This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
June 17, 2020 - Nairobi, Kenya - Gumzo, Africa's first video conferencing system, has taken a significant leap forward with the integration of YouTube Live and recording capabilities on its platform.
This innovative move comes just two weeks after Gumzo's launch, with the company deploying more servers in Kenya and South Africa to enhance the high-quality experience of audio and video transmission during calls.
Since its launch, Gumzo has been serving over 5,000 minutes of meetings per day, outperforming international competitors.
According to Jay Shapiro, CEO and Founder of Gumzo, the new features will greatly enhance the experience for teachers and corporate users, allowing them to record sessions for future reference or broadcast to a larger audience through YouTube Live.
“Through Gumzo, influencers and educators can now have an interactive conversation with their VIP friends in real-time, broadcast that conversation to millions simultaneously via our YouTube Live API. This is a different experience you will not get from the international competition especially with our local servers across Africa,” said Mr. Shapiro.
The recording capabilities on Gumzo enable teachers to provide education in a non-synchronous manner for students who cannot attend virtual classes in real-time. The files from the recordings are secure and stored in shareable MP4 files that can be played and shared on PC's, Mobile Devices, and via messaging apps like WhatsApp.
As part of its commitment to supporting education during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gumzo has pledged to make its platform available for free to all public school teachers in Kenya for use in their virtual classrooms, private tuitions, and family calls through the end of the year.
Unlike traditional corporate-first enterprise-focused video conferencing systems, Gumzo is designed to support fun times for users, with features that will allow groups to watch shared movies, play games, and enjoy Karaoke nights with friends and loved ones while staying physically apart.
The company has also committed to donating 50 percent of all fees raised on Gumzo to COVID-19 response NGOs, including the Pwani Youth Network, Team Pankaj & Mombasa Red Cross.
