Not so long ago, your typical small business was a neighborhood mom-and-pop shop that served a small, local clientele.
Fast forward to 2014, and small businesses are just as likely as IBM to have a truly global presence, with team members and customers located around the world.
With a worldwide footprint comes the need to communicate with audiences thousands of miles away, which can be a challenge for lean-and-mean companies. That’s where Ustream comes in.
Ustream enables thousands of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to realize the benefits of live streaming video. Our clients include some of the most innovative, dynamic SMBs around — businesses like Foster City, California–based Zuora.
Founded in 2007 by three guys in a tiny office, Zuora enables businesses to launch and monetize subscription products and services through its subscription management software. Today the company employs more than 400 professionals at its headquarters in California and at satellite offices throughout North America, Europe, and China.
As you can imagine, managing a team whose locations span nine time zones can be quite a challenge, especially for a small business. How do you keep all your employees engaged and aligned with your mission while still keeping a small-company feel?
Zuora’s leadership found their solution in live streaming video, provided by Ustream. The company began broadcasting its weekly meetings, enabling employees around the world to offer input and ask questions in real time.
But that was just the beginning: Now the company uses Ustream live video to evangelize their brand message. Last year the broadcast of their Subscribed conference in San Francisco attracted more than 20,000 viewers. “That blew away our expectations,” says CMO Brian Bell. “We never expected to get that many watching it live and engaging in the conversation. In fact, it was so successful that when we did the event again in London, we also chose Ustream.”