Twilio Integration Case Study: How to Build a Strong Communication Platform
In nowadays hectic world, people have no time for wait, especially when it comes to getting services.
We all want instant support, quick response, personalized approach, and smooth communication.
According to Gartner, 64% of people find customer experience more important than price. You can improve сustomer experience on your platform by integrating a robust communication API.
In this article I will dwell upon Twilio - API for SMS, voice, video, and authentication. You will learn about its features, examples of apps that use it, and, of course, our experience in Twilio integration.
What is Twilio
Twilio is a cloud communication platform that empowers online businesses with telecommunications features.
Developers can use Twilio API for any project they want to empower with voice, video or messaging.
The initial mission of Twilio was to make smooth communication an internal part of any workflow.
Now, Twilio is a developer platform that powers communication for over 40,000 businesses around the world. Among them there are such giants as Airbnb, Salesforce, TaskRabbit, Zendesk, and Uber.
If you need to manage all the communication with customers within your app (and do this quickly and in a good manner) - Twilio is the right way to go.
Twilio features
Twilio allows you to implement any kind of communication into your app. Let’s review the most essential ones.
Voice calls
With Twilio programmable voice, you can receive and monitor calls anywhere and anytime. Get the power to:
- Build call queues
- Route calls
- Create conferences up to 250 participants
- Record calls and convert speech to text
- Get masked phone numbers that allow customers to interact without revealing their actual phone number
- Make calls within browsers and apps
One of the companies that use Twilio Voice API is GoCardless - UK payment system for taking recurring payments.
They have integrated Twilio into their company's phone system and here’s what they’ve got:
- Ability to gather data about their phone calls with customers
- Great customer experience with the help of call routing. When a customer has chosen the purpose of the call, they enter the queue and appear in the dashboard of the responsible agent.
- Flexible work hours for their agents, as they can manage the calls from home with the help of Twilio client
- Opportunity to record calls, analyze their efficiency and keep all the call logs in one place
Messaging and chats
With Twilio SMS API you can
- Get and send messages without revealing your actual number.
- Chat in real-time and get in-app, push, or SMS notifications
Kitestring - an app that helps people get to their destination safely and inform their friends that they are home by SMS check-in.
How does Twilio work here?
A user creates an account, registers their phone number and verifies it via SMS code. Then they enter the contacts of their close friends and family (emergency numbers).
When a user goes for a walk (e.g. at the night), they send SMS to the number they got verification code from. In that SMS they state in how many minutes/hours they will check in.
When that time passes, a user gets a check up SMS. If they don’t respond to it in 5 minutes, the app automatically sends alarm SMS notifications to their friends and family via Twilio SMS.
Kitestring has chosen Twilio because they needed a reliable system that would send alarm notifications without any delays.
Video calls
Twilio video lets you etalk to your customers via video chat by connecting to group or peer-to-peer rooms.
- The quality of the video is delivered due to the WebRTC technology Twilio has engineered to provide high-quality video experience
- Twilio is flexible enough to let you easily scale your video application when its user base grows
One of the companies that use Twilio video is Vidpresso - a broadcasting company.
Global brands (like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitch) contact Vidpresso to get live video streaming at different events.
Vidpresso uses Twilio video to
- Stream HD video
- Customize video delivery
- Optimize the video display according to the network conditions
- Share video with multiple users
With Twilio, Vidpresso can stream qualitative, high resolution video from multiple locations and at different network conditions.
Two factor authorization
Twilio provides the following API-powered tools for your app security and two-factor authorization.
- Push authentications
- Soft tokens that allow users authorize anywhere with time-based one-time passwords
- SMS and voice authorization
- Built-in translation depending on the user country code
With Twilio Auth you can also customize your 2FA SMS by adding your own branding and use our own Twilio phone numbers.
One of the companies that use Twilio authorization is Settrax - tray management solution for healthcare facilities.
Settrax offers an advanced system where device representatives can track, weigh, and make a photo of the inventory. However, they’ve faced a problem when device representatives started to share their accounts instead of paying for registration.
Two-factor authorization was a way out.
Seetrax uses Twilio soft token that allows users access their account without Internet connection.
Also they use Onetouch that sends users push notifications and Onecode with help of which users receive a code via text or voice call.
These measures help Seetrax provide a rock-solid security when it comes to medical devices usage.
Twilio use case: Integration for sales management app
Apiko team has integrated Twilio for the video consulting app Mergein.
Mergein connects sales associates, support departments, and service providers with their consumers all around the world.
With the help of this app, businesses can communicate with customers via voice / audio calls or text messaging.
Here is how Twilio simplifies communication between customers:
- When the customer calls a certain business department, the call is received by all its members. A representative that answers first will be connected to the customer
- Businesses can see and manage missed calls
- On mobile and desktop devices with 2 cameras, users can switch between the cameras and turn on / off the sound
With the help of Twilio API users easily can:
- Contact their favorite service provider via SMS, voice or video calls
- Service providers can send invoices, place orders and organize shipping via the app during the call
- Customers can get an inclusive look on products that are not in-store yet via real-time video
Wrapping Up
Twilio is a big player on the market that is definitely worth a look. It’s a flexible and scalable communication solution for almost any type of business. If you want to know if it is suitable for your needs, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
Learn more:
How to Create a Messaging App Like WhatsApp or Slack in 2020
5 Best Chat, Audio, Video APIs to Be Considered for Your Web or Mobile App Development