CV_Winter_21

Founded in 2009, Brightlink is a communications platform and technol- ogy company that delivers voice, messaging, analytics, and cloud- based solutions. The company’s communications platform as a service (CPaas) technology solutions and network services are used by compa- nies ranging from small to mid-sized businesses to the largest enterprises and communication service providers around the globe. This year, Brightlink is optimistic CPaaS will continue to grow and be a top revenue driver. “We’ve seen demand for CPaaS increase exponentially since COVID- 19,” said Joseph White, Brightlink’s chief technology officer. This was most apparent in the healthcare and foodservice industries, as they rushed to incorporate real- time communications tools into their business models, such as business messaging, White explained. “And, with everyone working from home, businesses were looking for ways to keep their employees connected, whether that was integrating different platforms via APIs to making logging-in easier or ensuring all employees had E911 coverage on the numbers they were using,” he continued. The 2020 migration to remote working feeds the optimism Brightlink has for revenue growth in 2021. “Businesses have learned that digital communication is crucial to success, especially in a post-COVID world,” White said. “In one of our recent blogs, we cite a Gartner report which said that by 2023, 90 percent of all global enterprises will be utilizing CPaaS APIs to help them compete digitally, and we’re seeing that happen right now. “CPaaS isn’t going away – custom- ers want interconnectivity – so businesses should look into investing in a CPaaS solution in the near future,” White added. White debunked the notion that one needs to have developer skills to incor- porate CPaaS or messaging. “Many smaller businesses are hesitant to invest because they don’t have a dedicated IT team member,” White said. “But there are plenty of providers, CPaaS and messaging, that offer low-code and no-code options for businesses. All they have to do is log into their accounts via one user interface (UI), and they’ve got all the information right at their fingertips – no coding required.” Brightlink is eager to work with agency partners and help them grow. “One of the biggest ways we help drive growth is that we’re a one-stop shop,” White said. “We own our own VoIP network with 24/7 U.S.-based support. We’ve created hundreds of APIs that enable our customers to connect their networks with various applications – proprietary or otherwise.” He continued, “We also have commu- nications apps that enable customers to provide business messaging and other UCaaS services to their customers from one UI. So, if you need a carrier, a devel- oper and an application provider – all you have to do is look to us.” The one-stop shopping approach, said White, reduces overall costs for customers while helping them keep more of their profits. Brightlink powers more than 35 billion communication interactions each year with industry-leading quality of service, around-the-clock support and a next-generation IP network that has the highest levels of performance, reliabil- ity, scalability, and security. It’s Brightlink’s diversity that has helped it succeed. “Many providers are tempted to stay ‘in their lane’ so to speak. They know what they are good at and stick to that one thing,” White said. “While being excellent at one partic- ular service is important, I think the pandemic showed us just how important diversifying your product base is.” After all, “if your customer comes to you asking about a business messaging app when you’re just an API provider, you’ll either have to spend a lot of money making an app, partner with someone who already has the app – incurring a boatload of fees – or have to send them to someone else, which means losing out on potential revenue,” he continued. “Lots of service providers are still struggling to meet their custom- ers’ demands because of these requests.” o Brightlink Sees Bright Future for CP aa S PROFILE Brightlink CTO Joseph White AT YOUR SERVICE: XaaS 62 CHANNEL V ISION | January - February, 2021