vcita, a customer relationship management (CRM) startup that develops cloud solutions for small businesses, has opened its platform to developers. The move enables SMBs to create custom applications that tap into vcita’s suite of business management tools, driving greater efficiencies and fueling innovation.
vcita has been on a roll over the past quarter, partnering with Mastercard (NYSE:MA) to launch a platform for businesses embracing digital and integrating with Square’s (NYSE:SQ) payment infrastructure. The decision to effectively decentralize vcita’s platform, freeing small businesses and developers to build upon it, will bring vcita’s CRM solution to a broader audience, while empowering SMBs to embrace digital tools that can unlock new capabilities and allow them to better serve their customers.
A newly launched developer hub will grant access to vcita’s APIs, with detailed documentation and tutorials guiding devs through the process of building upon the CRM startup’s framework.
Shortening Development Cost And Harnessing Shared Innovation
While open source software is a staple of the computing industry, it’s uncommon for startups to open their proprietary technology to third parties. vcita seems confident, however, that any drawbacks of doing so will be more than countered by the benefits of spurring a wave of innovation that will increase adoption of vcita’s CRM tools while placing advanced cloud software in the hands of SMBs.
As vcita CBDO Adi Engel explains, “We firmly believe that forming strategic alliances is the key to realizing our mission to include SME owners in the global shift towards a more digital economy.” The sort of tools that small businesses will be able to access via vcita’s APIs include solutions for scheduling, payment collection, and marketing campaigns. Not only will this help small businesses to go fully digital, but it will free them from expensive SaaS subscriptions that can quickly stack up, eroding profits.
Remote Working Drives Demand for CRM Solutions
vcita’s decision to open source its technology arrives at a time when businesses the world over are embracing remote working after the effects of the coronavirus forced their hand. Many have found the arrangement favorable, for employers and employees alike. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), for example, has just announced that its remote working program has been extended until the middle of 2021. The transition to remote working has increased demand for scheduling software and similar CRM tools developed by startups like vcita.
Research shows that employees who work remotely are happier and more productive. While that may not have been paramount in vcita’s move to an open framework, it’s evidence of the inexorable shift to digital, and the need for purpose-built tools that can keep teams in the loop and help businesses adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Having thrown down the gauntlet to developers eager to build solutions that align with this narrative, vcita is aiming to accelerate adoption of software suited to a distributed workforce and global customer base.
Disclosure: No positions.
