StarHub Partners with Tropo to Launch SmartFoundry Voice and SMS API Platform
Menlo Park, CA and Singapore (PRWEB) November 25, 2013 -- StarHub, Singapore's fully-integrated info-communications company and Tropo, the leader in real-time communications APIs, have partnered to launch SmartFoundry, a platform that allows software developers, enterprise customers and institutes of higher learning to accelerate the creation and deployment of products and services for businesses and consumers in Singapore.
Last weekend, over 120 eager software developers gathered for a hackthaton at The HUB coworking space in Singapore to try out the new SmartFoundry platform to build voice and SMS enterprise applications using the Tropo API. StarHub is the latest telecommunications company to offer the Tropo API, following other leading operators including Deutsche Telekom in Germany and AT&T in the USA.
During the one-day hackathon led by Tropo Chief Evangelist Johnny Diggz, developers built apps integrating the SmartFoundry platform with financial services APIs to get up-to-the-minute pricing data via text message, CRM platforms like SugarCRM to enhance customer experience and the Google GMail API to check email via SMS via phone, even when wifi and data channels are not available. The winning Televate team built an app that enables consumers to wade through cumbersome customer support phone menu trees, allowing consumers to receive a phone call when a live customer support agent is ready to talk to them, improving both customer experience and minimizing “on hold” frustrations.
Stephen Lee, StarHub’s Head of i3 (Innovation, Investment, Incubation) said, “We were very encouraged by the quality of entries received at the first ever StarHub SmartFoundry Hackathon. Congratulations to the Televate, MyHub and PhoneBit teams for winning the top three prizes. Their practical use of SmartFoundry API to improve customer service experiences and to create potential value-added services have won the judges’ votes.”
“We are pleased to offer the Tropo telephony API to software developers, easily enabling voice and SMS functions using common programming languages in their own applications, without investment in hardware or be a subject expert in SIP. This allows carriers like StarHub to onboard software developers easily and rapidly, and build an effective ecosystem for application development,” Lee added.
John Elliott, Vice President Sales at Tropo said, “I am very excited and encouraged by StarHub's SmartFoundry initiative that helps entrepreneurs from the region to bring the next generation of voice and SMS applications to the market. Tropo is honored to work with industry leaders, like StarHub, to help deliver innovation and new business opportunities to developers in Singapore and the broader region.”
About Tropo
Tropo is a communications API company headquartered in Menlo Park California, USA. Tropo has made it simple for developers to build and deploy voice and messaging applications by using operators’ networks and Tropo’s communications platform-as-a-service solution.
Tropo API technologies have been used by thousands of developers and many of the largest operators, mobile carriers, businesses and service providers around the world. For more information, visit http://tropo.com.
About StarHub
StarHub is Singapore's fully-integrated info-communications company, offering a full range of information, communications and entertainment services for both consumer and corporate markets. StarHub operates a mobile network that provides 4G, 3G and 2G services. It also manages an island-wide HFC network that delivers multi-channel pay TV services (including HDTV, Internet TV and on-demand services) as well as ultra-high speed residential broadband services. StarHub operates an extensive fixed business network that provides a wide range of data, voice and wholesale services. Over Singapore’s fibre-based Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network, StarHub offers a broad range of home and business broadband plans along with a host of advanced media-rich value-added services, such as IPTV for commercial entities.
Launched in 2000, StarHub has become one of Singapore's most innovative info-communications providers, and the pioneer in 'hubbing' - the ability to deliver unique integrated and converged services to all its customers. StarHub, listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange since October 2004, is a component stock of the Straits Times Index and the MSCI Singapore Free Index.
May Yip, Tropo, https://www.tropo.com/, +1 (305) 519-3055, [email protected]
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