Sinch MessageMedia sees AI as ‘gamechanger’ for CRM platforms

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game changer, with tools like ChatGPT and other AI models transforming how customer relationship management (CRM) systems function for organisations like Sinch MessageMedia.

In an interview with ARN, Jeremy Nagle product manager at Sinch MessageMedia said the B2B mobile messaging solution provider and Zoho marketplace and integration partner, AI is changing customer interactions.

Sinch MessageMedia provides a messaging solution, Smooth Messenger, that integrates directly into Zoho CRM. This integration allows businesses to use SMS and MMS as a communication channel within the familiar Zoho CRM interface.

“The ability to automate tasks like customer communication based on interaction history is revolutionising customer relationships,” said Nagle. “AI allows businesses to create tailored messages based on a customer’s past interactions,” he said. “It’s no longer something only big companies like Amazon can afford, this level of personalisation is now accessible to most businesses.”

The automation of repetitive tasks frees up teams to focus on higher-value activities, even industries with strict regulations can adopt AI responsibly, provided there’s a focus on privacy and compliance, said Nagle.

“Instead of jumping between different systems, they want a unified view,” he said. “Zoho’s widgets feature allows businesses to pull data from various platforms into one CRM interface, creating a seamless experience. “This is especially valuable for companies looking to offer omnichannel service.”

An example of this, Nagle explained, is the solar industry, where Sinch has worked with solar installers who integrate Zoho CRM with other platforms like Open Solar and Nearmaps.

“This not only improves customer service but also streamlines their operations across different touchpoints,” he said.

Nagle said AI has been a big bet for us at Sinch, with AI tools like Copilot helping its developers work more efficiently by providing code suggestions and accelerating learning.

“It’s all about speed and efficiency and now the development team now has the ability to ask AI tools like Copilot how to approach new challenges, which helps them get a head start and move faster with projects,” he said.

“The future for service providers lies in helping companies streamline their operations by bringing together multiple tools into one unified experience,” he said. “Whether it’s through AI, advanced integrations, or omnichannel solutions, the focus will be on helping businesses offer more efficient, customer-centric services.”

However, Nagle explained, in an era of growing privacy concerns, the company has also invested significantly in understanding and complying with legal frameworks around data sovereignty.

“Data privacy is a critical concern for businesses, particularly those in regulated industries,” he said. “We’ve made sure to stay ahead of the curve on this by ensuring GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] compliance across all regions.”

Sinch is headquartered in Sweden and complies with the European Union’s regulation policy. According to Nagle, those “same privacy principles” have also been extended to Australian operations.

“For example, we’ve designed our European instance to meet GDPR standards, ensuring our solutions remain compliant across regions,” he said.