about my job search publicly to increase the probability of connecting with the right person through my personal network. So, if you know someone, feel free to forward…

Need links? LinkedIn Profile – Personal Website – Google Marcio Saito - Twitter

Posted in Life | 2 Comments

The Emergence of Collective Intelligence

Posted on May 28, 2012 by

The whole is above and beyond the sum of its parts. ~Aristotle

(this article originally written for Ledface Blog)

When we observe large schools of fish swimming, we might wonder who is choreographing that complex and sophisticated dance, in which thousands of individuals move in harmony as if they knew exactly what to do to produce the collective spectacle.

So, what is “Emergence”?

School of fishes dancing is an example of “emergence”, a process where new properties, behaviors, or complex patterns results of relatively simple rules and interactions.

One can see emergence as some magic phenomena or just as a surprising result caused by the current inability of our reductionist mind to understand complex patterns. Whichever way we think, examples of emerging behaviors are abundant in nature, science, and society and are just a fact of life.

Humans can do it too

We humans have even built artificial environments that allow for collective intelligence to express itself. For example, in global financial markets, we are able to track and analyze millions of variables (e.g. weather patterns in India, political tensions in the middle-east) to price thousands of commodities and more complex financial instruments in real-time.

Each and every actor in the financial markets has no significant control over or awareness of its inputs. They are just trying to follow a very simple set of rules: buy low, sell high, maximize profits. Regulators try to enforce the rules to keep the game fair, but there is no central coordination in the computation of prices. Commodity prices results from the interaction among investors, not directly from their individual knowledge.

As any economist will explain, the financial market works best when there are enough participants so that no individual has meaningful influence over the aggregate result,  everyone plays by simple transparent rules,   there is low friction in the interactions, and each participant is autonomous and responsible for its participation.

Can we transpose it to other domains?

When it comes to other areas of human knowledge, because spoken or written language has not been a tool as perfect as buy/sell in an exchange or the intuitive reactions of a fish observing its school mates, we have resorted to structure to create productive patterns (as in a group of soldiers marching at the beat of a drum).

Digital Media is still far from frictionless, but it getting close to allow millions of people to interact more or less freely. Environments like Wikipedia and primitive Q&A sites are the initial samples of that.

Nobody can single-handedly create “collective intelligence”. But Ledface is building an environment that empowers individual knowledge and aggregates it (like Wikipedia), but also provides the mechanisms for interactive co-creation (differently from other Q&A sites) so that, maybe, the conditions are right for the emergence of true collective intelligence.

Too remote of a possibility? If fishes and economists can do it…

Posted in Crowdsourcing, Social Media | 2 Comments