Chatting and instant messaging with friends is standard between mobile devices but soon companies wishing to sell us products and solve customer service issues will have the ability to communicate with us directly through our mobile device via a chat window. Since we’re now more connected, it makes sense that companies both large and small desire a way to connect with their customers through mobile devices and thanks to startup Look.io, the technology will soon become ubiquitous.
Look.io was a startup that created the software solution between customers and companies for mobile apps. Their plug-and-play tools include live chat and screen sharing capabilities to mobile app developers. So, the ability to chat directly with the customer service department of the company that shipped you a broken pair of headphones is just around the corner. Additionally, for the IT sector this means that someone having a particular issue with the hardware or software on their device could share their screen in the hopes of getting more direct help.
Amplify.la Incubation
After completing its incubation with startup developer Amplify, Look.io was set to deploy their technology to a variety of app developers hoping to provide this kind of connectivity as part of their mobile apps. That’s when LivePerson smelled a good opportunity and decided to buy Look.io.
Amplify has successfully mentored a number of startups using their highly skilled team of experienced advisors in the Los Angeles area. In fact, this incubator “houses” other startups on site allowing direct access to the management team. Other succesfully mentored startups in the Amplify program include Makeupbee, Invested.in, and GetBonkers.
Acquisition of Look.io
LivePerson is an innovative tech company that early on found an effective way to integrate chat as a customer service and a sales tool for the desktop user experience back in 2002.
For example, when you’re on a site like Zappos, which is a site that sells items such as shoes, sunglasses, and clothing, you have the option to call them, email them, or chat with them if you have any questions.
Today, the ability to chat with customer service of a company seems like a fairly standard option when shopping for items online but LivePerson was one of the first to see this kind of potential in their real-time chat technology. Now, chatting directly with a merchant serves both the purpose of solving customer service issues as well as providing an immediate sales tool. Other LivePerson customers include IBM, Verizon, Walt Disney, and Orbitz .
“As more consumers shift towards mobile-based interactions, it’s becoming increasingly important for business to meaningfully connect with consumers via their mobile device of choice. With the integration of Look.io’s innovative mobile technology into the LivePerson platform, we will be able to offer our customers a powerful turnkey mobile solution that will enable them to engage and support their customers through an optimized mobile experience. I’m also very excited to welcome Look.io’s strong team of talent to LivePerson, as they will be an asset in driving our mobile strategy,” says Robert LoCascio in an exchange with Seeking Alpha.
With the acquisition of Look.io to close sometime this month, (June 2012), LivePerson is likely to open an office in Santa Monica, California in order to improve the Look.io product and to continue to build a team focused on the deployment of the mobile app technology.
