Innovative FinTech Startup Powers Mobile Engagement for Emerging Markets with 8x8
November 24 2020 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
OKO Leverages 8x8 Chat Apps API to Support
Farming Communities Across Africa
8x8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT), a leading integrated cloud
communications platform provider, today announced that OKO, a
provider of index insurance and other farming-related services to
smallholder farmers in emerging countries, has selected 8x8 to
transform communications with farmers across Africa, dramatically
improving service delivery and providing enhanced customer
experiences via the 8x8 Communications Platform as a Service
(CPaaS) Chat Apps API.
OKO provides effective, affordable crop insurance to farmers in
emerging markets by using new technologies in satellite imagery and
weather forecasting to simplify and automate the claim management
process, making crop insurance accessible to thousands of
smallholder farms. Serving the agricultural community across
Africa, OKO was using SMS to communicate and engage with farmers
for purchasing crop insurance and sharing valuable information,
such as weather updates, to minimise crop damage. However, SMS
communication was often limited and ineffective due to the low
literacy rate of farmers. In addition, mobile carrier SMS charges
were proving costly for this low-income demographic.
With more than 30 percent of their target farming population
already using WhatsApp, which offered a more cost-effective method
to exchange rich media content and communicate across voice, video,
and chat, OKO turned to 8x8, a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider,
to integrate WhatsApp and other Chat Apps into their crop insurance
service offering. Alongside the 8x8 Chat Apps API, 8x8 provided a
comprehensive onboarding and training programme, helping OKO
integrate the API quickly as well as deploy WhatsApp chatbots to
help automate specific customer engagement functions.
"Our mission is to leverage the increasing influence of mobile
technology to help overcome income distribution insufficiencies for
those who feed the world. As a small startup, we needed a
technology partner that understood the entire process, from
integration to validation," said OKO CTO and Co-founder Shezad
Lokhandwalla. “We evaluated several options but following a demo
from 8x8, we knew their Chat Apps API ticked all the boxes.
Furthermore, being an approved Business Solutions Services Provider
gave us the reassurance we needed that our solution would be
approved by WhatsApp and Facebook.”
Lokhandwalla added, “Deployment was super fast, and the
dedicated onboarding team clearly understood our needs to ensure
the solution was developed seamlessly and to our requirements. Now
we are able to provide even more effective and affordable insurance
and services to farmers in emerging markets."
“Innovative startups, such as OKO, are reinventing the way
business and customer engagement is conducted, especially in
emerging countries, which are mobile first and at times, mobile
only," said Matt Bell, EMEA Vice President, CPaaS, at 8x8, Inc.
"With the unique needs of the agricultural community, and
supporting the farming trade across Africa, OKO has recognized that
mobile user experience and real-time communications is critical to
achieving their mission. By leveraging the power of 8x8 APIs and
Embeddable Apps, they are enriching the customer experience as they
provide effective and affordable insurance to farmers.”
About OKO
OKO secures farmers’ income in emerging countries using
automated insurance solutions. OKO is accessible to anyone with a
phone, and claim payments are automated using satellite data and
images. OKO graduated from the Techstars programme in 2018 and was
listed in 2020 among the 50 most promising solutions for Financial
Inclusion (Inclusive50) by Visa and MetLife foundation. OKO is
active in Mali and in Uganda, with plans to expand to many more
markets in the coming years. To learn more, go to
http://www.oko.finance or follow OKO on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube
and Facebook.
About 8x8, Inc.
8x8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT) is transforming the future of business
communications as a leading Software-as-a-Service provider of
voice, video, chat, contact centre, and enterprise-class API
solutions powered by one global cloud communications platform. 8x8
empowers workforces worldwide to connect individuals and teams so
they can collaborate faster and work smarter. Real-time business
analytics and intelligence provide businesses unique insights
across all interactions and channels so they can delight
end-customers and accelerate their business. For additional
information, visit www.8x8.com, or follow 8x8 on LinkedIn, Twitter
and Facebook.
8x8® and 8x8 X Series™ are trademarks of 8x8, Inc.
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Media: Bee Hindocha, 44 (0)20 8059 9230
Bee.hindocha@8x8.com Investor Relations: Victoria Hyde-Dunn,
1-669-333-5200 victoria.hyde-dunn@8x8.com
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