On May 29, 2015 Cisco completed the acquisition of Tropo, a privately held Menlo Park, Calif. based company that provides a cloud API platform that enables customers and developers to embed real-time communications within their applications.

Very few applications today have the ability to interact with voice and SMS, limiting their ability to engage with end-users across all available communication channels. Tropo makes it simple for developers to use the web technology they already know to build voice and SMS capabilities within applications, creating new experiences as well as new revenue opportunities. By allowing developers to create in-call applications, be it on mobile, legacy TDM, or VOIP networks, Tropo's technology enables unique functionality for applications that other platforms are unable to match.

Bringing Tropo's unique communications platform as a service and strong team to Cisco's Collaboration Technology Group (CTG) will help unify and extend our cloud collaboration platform; expose the platform to third party endpoints and applications via modern APIs; and enable Cisco to better serve the burgeoning developer community.

Q: How does Tropo complement Cisco's Collaboration Strategy?

A: Cisco's end-goal is to make collaboration simple to end-users. This involves bringing together all of its platforms and technologies (both on-premise and in the cloud) and finding a way to extend them to third-party endpoints and applications via a modern API. Tropo aids in this effort as it brings a new business model for embedding collaboration into applications. It also represents a foundational component and natural extension of CTG's cloud collaboration platform and will enable CTG to better serve the developer community. With Tropo, Cisco CTG is focusing on developer experience as a core value of its offerings.

Q: What are Tropo's products?

A: Tropo offers both a public cloud API (Tropo.com) focused on the long-tail, SMB, and enterprise developers as well as a "private cloud" API that enable Service Providers to embed Tropo's technology into their respective networks and existing communications infrastructure.

• Tropo.com public cloud API: Enables developers to make and receive phone calls and text messages from any web or mobile application, using a simple web API and pay-as-you-go pricing. Tropo also offers voice recognition, text to speech, conferencing, and recording and transcription â€â€Å“ all using the web technologies and languages that developers already know (JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Python, Groovy, etc.).
• Tropo Connect, formerly known as Tropo.js (for Service Providers): An "In-call" platform that enables Service Providers and 3rd party developers to rapidly integrate traditional communications with popular cloud services and enterprise workflows. Unlike OTT platforms that offer basic voice and messaging on virtual numbers, Tropo Connect integrates seamlessly with Service Provider networks to deliver apps on regular calls and real phone numbers (e.g. mobile call recording).

Q: How does the acquisition of Tropo benefit Cisco?

A: We look forward to bringing Tropo's unique communications platform as a service as a key component into Cisco's cloud collaboration platform, and welcoming Tropo' strong team into Cisco's Collaboration Technology Group (CTG). Together, we will help extend the Cisco platform to third party endpoints and applications via modern APIs and enable Cisco to better serve the developer community.

Tropo Customers:
If you are an existing customer or partner of Tropo and have questions about your product or service, please continue to contact your existing Tropo sales representative.

Cisco Customers:
If you are an existing customer or partner of Cisco and have questions about your product or services, please continue to contact your existing Cisco sales representative.

Tropo customers should continue to use the existing process for support on installed Tropo products. Cisco will notify you in advance of any change to the support process.

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