In the latest CPaaSAA Talk, Rob Kurver hosted industry veterans Jon Brinton from Crexendo and Jorgen Bjorkner from iotcomms.io to discuss innovation in enterprise communications, CPaaS, and the evolving industry landscape.
The Biggest Shift in Communications
Jon Brinton, who leads the NetSapiens platform at Crexendo, highlighted the industry’s dramatic shift towards highly personalized communication experiences powered by APIs. The ability to customize communications for specific verticals and customers has redefined the industry.
NetSapiens, serving over 235 providers globally, sees itself as an “operating system,” enabling partners to innovate freely. Jon emphasized, “We’re excited about the entrepreneurial spirit. Our APIs allow providers to personalize and deliver unique value, truly tailored to their customers.”
Jorgen Bjorkner from iotcomms.io drew on historical context, reflecting on the early days of SIP. “Initially, telco communications were complex, proprietary, and high-barrier entry. With IP and SIP, the industry democratized, opening doors for innovation and new entrants.” Jorgen noted how the promise of Unified Communications had evolved differently than anticipated—resulting not in simplicity, but in an explosion of communication-enabled applications tailored to specific workflows and processes.
Innovation Strategy: Platforms and Partnerships
Jon discussed Crexendo’s innovation strategy through their robust ecosystem program. This involves carefully vetting and partnering with innovative companies that align strategically with NetSapiens’ offering. These partnerships benefit both sides, providing platform users with specialized add-ons and solutions, while ecosystem partners gain exposure to NetSapiens’ extensive customer base.
“Our platform serves as an innovation hub,” Jon explained. “Partners leverage our APIs to create incredibly niche applications. Seeing the creativity emerge from our community is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.”
In contrast, Jorgen shared iotcomms.io’s strategy of focusing sharply on specific market verticals, notably healthcare. Despite being a smaller player, iotcomms.io leverages its platform flexibility and rapid innovation cycle to develop highly specialized solutions. “Our bet was healthcare, where communication is mission-critical and regulatory demands are strict. We work closely with partners, developing features collaboratively, ensuring reliability and compliance,” Jorgen shared.
Highlighting Use Cases and Real-World Impact
The discussion highlighted real-world examples of how these platforms deliver impact. Crexendo’s partners have creatively developed solutions ranging from AI-driven customer service tools to specialized field-service applications enabling video-based diagnostics.
On the other hand, iotcomms.io’s solutions shine in critical applications like alarm management in healthcare. Their ability to handle different alarm protocols, seamlessly integrating them with voice and video, demonstrates the power of focused, vertical-specific innovation.
AI’s Accelerating Impact
AI emerged naturally in the conversation as both a technological enabler and a strategic innovation driver. Jorgen explained how iotcomms.io’s “AI Connect” functionality integrates voice analytics with healthcare workflows, enhancing efficiencies like automatic form-filling based on live conversations. “AI significantly reduces complexity for developers, accelerating our innovation loop and improving customer experiences.”
Jon agreed, noting Crexendo’s strategic use of ecosystem partnerships to integrate advanced AI solutions. “We’re not reinventing AI but rather partnering with specialists who complement our strengths. For example, our partners have developed AI-enhanced customer interactions that blend SMS, video, and AI-powered analytics, significantly enriching the customer experience.”
Both agreed AI was reshaping innovation cycles. Rapid deployment, testing, and iteration of solutions are now far quicker, allowing immediate responsiveness to customer needs and market trends.
Future Priorities: Growth and Community
Looking ahead, Jorgen aims to expand the adoption of iotcomms.io’s AI-driven solutions and deepen their role in critical contact center and healthcare applications. “Seeing broader deployment of our solutions and generating greater traffic through our platform will signify success this year,” he said.
Jon shared excitement around Crexendo’s ongoing growth, particularly capturing market share from legacy communication platforms that have become stagnant under new ownership. Moreover, he’s looking forward to upcoming community events like the CPaaS Acceleration Summit in Amsterdam (CASA) and Crexendo’s own user group gathering. “Our annual Code Fest, where partners showcase their innovative applications, perfectly captures the collaborative and creative spirit of our ecosystem.”
Reflections and Next Steps
This CPaaSAA Talk underscored a clear industry shift towards API-driven customization, vertical-specific solutions, and strategic AI integration. As Jon and Jorgen shared their insights, it was evident that the industry’s future belongs to providers who can balance innovation with operational excellence, keeping customer needs at the forefront.
“We’re finally seeing the long-promised communication-enabled business processes Gartner predicted years ago,” Jorgen concluded, “and that makes this an incredibly exciting time to be in CPaaS.”
