Both Cisco and Zoom have invested a combined $8.7m in Mio, the business that aims to unify messaging networks.
Whether teams across the business wish to collaborate using Zoom Chat, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Cisco’s Webex, Mio strives to connect them all.
Such a concept enables the collaboration that fuels better CX. After all, not every employee and business will turn to the same communication tool. In reality, there are many. Mio makes sure they can interoperate.
The results of the Series A financing show that leading industry stalwarts have confidence in this proposition. After all, why should Slack users only message other Slack users? What if a company wishes to collaborate with a new supplier that uses Microsoft Teams? Why must they have to download yet another platform?
Of course, scepticism over whether the most recognisable names in the collaboration industry will embrace interoperability is a significant barrier. However, this deal perhaps suggests that the tide is turning.
Believing this to be the case, Tom Hadfield, co-founder of Mio, says:
Major players in the collaboration industry are listening to customers and committing to an open ecosystem... We look forward to working with Zoom, Cisco, and everyone in the collaboration industry to build a unified messaging network for the 21st century.
Such a proposition carries real significance that transcends the communications industry. For example, an array of recent research suggests that improving inter-departmental collaboration is the key to unlocking CX gains.