company'sabilitytoinnovateandmakestriking
Achangesrepeatedlykeepsitinthegameforalong time.Totapthefreshvalue-creatingideasof creativeemployeesandthoseofitspartners,customers,and suppliersbeyonditsboundariesisthetruedifference betweennormalandgame-changingorganizations.
Innovationhasbecomeacoredriverofgrowth, performance,andvaluation.Managersoftenmisunderstand thedifferencebetweenacreativeteamandaninnovative team.Acreativemindsetcanleadtoa“different”outcome sometimes.Still,aninnovativeperspectiveopensthe curiousdoorsofthemindeverytime,resultinginfresh conceptualproductseverytime.
Howaleaderreactstosituationssendspowerfulmessages totheirsubordinates.Changeisnaturallyconnectedwith innovation,divertingattentionandresourcesawayfrom effortstomeetshort-termperformancetargets.Innovation, morethananyotherproject,maynecessitateexecutives encouragingemployeestowintheirheartsandminds.A companyneedsinnovativeleadersinitsfoldtosteerthe wheelofgrowthontoaninnovativeside.Apositiveleader automaticallytransformstheteamforcingteammembersto innovateandcreatedaily
Networksfurthercreateacycleofinnovationsincefresh ideasappeartoinspireadditionalnewideas.Furthermore, effectivenetworksenablepeoplewithvarioustypesof knowledgeandapproachestoproblem-solvingtoshareand cross-fertilizeideas.Leadersextractvaluefromcurrent resourcesbyfocusingongettingthemostoutofinnovation networksratherthanundertakingalarge-scalechange managementeffort.Innovativecompaniesusesocial-
networkanalysistodiagnoseexistingnetworksand determinetheircharacteristics,suchasthefrequency ofcollaborationandcross-functionalconnections amongmembers,aswellasidentifypersonswhopay attentiontoinformationandexpertise.Byclarifying themindsetsofindividualsandgroups,thistypeof knowledgecanalsoplayanimportantpartin buildingeffective,innovativeresults.
Arecentsurveyobservedthatcompaniesthat encourageandpromoteinnovationaremuchhappier andmoreproductive.Wheninnovativeleadersareat thecenterofthings,itisbeneficialforinnovative employeestoexpresstheirideasandsuggestions smoothly Thisnaturallyleadstoteamsbeing effective,employeesbeingproductive,andthe companiesbeingprofitable.Thisrippleeffectof innovationisobservedinmostcompaniesthatare change-makersintheirrespectivefields.These companiesdareventurefromtheusualstandardsinto theunknownlanesofinnovativeideas.This approachmayormaynotleadtoasuccessful outcomebutsetsaninnovationcultureinthe organization.Thatistheonlythingthatmatters, “Mentality Over Results.”
Turnthepagetostartaninnovativejourney!
BlackBoxProductions blackboxproductions.tv
CleverusHoldings cleverus.com
JoshUsheroff Co-Founder
BlackBoxProductionsprovidescreativeproductionservicesin MontrealandToront.
LawmenceWong CEO Cleverusisateamofdigitalmarketingexpertsthatelevatethe presenceofbusinessesthroughexcellentmarketingservices.
disguiseistheplatformforcreativesandtechnologiststo imagine,createanddeliverspectacularvisual,virtualandlive experiences. disguise www.disguise.one
FarOutSolution faroutsolutions.com
TomRockhill CCO
ZaidAlChalabi COO
JeffreyWilhelm CEO InfusedInnovationsInc infusedinnovations.com
FarOutSolutionsisaManagedITServiceProvideroperating in5continentsand7countries.
InfusedInnovationsIncareconsultantsthatoperateatthe intersectionoftechnology,business,data,andhuman interaction.
MichaelLitt CEO VidyardisTheVideoPlatformforMarketingandSales.Vidyard vidyard.com
ViralInNature viralinnature.com
VideoAmp videoamp.com
YUDU yudu.com
ShawnAlain President ViralInNatureisanawardwinningsocialmedia,reputation managementandwebdevelopmentagency
FounderandCTO
RichardStephenson FounderandCEO
VideoAmpisasoftwareanddatacompany
YUDUisaapplicationstechnologycompanyspecializingin digitalpublishingandcrisiscommunications.
Tom Rockhill CCO
We're proud to be part of a worldwide family of talented artists and technologists, who come together to create some of the most spectacular shows around.
maginetechnologythatcanplacerealpeopleinvirtual
worlds,bringdigitalhumanstothephysicalworld,and placephysicalanddigitalhumansinamixedreality world.
UKcompanydisguisehasbeenpioneeringthetechnology poweringspectacularvisualexperiencesandproductions for15yearsandisnowleadingthewayinprovidingan intersectionbetweenphysicalanddigitalworlds.
disguiseisaplatformwherecreativesandtechnologistscan imagine,create,anddeliverspectacularvisualexperiences andproductionenvironments.Withauniquecombination ofexpertproductionsoftwareandpowerfulmediaserver hardware,thedisguiseplatformempowersbrands,artists, andproductionhousestotellstoriesthatinspiretheir audiences.
disguisestreamlinescomplexworkflowstoempowerits communityofuserstotelltheirbeststoryandcreate spectacularexperiences.
Continuallyintroducingdisguisetonewmarketswithout losingsightofexistingclientdemands,disguiseChief CommercialOfficerTomRockhillisresponsiblefor drivinggrowthwhileensuringthecustomerisalwayskept topofmind.Hehasdevelopedadeepunderstandingofthe productsheworkedwith-fromoperatingbroadcast camerasinhisearlycareer,toworkingwithcomplex enterprisesolutionsandemergingtechnologiestoday.
disguise's20-yearhistorywasprimarilyestablishedwithin theliveeventspace,fuelingglobalconcerttoursforartists likeU2andBeyoncé,festivalslikeCoachellaand Glastonbury,andtheatreproductionslikeFrozenandHarry Potter.
Ifyouhaveseenaspectacularshow,installation,product launchorbroadcastproduction,disguisehasprobablybeen involved.
We are driven to empower our community of users as best as possible.
Starting at the onset of the pandemic and continuing until today, we offer free access to our Designer software, so that anyone who wishes to get acquainted with disguise and start learning our software can easily do so.
Inthepasttwoyears,disguisehasledthewayinExtended Reality(xR)forremotevirtualproductionbybuildinga brandnewsolution.Thecompany'saward-winningxR workflowhaspoweredover400immersivereal-time productionsacrossliveentertainmentformusicartistssuch asKatyPerryandBillieEilish,filmandepisodicTV productionsforNetflixandAmazonPrime,corporate presentationsforSiemensandVerizon,andlivebroadcast programsfromEurosport,MTV,andITV,inmorethan40 countries.
Withacombinationofdisguise'sversatilesoftware,users candesign,sequence,andcontrolthemostspectacular productions.disguisealsoofferstrainingandsupportso userscanmakethebestuseofthetechnology,creatinga powerful,collaborativeenvironmentwhereartistsand technologistscanbringtheirsharedvisiontolife.
Thelastfewyearshaveseendisguisepushtheboundaries oftechnologicalinnovationandexpandintonewmarkets, resultinginasignificantlyincreasedturnover,alongwith newmajoritybackingfrominvestmentfirmTheCarlyle Group,withEpicGamestakingaminoritystake.In2021,
disguisewasrecognizedinthe22ndannualSundayTimes BDOProfitTrack100asoneofBritain'sprivatecompanies withthefastest-growingprofitsoverthelastthreeyears. Thisyear,disguisehastakenhometheUK'smost prestigiousbusinessaward-theQueen'sAwardfor Enterprise:Innovation.
Thecompany'sDesignersoftwarehasbeentrustedbyusers forovertwodecadestovisualize,design,andsequence videocontentforprojectsacrossliveentertainment,fixed installations,andnowbroadcastandvirtualproduction. UserscanrelyonusingDesignertowinpitches,develop storyboards,createcamerafly-throughs,validatecontent, testtheirtechnicalsetups,anddesignentireshows. disguise'spowerfulmediaserverrangeoffersleading
graphicsprocessing,contentrendering,andcompositing capabilitiesfortheseprojects.Thisallowsuserstoputthe contenttheydevelopinDesignertoaction.Theycanrender contentatunlimitedscaleandcomplexityandcomposeit seamlesslywithdisguisehardware'ssuperiornetworking capabilities,ensuringtotalframeaccuracy Thiscontentcan beanythingimaginable,includingreal-timegraphics developedinUnrealEngineforvirtualsets,videoplayback contentplayedatunlimitedscaleinliveshows,or projection-mappedinstallationsseenatDubai'sExpo2020 orontheBurjKhalifa.
Althoughthereareotherhardwareproducts,andsome standalonesoftwareproductsonthemarket,disguise's technologyisanintegratedandreliableend-to-endsolution thatallowsuserstomakechangesintheirproductiononthe-flyandmaintainultimatecontrolofallelements.
Tomshares, "Our history in live events means we have built our technology to be used in an environment where there is no room for error. We enable our users to perfectly pre-visualize their projects using our Designer software, while our RenderStream infrastructure seamlessly manages the rendering, tracking, and synchronization of content - thereby significantly simplifying system deployment and operations."
Headds, "We have a close relationship with the creators of Unreal Engine - Epic Games. In the past two years, we have been working closely together to develop our proprietary RenderStream plugin for Unreal Engine, which allows disguise users to take advantage of the latest version of Unreal Engine from day one with minimal configuration."
We are leading exploration into the metaverse. There will be many exciting new technologies and projects to look forward to as we consider what the next platform for human experiences and interaction will look like.
disguisehasalwaysbeendedicatedtousingthelatestand greatesttechnologyinitssolutions.
AccordingtoTom, "We see our xR technology growing more prevalent globally with more countries using disguise technology. Our software is currently available in six different languages and is used in over 40 countries. This is just the beginning. We plan to democratize our workflow further, so we become the global gold standard technology for delivering memorable visual experiences."
disguiseisalsoheavilyinvestedinR&Dandparticipatesin programslikeInnovateUKandAdMiResothatitcan discovernewtechnologiesanddevelopnewsolutions.It partnerscloselywithtechindustryleadersatEpicGames, ROEVisual,NVIDIA,Netflix,andmanymoretousethe bestoftheirtechnologytodevelopitsextendedreality solutionfurtherandenableteamsanywheretocreatetheir beststory.disguisehasrecentlybeeninvestigatingintothe metaverse,orwhatsomeliketocall"web3.0",soitcan helpitsusersbuildexperiencesonthisnewplatformand connectwithaudiencesonawholenewlevel.
Tomexplains, "We are leading exploration into the metaverse. There will be many exciting new technologies and projects to look forward to as we consider what the next platform for human experiences and interaction will look like."
disguiseisalsocurrentlyworkingtoexpanditsofferingto empowerremoteandcloud-basedcollaboration.The acquisitionofleading3Dcontentpre-visualization platformsMappingMatterandPrevizlastyear,and PolygonLabsthisyear,representsthenextstepin disguise'smovetowardsthisfuture.
CreatingTogether disguise'svaluesarereflectedinallofitsteammembersor "disguisers".Thesevaluesarehonesty-meaningdisguisers shareideaswithopennessandtransparency.disguiseisalso evolutionaryandinnovative,addressingusers'ever changingneeds,sothetechnologyremainsaheadofthe game.Theemployeesarefearless,astheytakethebest
path,nottheeasiest,andinnovatewhereit'srightandnot whereit'ssimplest.Theyareresilientanddon'tgiveupuntil theyfindtherightsolution,evenifitmeansgoingoutside theirremit.
disguise'scorevalueislinkedtothemottoof"create together,"withitscommunityofusersbeingattheheartof everythingitdoes.Thecompanyworksalongsidethe world'smosttalentedvisualdesignersandtechnicalteams inbroadcast,film/episodicTVproduction,concerttouring, theatre,fixedinstallations,andcorporateandentertainment events.
Tomstates, "We are driven to empower our community of users as best as possible. Starting at the onset of the pandemic and continuing until today, we offer free access to our Designer software, so that anyone who wishes to get acquainted with disguise and start learning our software can easily do so."
Asextendedrealityissuchanewfield,disguiseoffers educationandtrainingsothenextgenerationofstorytellers willbeaccustomedtousingitstools.Attheendof2020,it launchedafreeeLearningplatform,allowingitscommunity ofuserstoupskillandgetacquaintedwithnewworkflows.
"As leaders in the extended and mixed reality market, we know that the next biggest change is the widespread adoption of the metaverse space for performance, production and commerce. We have a dedicated teamdisguise Labs - set up to leverage our existing extended reality technology and explore new capabilities in that space," Tomconcludes.
VideoAmpturns4yearsoldthismonth.Somany memories,andsomuchgrowth.Let’sreflecton someoftheworstdecisionsandassociated learningsthathavebeenfundamentaltoourgrowth.Why theworstyousay?Becausewhenyouaccelerateyour learningrateinafail-fastenvironment,itthenallowsyouto makefastdecisionsvstheanalysisparalysispredicament.
Oneofmyfavoritewildcardinterviewquestionsfor managersis:“Describethefailureyou’remostproudof.” Thissometimescatchespeopleoffguard,soI’llsharemine firsttogettheconversationgoing.Inevitablyitcomesdown tochoosingbecausetherearesomany.
Youcan’ttalkaboutgrowthandsuccesswithouttalking aboutthesefailures.Unlessyou’re somekindofhybridAIrobot-space-alienwho’sabsolutelyperfect,there’sgoingto bemistakes.What’simportantisthatasaleaderyouown yourmistakesandbetransparentaboutthem.
Findingtherightpeopleisthesinglemostimportantaspect ofgrowingastartup.Thebiggestmistakesinhiringhave been:
“Hiringoutofhand”orshortcuttingthenormal processesbecausethecandidateiswellknownbyother engineersinthegroup.
“Promotingoutofhand”isanothervariationof thiswhereyoudon’tputsomeonethroughthe normalduediligencebecausetheyalready present.Inourcase,individualcontributor(IC) engineersdon’tgothroughtherigorous referencechecksthatnewmanagersdo.
“Hiringunderduress”orloweringyourbar simplytomeetheadcountgoals.Istrongly advisetohirefewer“full-fullstack”senior engineersvsabunchofjuniorormid-level careerdeveloperswhorequiremoretime, nurturingandpreciousattentionunitsfromyour seniorstaff.
Thisisamovingtarget,andonewhichhasdefinitelybeen anongoingseriesofblogs.Intheearlystage,we“over prescribedscrum.”Somethingthataveryearlystage companycando,alongwithtoomuchagileprocessestoo soon.
Forexample,prototypesandproofofconceptsshouldnot havearigorousdefinitionofdone,withendlessunit, functional,andend-to-endtestsbecausetheproduct’s requirementswillprobablyzig-zagwildly
Conversely,havingtoolittleprocesswhenyouare supportingenterprisecustomerscanalsobea problem.IspentmypriordaysasanICand
contractorretrofittingandscalingCI/CDpipelinesand trainingengineershowtowritebettertests.
Thechallengeisright-sizingthisallalongtheway,andthe triggerpointsonwhentochangemaynotbeobvious. Isay thisbecausewegrewheadcountby22engineersfromOct 2017toFeb2018,andintheprocesswedidnotmodifyour simplifiedKanbanapproachtoaprescribedScrumprocess quicklyenough.Growingpainsemerged,tosaytheleast. Nowwe’reinaspotwherewecanwithstandamagnitude scaleofgrowthwithroughlythesamesquadandtribe-level process.
RiffingoffrapidgrowthofBrainsinengineering,wedidn’t scalemanagementfastenough.Almostallstartup engineeringorgsstartveryflat,withallICsandno management.Youhave“techleads”whomaysplittheir timedoinglightmanagerialfunctions,buttheyallwrite codeanddiveintotheoperations.
ThebiggestfailhereinscalingtheICswasnotscalingthe organdmanagementstructuretofollow At~44engineers anddatascientists,wehaveadutytodeliveronourmission toprovideanenvironmentwheretheyhavetheopportunity todothebestworkoftheirlivesandbeworthmoreinthe marketplace.
Withoutthisvitalmanagementstructure,thereisavacuum. Donotboltthisonlater,builditasyougo.Wetook inspirationfromSpotify’smodelofengineering organizationalscaling.
We’vetalkedaboutallofthesefails,howaboutsomething thathasworkedwellforus?
Whendoinginitialcontactwithacandidate,Ioftenask “whyareyouinmarket?”Ihaveseencountlessfolkswho arelookingbecausetheircurrentmanagementdoesnot havetheirgrowthandcareerpathinginmind. Inextreme cases,theycandoaday’sworkinfourhours,feellikethey areunder-challenged,andhavenotlearnedanythingin years.TheyworkinanenvironmentlikethemovieOffice Space.
Takinganoppositeapproachistoengageinthegrowthand pathingofeveryindividual.Wedothisby:
Aligningthegrowthoftheindividualwiththe company’sgrowth.
Havingmanagementcheckinfrequentlyonthesuccess ofthis,and
Settingupformalquarterlycheck-insonmeasuring thesegoals.GoogleadoptedthisearlyonfromJohn DoerrintheformofOKRs,andtherearegreat platformsouttherewhichcanformallymeasureand tracktheseobjectives.
Careerpathingisalonger-termconcern.Iaskcandidates fromthestart“sowhat’sthenextjobafterVideoAmp?” Thisoftencatchesthemoffguard,thenaftercarefulthought mostreplywitharole1-2levelsbeyondwherethey’reat now.It’sourgoaltohelpsteertheminwhateverpaththey currentlysee.
Manyearlier-careerengineersthinkmanagementistheir ultimatepath,butIhavefoundthatmanywillstayona tractofengineeringexcellence.Whetherit’saPrincipal EngineeroraVPofEngineering,thegoalistoorientthe newchallengesinamannerwhichgrowstheminthat direction,evenifwecan’tfullyrealizetheirultimate pathinggoalwhileatthecompany.
Bypayingcarefulattentiontothesedetails,wehavefound ourannualretentionrateinthehigh90%.
Oncetherewasatimewhenthequestionwas“Will themediaindustrygetdigitallytransformed?”,but thescenariohaschangednow Thequestiontoday is“Howwillthetransformationtakeplace?”and“Howwill themediacompaniesrespondtothischange?”Seeingthese opportunitiespresentedbythedigitalvideosystems,new playersarejoiningthemarket,hence,capturingconsumer’s mindwithnewinitiativesandgrabbingtheirwallets.These changesarebringinginaggressivemodificationinthe industryalongwithnewbusinessmodels,partnershipsand alsoacquisitions.
WhetheroneisamoviefreakoramadTVwatcher,itis quiteknowntothemthatthetechnologytodayisnotwhat theyhaveseenfewyearsback.Themediaand entertainmentindustryhasseenrapidchangesand modificationintherecentyears.Themostobserving changesthattheworldoftechnologyhaswitnessedareas follows:
Timehaschangednow.Thosedaysaregonewhenpeople usedtoseetheadvertisementofafilmontheroad-side billboardorontheirnewspaperandthengotoamoviehall towatchthemovie.Today,peoplearemultitaskingandthey aremoreintomulti-channelexperiencing.Peoplenoware notjustintowatchingamovieorTelevisionshowwithall theirconcentration.Theyarewatchingamovie,uploading statusontheirFacebookwallandtweetingaboutthemovie, allatthesametime.Theyaresharingtheirviewsand opinionsaboutwhatevertheyarewatchingontheirsocial mediaplatforms.Itclearlyindicatesthatmarketingisno moreaone-mediathing;ratherit’saneventofallchannels.
Anextensiveresearchclearlyprovedthatmostpeople watchclipsanduser-generatedcontentontheirphonesand simultaneouslytheypreferwatchingmoviesonadevice withlargerscreenlikecomputerortelevisionset.Thisis somethingofwhichentertainmentcompaniesmusttake
advantageofbypromptingtheviewerstousehashtag(#) andshareusingbrandedcontenttobringmoretrafficto theircontent.Thosedaysarenomorewhenthewritersand marketersusedtobefocusedaboutonlythewritingofthe content,rathertheyarenowfocusingalotonhowtheir promotionalcontentonsocialmediaplatformsshouldlook likeandhowtheycangainmoreattraction.
Theaudiencehaschangedalotandsoistheirdemand. Peoplearenowdemandingmorecuratedcontent.Andthe trendisalreadygrowingataverysuccessfulpace.Ithas beenobservedthatmediagiantslikeNetflixandAmazon havealreadybeeneffectivelyusingthecuratedcontentfor aboutfouryears.Itisaprocedurewheretheplatform suggestswhattheaudiencewouldliketowatchor subscribe.Whentheseareusedeffectively,itcancreate newaudiencesinstantlyfortheprovider’snewshowsand products.Thisisabetterwaytoadvertiseproductsthan othermeansofadvertisements.
Itsoundscrazytohearthattheprojectedamountof spendingforAI(ArtificialIntelligence)for2025is$30 billionwhichwasearlierobservedtobe$300-350million intheyear2015.Butthemainreasonbehindsuchahuge projectionisthatAIischangingthewaycompletelyin whichcreativitywasexpressedearlier Therearealready variouscompanieswhichareusingtheAItechnologyto createinterestingmovieplotpointsbasedonthe performanceofboxofficeresults.
RecentreportsinformedthatMcCannEricksoninJapan ownsanAIcreativedirectorwhichcanactuallyanalyze briefingsfromclientsbeforepitchingastory.Fromimage recognitionandlanguageprocessingtospeechrecognition anddeeplearning,AIisanalyzingeverythingtocreatenew levelsofimpactfulpitchesthroughcreativeprocessinthe entertainmentandmediaindustry.
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Gonearethosedayswhenpeoplehadtopayforall300channelswhichtheirsatelliteorcableTVchannelprovidersusedto givethoughthevieweractuallywatchesonlyfourtofivechannels.Nowthedefinitionoftheentiremediaandentertainment industryhaschanged.ThecompanieslikeNetflixandHuluhasbroughtinthenewgenerationofwirelessentertainment.The newusersaregoingonline.FromYouTube,Netflix,HulutoAmazonandeventhecablecompaniesaregoingtowirelessand replacingtraditionalofferingswithspecialandcustomizedpackagestoattractmoreconsumers.
Thepresentdaytechnologicaladvancementshavebroughtananalyticalapproachinmachinelearningand haveopened doorstocombineAIandreality.Thisiswhichismakingadvertisementsmuchsmarter.Thepunditssaytraditionalproduct placementwillbesoonreplacedbythejustaclickonthedressofone’sfavoriteactororactress,thattoojustwhenitappears. Expertsmentionedthatmarketingagencieswiththehelpofbigdata,willbesoonabletoswitchoutspecificproduct placementtotheonetheviewerwillmostlikelybuy Theadvertisementissoongoingtobeanothermodeofentertainment. Afterthenewdigitaltransformationstakingplace,certainchangesareobservedinthemediaandentertainmentindustry
Traditionalrevenuemodelsaredecreasingintheirgrowthasthenewmodelsareemerging.Digitalenterprisesaregaining muchprominenceastheirabilitytodelivermulti-channelexperienceandindividualbusinessmodelsarereplacedbythe moderndaycomplexecosystemofthenewcomersincludingnewstartupsandsuper-platforms.Theconceptof generalizationisfadingawayandthepersonalizedcontentistakingstand.
Digitaltransformationsaredrivingeverysectorwith anunmatchedspeed.Socialmediahasbeenoneof thegreatestevolutionsofthecentury.Ithas revolutionizedourwayofcommunication,advertisingand theentiremarketlandscape.
Owingtothisboomingrise,regionalbusinessesarenow abletolaunchandadvertisetheirproductsonaglobalscale withnotableefficiencyatminimalcost.Variouscompanies aroundtheglobearetransformingthewaytheyconnect withtheircustomers.Theyarechoosingcontemporary methodsofcommunicationlikewebchat,websiteorweb pagebasedfeedbacks.Thesefreeofcostmethodshavealso enabledthecustomerstoconveytheirqueryandgetthe feedbackinreal-time.
However,thereisanendlessflowofdataontheinternet. Thousandsofglobalcompanieswithsimilarproductsare directlycompetingwitheachother;allinthehopeof makingamark.
Needlesstomention,ifacompanywishesitswebsitetobe atthetopofeveryrelevantsearchlist,thenitmustemploy anadeptSEOteam.Eitherin-houseorspeciallyhired,itis prerequisitefororganizationstohaveapreciseSEO solutiontostayaheadofthecompetition.
Malaysian-basedcompany,CleverusConsulting,boasting awide-rangeofSEOexperts,istheperfectsolutionfor globalbusinesses.Foundedin2013,Cleverushasgoneon tobecomeoneofthebestcompaniesinMalaysia,allthe whilebestowingitsclientsinhavingtheironlinepresence proliferated.BeingoneofthemostestablishedGoogle partner,ithasdevelopedaprovenframeworktohelpits clientsrisequicklytothetopofmajorsearchengines aroundtheworld.
Cleverusinitiallystartedofferingsome prominentSEOservicesthat empowereditscustomerstooutrank theircompetitorsanddominatethe searchenginewithbetterresults.With theincreasingclientdemandsandfast pacedprogression,thecompanybegan offeringnewservicessuchasweb design,onlinereputationmanagement, influencermarketing,andapp development.Cleverusthenutilizedits specializedSEOframeworktoincept andenhancetheonlinereputation managementservice,whichfurther helpedmajorcompaniesremove negativepressonlineandsuccessfully restoredthebrandnameofthose companies.Cleverusfirmlybelievesin offeringcompletecustomersatisfaction andchargesitsclientsbasedonresults anddeliversoptimallevelof performance.Thisprovencredibility hasgivenboththecompanyandits clientsawin-winsituation.
Cleverusiscurrentlyrankedasthe numberoneSEOSpecialistin MalaysiaonGoogleforproviding someofthemostcompetitive keywordsintheindustry.Today,asa marketleader,thecompanyisgetting RequestforProposals(RFP)from majorglobalcompaniesandis deliveringsomeimpeccableservicesto them.However,itsjourneyhasnot beenacake-walk.
DuringtheearlyphaseofCleverus,it facedplentyofrejections.Butoverthe yearsithasmanagedtoovercomethe challengesbycontinuouslydelivering high-qualityworktoitstrustedclients. Theproductive,efficientandcost effectiveservicesprovidedbyCleverus wereadmiredbymanyofitsclients. Asaresult,thecompanygainedplenty ofreferralsfromitsexistingclients whichhelpedameliorateitsgrowth
rate.
Whileexplainingaboutthereasons behindCleverus’sfast-pacedsuccess itsCEO,LawmenceWong,recalls, “We were confident in our ability and have persisted to source leads daily and approach clients to showcase our service.” Withthecompanycontinuing todevelopitssolidreputationinthe onlinemarketingindustry,itnow envisionsonbeingthelargestonline marketingagencyinAsiawithinthe nextsixyears.
CleverusConsultinghasastrongteam of21peopleatpresent,withoffices scatteredacrossMalaysia,Philippines, andtheUnitedStates.Lawmence Wong’sastuteleadershiphasbeena vitalpartbehindthissurginggrowth.
Wongbelievesthathavingtheright talentisthekeybehindgrowinga company ThusinCleverus,every singlehiringispersonallyapprovedby bothLawmenceandtheHeadofHRto maintainthequalityofitsservices. Lawmencehasastutelyledthegroup ofyoungandexperienced professionalsinthecompanytogreater heights.Theirexpertisehasallowed thecompanytogainmoreandmore pleasingandloyalclients.Throughout hisleadership,Lawmencehas emphasizedonfuturisticintegrations andboldexpansionplans,andisnow planningtoexpandtoseveralcitiesin Asiawithinthenextfewyears
Nowadays,everyothercompanyis employingdigitalwaysofmarketing, anddigitaltransformationisgaininga worldwideattentionforalltheright reason.MarketingandAdvertisingvia
digitalplatformshaveallowed organizationstoconnectwithawider poolofglobalaudience,inreal-time.
Cleverusisleveragingthistrend,and insteadoftheusualtraditional advertisingonnewspaperand magazines,ithasshifteditsfocus towardsonlineadvertisingand marketingplatformssuchasFacebook, Google,andInstagram.
Thisyearalone,Cleverushashired3 newstafftoaccommodatethedemands foronlineadvertisingandforesee hiringevenmoreemployeesinQ2as thedemandgetshigher.Itisalsohiring overseasemployeestofacilitatethe groundworktopenetratethesenew markets.Cleverusenvisionsonebeing thelargestonlinemarketingagencyin Asiainthenearfuture.Thecompany hasbeenmeticulouslyraisingfundsto pushitsvisionfurtherintorealityand expectsitsnametobetheprimal choiceamongstclients.
Dominate Google and take over your competition with our proven Search Engine Optimization strategies.
“ “
ithaplethoraofITsolutionprovidersinour
midst,pickingonemightbedifficult.Businesses nowadaysrequireassistanceinvariousareas, andapproachingdifferentprovidersfordifferentissues mightbetricky That'swhyweneedacompanythatcan provideallourtechnicalneedsinoneplace.
FarOutSolutionsisonesuchcompanythatwillassistyou inmanagingandmaximizingtheuseofalltechnologiesin yourfirm,includingdatacollection,analysis,andprotection anddevelopmentofyourworkingenvironment.
Alongwithbeingaone-stop-shopfortechnology,FarOut Solutionsalsoprovidescustomer-orientedsolutions, demonstratingthewillingnesstogivethecustomerthebest servicepossible.
FarOutSolutionscantakeyourcompanytothenextlevel.
InsightsSuccesscaughtupwithZaidAlChalabi,theCOO, inourattempttofind"30 Most Innovative Companies to Watch in 2022."
Below are the highlights of the interview: GiveusabriefoverviewofFarOutSolutions,its mission,andthekeyaspectsofitsstrongfootholdinthe ITindustry.
FarOutSolution'smissionistomaketechnologyeasywith reliablesolutions.Wesupportourmissionbydesigning, implementing,andsupportingITinfrastructureforour
clients.Attheendoftheday,weprideourselvesonbeinga one-stop-shopfortechnology
Describeyourtop-notchservicesthataddresstheneeds ofyourcustomers.
FarOutSolutionsofferstechnologyandrelatedservices thatmakeourclientsmoney,savethemmoney,and streamlinetheirday-to-dayoperations.
Whatmakesyourcompanyapreferredchoiceamong yourclienteleoverothercompetitors?
FarOutSolutionsisapreferredITvendorbecauseofour relationshipswithourclients.Theirsuccessisoursuccess andviceversa.Wetreateverycustomerasanintegralpart oftheFarOutSolutionsFamily
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
FarOutSolutionsutilizesthelatestdevelopmentsincloud technologytoidentifyandresolveproblemsbeforethey happen.Thissavesourclientstimeandmoneyandhelpsus stayproactiveinsteadofreactiveasasupportcompany.
Describethevaluesthatdriveyourorganization.
Weareafamily-orientedbusinessthatcaresaboutand promotesgrowthforouremployees,vendors,andclients. Throughthesevalues,wehavesuccessfullygrownour revenuebyover200%overthepastthreeyearsandhave tripledourworkforceoverthesameperiod.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theITServicesindustry?Howisyourcompany preparingtobeapartofthatchange?
Smarttechnologyandautomationarethefastest-growing sectorsoftheITindustry.Wearedevotingsignificant resourcestodevelopingstrategiestosuccessfullydesign, implement,andsupporttheexpandeduseofthese technologieswithourclients.
Inwhatwayshaveyouoryourcompanycontributedto thecommunity?
FarOutSolutionsrecognizesthatwecannotbeasuccessful businesswithoutourlocalcommunity.Wehavecontributed supportandvolunteerlabortolocalcharitiessuchas Nathaniel'sHopeandtheCoalitionfortheHomeless.We alsoprovidelunch-and-learnseminarsforlocalcommunity members,includingcyberawarenessandtraining.
Whatareyourfutureaspirations?Wheredoyousee yourcompanyinthenextfiveyears?
FarOutSolutionshasthreemainfocusesoverthenextfive years.Ourfirstgoalistoexpandourbusinessoperations intotheEuropeanandMiddleEasternmarkets.Wearealso positioningourselvestoacquireseveralsmallerITfirmsin thattimeframe.Lastly,weplanonexpandingthenumberof existinginternaldepartmentsintostand-alonecompanies, whichwillallowustoofferadditionalservicestoour clients.
assionateandcommittedtodeliveringprecise,
Pinnovativesolutions,JeffreyWilhelmfounded InfusedInnovationsInctooperateatthe intersectionoftechnology,businessdata,andhuman interaction.AstheCEO,Jeffereyinstillstheideologiesto leveragethelatestcollaborationtechnologies,allowingthe companytoworkinstantaneouslywiththebestand brightestworldwide.
InfusedInnovationsisaforward-lookingadvisoryservices company.Itsmissionistoempowerclientstoreachtheir fullestpotentialconstantly.TheInfusedInnovations'teamis alwaysontopofthelatesttechnologies,maintainingadeep knowledgeofwhattheirclientswanttoachieveandwhich toolswillmakeithappen.Muchofthistakesplacethrough digitaltransformationbyadaptingemergingcloud technologiesandguidancewithnewbusinessconceptsand strategies.
WhileInfusedInnovationsisheadquarteredinBoston,MA, itsemployeescometoworkremotelyfromalloverthe UnitedStates.Itsclientsrangewidelyinlocationaswellas industry—theteamhasworkedextensivelywithFortune 500companies,SMBs,andgovernment,educationaland non-profitorganizations.
InfusedInnovationsbringstop-rateadvisoryservicesto organizationslookingtoevolveandthrivewithexpertisein technology,security,data,workprocesses,marketing,etc.It providesmanagedcloudsecurityservices,handlingclients' securityposturesandkeepingthemuptodatewiththetools andsolutionsthatbestmeettheirneeds.ItsSecure IntelligentWorkplace™offeringprovidesclientswitha comprehensiveframeworkforsuccessfulmodernwork:it
coversleading-edgesecurity,workplaceproductivity& collaboration,data&analytics,automation,andmore.
WhatsetsInfusedInnovationsapartisitspairingof industryexpertisewithagenuinehumanconnection.When JeffreyWilhelmbeganhisworkintechnology,henoticed thatinteractionsbetweenproviders,clients,andpartners weretoooftentransactionalinnature.Hewantedamore authenticexperience,andheknewthatclientswantedthis too.So,itbecameacorevalueatInfusedInnovationsto developreal,ongoingrelationshipswithclients.This mutuallybeneficialvisionhasledtoimpressivebusiness growthandcustomersatisfaction.Thecompanyhas receivedseveralrecognitions,including#16inChannel Futures'MSP501,EnterpriseWorld'sTop-MostTrusted SecurityAutomationSolutionsCompaniesandTop50Best WorkplacesinSiliconReview.
Our mission is to guide our clients to realize their fullest potential and give them the tools to get there.
Acrossindustries,workplacesareseeingsignificant changesandadvancements.Theworldofworkisbecoming moreconnected,moreflexible,andmoredigital.The advisoryservicesthatInfusedInnovationsoffersareso valuabletoorganizationsineveryfield.Theyhelp companiestransitiontohybridorremotework,streamline theiroperationalprocesses,orgrowintonewandbetter waysofworking.Jefferyexpresses, "The past couple of years, in particular, have demanded that businesses face these challenges, and those who have done so with Infused Innovations have seen great success."
Cybercrimeisbecomingincreasinglysophisticated,and attackersfindnewvulnerabilitiestotarget,soequipping organizationswiththebestsecuritysolutionsiscrucial. InfusedInnovationstakesazero-trustsecurityapproach, bringingthemostrobustprotectiontoclients'work environments.AsaGoldMicrosoftPartner,Infused Innovationsworkscloselywiththebesttoolsavailablein securityandtechnology.Itsteamisamongthefirsttoknow aboutnewdevelopmentsandofferings.
Thissecurityisthefoundationthatprotectswork environmentsandsavescompaniestimeandmoneyby stoppingthreatsbeforetheycanharm.Butthereissomuch morethatcanalsohelporganizationsthrive,andInfused Innovations'teamwantstotaketheentirejourneywiththeir clients.Thismayimproveworkflows,understandbusiness analyticsandmarketingstrategies,enhanceemployeewellbeing,orfindnewwaystotakeflightintoday'schanging atmosphere.
JeffreyWilhelmandhisteamalsoseeresponsibilityasa fundamentalpartoftheirworkatInfusedInnovations.This hasvariousfacets:technologicalresponsibility,suchasdata privacyandAIethics;socialresponsibility,inclusivity, respectforallpeople;environmentalsustainability,anda commitmenttohelpingleverageemergingcapabilities towardthataim.Astechnologydriveshumanlifeforward, thosewhoworkwithinitcarrytheseresponsibilitiesto bettertheworldandcreatethebestcircumstancesforthe nextgenerationtothrive.
OneaspectofsocialengagementthatWilhelmparticularly enjoysismentoringyouthandemergingtalents.Hehas beenaYearUpmentorsince2015,heservesasaboard memberandadvisortoseveralstartups,andheregularly
judgesforlocalbusinesscompetitions.InfusedInnovations alsotakesoninternsofvariousages—forexample,a Connecticuthighschoolstudentworkedundertheir mentorshiptodesignamachinelearningmodelthatcould beatavideogameonitsown.
Alongsideallofthesevaluesandengagements,thecentral passionofthecompanyisinnovation.Theteamisalways lookingahead,exploringnewavenues,andpushingthe boundaries.Oneofthesignificantchangescomingto technology,andeverysector,isthedevelopmentofthe metaverseanddigitaltwins—digitalreplicasofphysical structurestoenhanceworkandeducation.Thesehybrid physical-virtualtechnologieswillrevolutionizethewaywe learnandoperate.Theycanincreaseefficiencyandreduce fossilfuelusewhilebringingnewpossibilitiesforresearch, productionlines,andmore.Theforward-leaningmindsetof InfusedInnovations,alongwithpassionandexpertise, makesitanidealcompanytoresponsiblyleadthewayin suchabigtransformationasthis.
Highlightingitsleadershipinnewtechnologies,the companyhasrecentlylauncheditsownInnovationServices inadditiontoitsAdvisoryServices.ThenewInnovation Servicesaregroupedintothreemaincategories:1) guidancewithadoption,changemanagement,and governanceoforganizationalinnovation;2)deliveryofa best-of-breedinnovationplatformformanagingthe innovationlifecycleprocess;and3)advisoryservices dedicatedspecificallytopairingemergingtechnologieswith bestbusinesspracticesinordertofuelinnovation.
JeffreyWilhelmandhisteamatInfusedInnovationsare excitedanddriventoseewhatthenextfewyearsand beyondwillbring.Withtherightpeople,therighttools,and therightoutlook,boththiscompanyanditsclientswill growintoendlesspossibilities.
VR is a way to escape the real world into something more fantastic. It has the potential to be the most social technology of all time. — Palmer Luckey
Virtualreality(VR)hasbeenaround formanyyearsnow,inspiteofthisitis averyunderdevelopedtechnology.It holdsavastpotentialoutsideof entertainment,ithastakenovervarious aspectsofourlivesrightfromtheway weshop,experience,converseand evenwaystoconductbusiness.
Withtimethistechnologyhasgained popularitywithmanypowerhouses, whichhasencouragedthemtoinvest profoundlyinVRtechnology.Ithas becomemoreandmoreaccessiblefor users,withmanufacturershaving alreadyreleasedhouseholdsetsandare continuingtodoso.
TherecentadvancementintheVR technologyhasmadeitmore accessibleforthegeneralpublic.Due tothis,ithashadaremarkableimpact onthebusinessworldalso.Thesole aimofthetechnologyistochange humanperceptionusingvirtual systems.TheadoptionofVRbyusers isstillinitsnascentstagesandhas gainedpopularity,andmoreandmore businessesarecomingupwithVR basedsolutions.Thereducingpricesof VRheadsetshavealsoposedtobean advantagefortheconsumersaswell.
Ithasalsoposedtobeanadvantagefor theconsumersaswell,withthe reducingpricesofVRheadsets.This hasprovedthatVRisatoughand emergentmarket,withgreatscopefor platformswhichcanallowbusinesses toleverageVRforprocess developmentandadvancedmarketing.
BusinessesareUsingVRtotheir Benefit
VRhasthepotentialtobecomethe mostimportanttoolthatbusinessescan leveragetoaddontotheirsuccess.
Establishedbusinessesaretakingthe helpofVRtotraintheirnew employeesinamorecost-effectiveand efficientway WiththehelpofVR,one canhaveanemployeeinLosAngeles meetingwiththeoneinLondonasif theywere/areinthesameroom.
VRoffersanaddedadvantagewhenit comestotheoutwardfocusofthe businesses;itallowsanovelwayto connectwithcustomers.Thecompany canbuildupamorestorydrivenway ofmarketingwhichdrawspeopleinto thecompany'sbrand,inatangibleand relationalway.Virtualrealityhas potentiallytransformedtheworldof media.Ithasopeneddoorsfor businesses;toadvertiseinawaythey hadneverimaginedbefore.
Consumersarenow equippedwiththe abilitytotestoutandexperience products,thattheyintendtopurchase, inanentirelynewway.Itallowsyouto preciselyvisualizehowapieceof furnitureorpaintingwouldlookina particularroom,oreventestdifferent makeupstyleswithoutleavingthe room.Astructuredassessment, planningofthefutureofbusinesses, andwiththerightdataVRcaneven giveavaluableinsightintothesuccess ofthebusiness.
VRisnowbeingusedtosimplifyand reducethecostoftheprocessof productprototyping.SinceVRhas madeitverycost-effectivefor businessestodesignaproductoran intricatecomponentofanoutsized machinevirtuallythanactuallybuild
theprototype,theuseofVRinthis sectorislikelytodevelopquickly VR andARhavealsoadvancedtheareaof Computer-AidedDesign(CAD).
Prototypescannowbeshapedwithin thevirtualspace,allowingdesignersto accuratelypindownitsworkingway beforetheresourcestobuildthe productareacquired.Thishaseased theprocessoftestingtheproductwhile savingbothmoneyandtime.
Themajorsetbackthatthee-commerce industryfacesisthesales;customers arereluctanttobuyproductsthatthey haven’ttried.WiththehelpofVR,the consumerscanpotentiallytryoutand visualizedemonstrationsforvarious productcategories.Allowingamore clearvisionofhowtheirpost-purchase experiencewilllooklike.
There are as many applications for VR as you can think of; it’s restricted by your imagination. — John Goddard.
VirtualRealityhasnumerous businessesperspective;notjustby providinginnovativefeaturestothe businessproducts,butalsoinhelping innovatorscreatenovelbusinesseswith thesetechnologiesatthecore.
Justlikeold-fashionedcafes,VRcafes wouldsoonbeahit.Theseplaceswill beasocialgatewayforpeoplelooking foraugmentedandvirtuallyenhanced experiences.VRcafeswouldoffer choicesondiversevirtualreality equipment,comprisingofgames, videotapes,team-buildingexercises, socialmediapractices,3Dbooksand contentexperiences,andvirtually enrichedmeditation.
Inrealestatemarkets,VRplatforms
permithousetourstopeoplefrom anyplacearoundtheglobe.Peoplecan designandevenpainttheirhomeswith thistechnologyastheywouldinreal lifesetting,toprovideanoutlookinto thefuturelookoftheirhomes.
CarslikeAudiR8offersaVR-powered “testdrive”experience.Similarly,even Airbushasintroducedaircrafttoursfor itsairlineexecutives,whichallows themanenrichedexperienceandtour oftheaircraftwithoutactuallyvisiting it.
AsVRandARcarryondevelopment, moreandmoreknowledgeabouthow itcanbeefficientlyincorporatedinto thebusinesseshascometolight,this amalgamationofnewwiththeoldwill potentiallyhaveahugepositiveimpact oneverysector.Newentrepreneurs, startups,andbusinessesshouldsurely keepaneyeoutforthistechnology,as ithasbecomeanintegralpartof marketingandbusinessesprocessesin thenearfuture.
Bearinginmindhowseveralindustries andbusinessesarequicklyvalidating andacceptingvirtualreality,the estimateisthatitwilltakeoverthe businessscenarioalmostcompletely, isn’tbloatedbyanymeans.
Socialmediahascompletelychangedthewaywe interactandshareideas,howweinfluenceothers,and howweallowourselvestobeinfluenced.Itisthetool ofchoiceforworldleaders,governments,major corporations,celebrities,andanyoneelsewhowantsto connectdirectlywithanaudienceofmillions.
Thisremarkableabilitytobeseenandheard-andto personallycommunicatewith-suchlargeswathesofthe humanraceinstantlyisunprecedentedbothinscopeand scale.Ittranscendsbarriersofrace,religion,nationality, age,socialstatus,andalmosteveryotherfactorwhichwe usetodivideourselves.
Wieldinganypowerfultoolrequiresalevelofskill,and socialmediaisnoexception.Thisisamplyevidentfromthe newsstoriesweregularlyhearofdisastroussocialmedia fauxpasfromstars,politiciansandrespectedorganizations. Theycouldallhavemadethenewsfortherightreasonshad theychosenViralInNature
ViralInNaturewasfoundedin2010asGoWowMedia,and rebrandedtoitscurrentnamein2013.BesidesSocial MediaManagement,italsospecializesinReputation ManagementandWebDevelopment.
TheCanadiancompanyfocusesonhelpingsmalland mediumenterprisesutilizethepowerofsocialmedia.It helpsthemtobridgethegapbetweenremainingalocal presenceandacquiringaglobalcustomerbase.Their incrediblesuccessratewithsmallerbusinesseshas promptedglobalcompaniestoseekouttheirservicesas well.
Hardworkandcommitmentisinthefirm’sDNA.12hours ofeachday,7daysaweek,and365daysarethehoursof coveragetheydofortheirsocialmediaclients.ViralIn
Naturedevotesmoretimeandenergytosocialmedia managementandliveeventsocialmediamanagementthan itsrivals.Andtheresultsspeakforthemselves.
ViralInNaturehasbecomethemostawardedsocialmedia agencyinNorthAmerica.Respectedpublicationslike Clutch.coandGoodFirms.cohaveconsistentlyrankeditas oneoftheworld’stopsocialmediamarketingagencies. CV Magazine namedittheUSA’sBestSocialMediaAgency for2018.
Withaccoladeslikethat,itisnowonderthatthefirmis poisedtobecomeoneofthemostpowerfulsocialmedia hubsforbusinessanywhere.
ViralInNaturemaintainsasingularfocusonitsclients. Whileothercompaniesmayclaimtobeclient-centric,Viral InNaturehasprovenconsistentlythatittrulyembodiesthat spirit.Thisisevidentnotjustfromtheindustryaccolades thatkeeppilingup,butfromthetestimonialsofcustomers whomthefirmconsidersitsbestambassadors.
TheotherareainwhichViralInNatureinvestsconsiderable timeandeffortistechnology.Socialmediaisbyitsvery natureatech-drivenfield,anditisonlybyleveragingthe vastpotentialitholdsthattrulyspectacularresultsare possible.
Thecompanyconstantlyseeksout,tests,develops,and implementsthelatestadvances,applicationsandhardware suchasnewanduniquecamers.Inthisway,everyclientis assuredacutting-edgesolutionthatkeepsthemaheadofthe competition.
Tofosteranenvironmentofconstantlearningand adaptability,thecompanyholdsregularmeetingsthatfocus primarilyonemergingtrendsinsocialmedia.Conductedin anopendiscussionformat,itallowsteammemberstokeep abreastofdevelopmentsthatmaynotrelatetotheir
specialtydirectly Thiscreatesarich tapestryofresidualknowledgeupon whichtheycandrawinthefuture.
Apro-activeapproachiscriticaltohow ViralInNatureoperates.Theagency adoptsapolicyofcreatingawide footprintforeachclientacrossarange ofsocialmediaplatforms.Itadheresto thisphilosophytomitigatethenegative effectsofpolicychangesatanyoneof thosecompanies,andtoinsulateits clientsfromunforeseeabledownturns liketheonecurrentlyplaguing Facebook.
TheManBehindtheBrand ShawnAlainisthePresidentofViral InNatureandtheownerofthe company
Mr Alainbeganhiscareerinmedia withthepublishingindustry.He
recognizedthemassivepotentialof socialmediamarketingbeforeithad becometheglobalphenomenonitis today.In2010,afteradecadein publishing,hesetupGoWowMedia, thepredecessortoViralinNature.
AslewofsuccessinTwitterand FacebookmarketinggaveMr.Alain thegroundworkandanintimate understandingoftheindustry.Itwas uponthisfoundationthatViralIn Naturewasborn.
TheJourneyBeyond ViralInNatureisundoubtedlyoneof thebestsocialmediamanagement agenciesinNorthAmerica.
However,Shawniseagertotakehis brandtoatrulyinternationallevel, withplansforEurope,Australiaand LatinAmericaalreadyonthecards.In
fact,thefirmhasalreadyhiredstaff fluentinFrenchandSpanishasthefirst steptothisexpansion.
Inlinewithitspolicyofgivingevery clientawidesocialmediapresence, ViralInNaturehasalwaysmanaged themacrossfivetosevenplatforms. Withanincreasinglybusiness-centric focusandundauntedbychange,the companyisalwaysonthelookoutfor newer,betteroptionsthatwillmore thoroughlyserveitsclients’needs.
Technologyisunbiased–itwillfavor themosteffectivesolution.ViralIn Naturedoesnotonlyapplythis philosophy,ithasitselfbecomethe bestexampleofitsveracity.
“We commit ourselves to constantly improving our services, performance and push through our comfort barriers to improve value to our clients.”
— Shawn Alain President
TheMediaandEntertainment Industryhasdisplayedevident growthglobally,sinceits commencement.Theadventof innovativetechnologiesandtheir pioneersinthisindustryand subsequentdisciplineshascatapulted itsdevelopment. YUDU isonesuch innovativepioneerofthedigital publishingindustry
Foundedin2007, YUDU isan applicationstechnologycompany specializingindigitalpublishingand crisiscommunications.Itupholdsa visionofharnessingcloud-based technologytomeetgrowingmarket needs.Itwasoneofthefirstcompanies tohelppublishersproducedigital versionsoftheirmagazinesandother publications.Theorganizationholds simplicityandeaseofaccessatthe heartofitsvision,bothforitsclients andcustomers,andproducessolutions thathavebeenwidelylikedbyusers.
YUDU’sFounderandCEO,Richard Stephenson,hasbeenatthehelm sincethecompany’sinceptionin2007. HeholdsajointhonorsB.Sc.in EconomicsandMaterialsSciencefrom SwanseaUniversity.Hehasdriventhe growthofthecompanyasithasgrown initsinternationalclientele,adaptedto changesinthepublishingindustry,and mostrecently,ledthedevelopmentof thecompany’sCrisisManagementapp named Sentinel.
Theonlineshifttowardse-reading,ecommerceandappshasopenedupnew opportunitiesfor YUDU,which Richardhasbeenattheforefrontof capitalizingonandhelpingclients adapttochangingconsumerwantsand needs.Overthepast10years,Richard hasoverseenthegrowthofthe companytobecomeagloballeaderin cloudbaseddocumentdistributionand corporatecommunications.
Richardhasbeenrunningtechnology ledinternationalbusinessesforthepast 30yearsandcompletedhisfirstprivate equitybackedMBOin2001.Richard pastrolesincludebeinganOperating PartnerwithDukeStreetCapital, ChairmanofXafinityHoldingsLtd, PresidentoftheSupervisoryBoardof NavimoS.A.andChairmanofDeloro StelliteLtd.
Although YUDU hasdevelopedover 1,000appsoveritstenyearsintech, communicationisattheheartofthe company’sfunctionality.The organization’scoreproductisitsdigital publishingplatform, Publisher.It allowsanyonetoturnaPDFintoan intuitive,re-flowable,IOS,Android andWindowscompatibledigital version.
Clientsrangingfromretailerslike Screwfix topublicationslike National Geographic use Publisher tocreate highqualitymagazines,catalogues,
newslettersandmore,allwithfull statisticalanalysisbuilt-inandoptional subscriptioncontrol.
YUDU’smostrecentlydeveloped software Sentinel,combinesmass alertingviaSMS,emailandin-app messaging,offlinecriticaldocument handlingandanHRdatabaseof contacts.Allofthisishostedona securecloudserver,sothatifacyber attack,poweroutageoranactofterror takesdownserversandphonelines, incidentmanagerscancheckthat everyoneissafeandinstructstaffon whattodo. Sentinel isusedasa businesscontinuityand communicationstoolbyarangeof industriesincludinglawfirms,hotels, andtheatres.
Amongpublishers,thedigital transformationhasbeenembracedby someandfearedbyothers.E-book readerslikeKindlewerehailed simultaneouslyastheendofthebook industryandasapassingfadbyits detractors,andmoremobileformsof entertainmenthavebroadenedthe optionsformagazinesdistributionand consumption.
With Publisher,theorganizationwas abletotakepublicationsintothedigital arena.Itcouldalsoenhanceprint magazineswithvideoandinteractivity, helpingmediacompaniesand educationalpublishersreacha massivelywideraudiencewiththeir mostinnovativecontent.
Whenpeoplebeganconsumingmoremediaviatheir mobilephonesandtabletsandlessondesktops, YUDU facedthechallengeofmakingcontentaccessible. Consumerswantedasmoothreadingexperiencewithout havingtopinchandzoom,thusthecompanyneededto rethinkhowitdelivereditsclients’content. PhoneView is itssolutiontodevice-responsivedocumentviewing.
“The roadmap for YUDU’s development has always been user-centric. We listen to feedback from our clients and are continually adding new features to our apps based on our clients’needs, and that is what keeps us ahead of our competitors,” statesRichard.Thecompanyhasadedicated supportteamintheUKandisproudofitsveryhigh customerapprovalrating.
YUDU’sstrategyistodeliverthebestpossibleproductand givethebestpossibleclientexperience.Expressinghis viewsonadaptingtothechangingtrendsintheindustry, Richardasserts, “The consumer has migrated from desktop to mobile passing tablets on the way. We have anticipated this trend by developing the technology for displaying rich content on smaller screens.”
Thenextstepfor YUDU istoenterintoanewterritory,of businesscontinuityandcrisismanagement.Thecompany’s expertiseindocumentmanagement,communicationsand appdevelopmenthassetituptofulfillthegrowingneedfor areliable,simplesoftwaretohelporganizationskeeptheir peoplesafeandkeeptheinformationflowingduringan emergency
Immediateaccesstobusinessrecoveryplansonmobilesis vitalforinstantresponse.Theorganization’spublishing backgroundenablesittouseitsdocumenthandling technologytoofferfeaturesthatotheralertingsystemsfail todeliver.Itscompetitorscan’tofferincidentmanagersthe abilitytosharebusinesscontinuitydocuments,press statements,clientslistsetc.offlineandsecurelyinacrisis.
While YUDU continuestoofferindustry-leading technologyfordigitalpublishing,itisbroadeningits portfolioofappsallthetime.Thecompanyisexpandingits corporatecommunicationsofferingbycombiningdocument handlingandcommunicationsinitsappforsalesteams;
addingnewfeatures,likegroupspecificpushnotifications, toitsexistingappsandcontinualrefinementofitsapp technologyinthefaceofchangestoappstoresand operatingsystems.
Inthenearfuture, YUDU isgrowingits Sentinel product intoawholerangeofbusinesscontinuitysolutions.Ithas excitingworklinedupwithsecurityandcounter-terror specialiststocreate Sentinel Alaris and Sentinel Alert.With the Sentinel rangeofproductsitisbuildingastrong portfoliooftopclientsanddevelopinginastrongly growingmarket.
“Knowing that our apps are going to be used to help organizations safeguard their staff and help save lives in an increasingly dangerous world makes it an incredibly worthwhile work,” statesRichard.
Richard Stephenson Founder & CEO
YUDU helps publishers, corporations, educators and organizations engage with their audiences digitally.
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