Ipadio

ipadio is a privately owned technology and communications company founded in 2009.^[1] ipadio products deliver live broadcasts from mobile phones, landlines and satellite phones. Since 2009 ipadio has developed a number of services based on its core technology including ContactEngine for customer interactions, FieldTalk for workforce engagement, and HDMobileVideo for next generation video sharing.

ipadio works with multinational corporations, government departments and worldwide charities.  Ipadio technology is used in a range of industry sectors including: telecommunications, engineering, education, gaming, healthcare, household services, media, pharmaceutical, retail, sport and transport.

Technology

ipadio combines the Internet with the telephony network. Cloud-hosted communications servers allow for the collection and distribution of any kind of digital content: audio, video, image and text. ipadio makes its technology available to corporates via Software as a Service.

ipadio also makes its audio and video broadcasting services available via smartphone / tablet apps, standard telephony, and satellite telephony.

Software as a Service

ContactEngine: ipadio's core service, ContactEngine is for large-scale daily customer communications. ContactEngine uses a combination of the following ipadio services to achieve customer contact.

InteractiveTxt: like internet chat, but via text message. The messages are automatically personalised, with each message dependent on the response to the previous one. Customers can respond when they're at work or travelling.

VoiceForms: a form you fill in, by a combination of voice and touchtone commands, similar to Interactive Voice Response (IVR), questions are pre-set to the individual, who is then guided through a menu tree.

Apps: Alerts can pop up on customer's tablets or smartphones.

Email: for exchanging digital messages.

ContactEngine can be configured to switch between devices depending on the urgency of the contact requirement, the time of day, and any other business rules that need applying. ContactEngine deals with wrong numbers and multiple phone numbers, duplicates and multi-day calling schedules. There is an online admin and email or text alerting system for the admin staff and management.

FieldTalk: Provides two-way communication between multiple-layers of management and staff.

EBrief: Similar to web conferencing, EBrief is used for large scale engagement with customers, between staff and executives, or for monthly team updates.

HDMobileVideo: ipadio's Apple and Android apps gather and distribute content (video, audio, phone, text, images) securely.

Awards

• Winner: Most Innovative Technology of 2009 by eConsultancy
• Winner: Best Mobile Investment of 2011 by the British Business Angels Association
• Winner: Innovation in Rich Media and Video 2012 by eConsultancy

History

ipadio's core broadcasting technology was first used on November 1, 2008 via satellite phone from the mid-Atlantic, during the Transat Classique Lagasse race on a yacht called Infanta. The name ipadio comes from Internet Protocol Radio.

2009: iPhone app used globally for broadcasting audio, for example from the World Transplant Games on the Gold Coast of Australia. Cross posting to social networks provided, along with embedded VoiceToText. API developed.

2010: Oxfam provide first broadcasts from the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and a number of charities such as The Red Cross, Amnesty International, and Great Ormond Street for Children and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award start using ipadio as part of the broadcasting and fundraising mix. Several Sports bodies such as the English Golf Union, the British Horseracing Authority and England Athletics also start using ipadio. Many educators such as Scotland's Colleges begin to use ipadio for language classes in particular. Virgin Media^[2] become the first corporate client, followed by HomeServe. ipadio move to offices in Farringdon. Boris Johnson became one of the first celebrity users.

2011: New clients include Grant Thornton, Ladbrokes, London Midland, The Football Association, Guinness. Video added to ipadio's broadcasting capabilities. Explorers such as Mark Wood, Jordan Romero, Felicity Ashton and Sara Outen join the ipadians as ipadio gets used from the South Pole, North Pole and top of Everest.

2012: Further clients include NHS and Steria, JustGiving, LOCOG, Thames Water, Sony, O2 Health, United Utilities, Calibre, London 2012 and SSP UK. Android app with video added to previous audio and phone broadcasting features.

2013: ipadio launches it’s free consumer app for iOS in April 2013. In 2013, ipadio will get its registration for ISO/IEC 27001 for Information Security Management. New HD video sharing possibilities are being investigated.

Funding

Funding ipadio was incubated by 3rd Sector digital communication specialists Nemisys, a company which ipadio's directors also founded. In January 2011, ipadio secured a £1m investment from the London Business Angels one of Europe's leading investment networks, the second half of which was accessed in 2013.^[3]

References