Zoho unveils unified communications platform

Productivity and customer relationship management SaaS vendor Zoho is starting the roll out of its unified communications platform, Trident.

Trident offers a new collaboration and communication experience that combines mail, messages, audio/video calls, calendar and tasks into the same place.

It is Zoho's first native desktop app for email and chat, and aims to provide a high level of integration and search capabilities across the app.

Trident is now available in public beta, with Zoho offering Windows and MacOS versions of the client application, and mobile apps are currently in development.

Major features of Trident include voice services that works across its Cliq collaboration app, Zoho Meeting conferencing, and phone calls and SMS messages.

Zoho is also releasing a new AI-based grammar tool, BluePencil, as well as universal drag and drop function that lets users move attachments to colleagues more easily.

The company has also added TrueSync which allows users to seamlessy switch folders between the cloud and their computer, without using hard drive space.

“In Australia, our main customers are SMBs, particularly in fields like IT, retail, non-IT professional, manufacturing and real estate industries in Australia and New Zealand," Zoho chief evangelist Raju Vegesna said.

Vegnesna commented on how Zoho’s platform aims to enhance hybrid working.

“With a clear focus on continued innovation, Zoho is well-positioned to help them thrive during this period of readjustment."

The goal of Zoho Workplace is to enable businesses to unify their work to a point where the line between apps disappears," Vegnesna said.

 “Unified solutions with integrated communication and capabilities helps ensure that our operations continue to run smoothly and that our employees operate as a collective team rather than individual," Melbourne-based luxury travel company View Retreats co-founder Stoewie van den Bulk said.

“By using the apps within Zoho Workplace, we are able to maximise productivity and reduce time to switch from one task to another."

"This is because Zoho Workplace streamlines access to all key capabilities through a central dashboard, providing an efficient and effective interface," van den Bulk said.

Zoho said that in the Asia Pacific region revenue has grown 38 per cent year-over-year, compared to 30 per cent globally.

This highlights the heightened use of cloud software and collaborative tools from businesses in the region. Migrations to Zoho Workplace from Google, Microsoft and GoDaddy have almost doubled in 2022 globally.

In April 2020, Zoho offered parts of suite for free to verticals most affected by the pandemic.

Zoho began expanding its presence in Australia beyond small and medium businesses, and looked to onboard more partners, in March 2020.

The same year Zoho's IT management software division ManageEngine appointed Bluechip Infotech as its master distributor for Australia.