Who are Automat Berlin? They are a software development company, led by Marten Schoenherr, who was previously the co-founder and CTO of immmr. At TADSummit 2018 we had an excellent review of the immmr experience, its one of the most important telco service innovation case studies I know. What is really cool about Automat is they are leveling the CPaaS playing field, helping all CPaaS providers raise their game in providing easy to use tools for their customers.

We’re exciting to announce Automat Berlin are sponsoring TADSummit EMEA, and leading a session that is important for anyone in programmable telecoms / communications (CXTech) on “Closing the Gap on Twilio” which includes:

Challenges Consuming Programmable Telecoms from the Developer’s Perspective

Sebastian Schumann , Technology & Innovation at Deutsche Telekom AG

• App development: I just want to make a call
• Consuming APIs: It’s all fine as long as you know what you want and have done it before
• App development vs. Telecom App development

Improving the Experience of Realizing CXTech Use Cases

Marten Schoenherr, CEO/Founder at Automat Berlin GmbH

• Addressing a gap consuming Communications Experience Technology today
• Bridging a powerful open-source world with a diverse enabler ecosystem
• The Automat open-source approach for rapid user-friendly CXTech going beyond consuming CPaaS

Panel Discussion: Crossing the Development Chasm

Steve Goodwin, Marquis de Geek;

David Walsh, CEO VoIP Innovations

Sebastian Schumann,Technology & Innovation at Deutsche Telekom AG

Marten Schoenherr, CEO/Founder at Automat Berlin GmbH

• Should we just give up trying to catch up with Twilio, let them dominate and overcharge?
• Where should be begin in closing the gap? Where to focus given the diversity of developer needs?
• As a non-telecom geek using telecom APIs what are the biggest barriers in your experience?
• What are the must-have things missing from most CPaaS offers in your experience?
• Will CPaaS be swallowed up by Google, Amazon and perhaps even Microsoft?

I strongly recommend you check out Automat Berlin’s blog:

Automat workshop mode – simpler, more flexible CPaaS consumption

One of the aims of their //workshop mode is to develop the missing glue to support developers of communication applications. It is still not trivial to consume communications services and the level of abstraction varies quite a bit between providers. Especially for developers without a prior background of integrating communication services or features into their applications, hidden challenges exist (e.g., mapping APN/GCM (Apple Push Notification /Google Cloud Message) with the communications backend or synchronization of data and states between multiple devices). We see this every year at TADHack, and welcome Automat’s work in this critical space. BTW Automat are also helping us run TADHack Berlin (12-13 Oct).

Automat want to bridge this gap to free developers from the need of particular early choices with regards to their communications service provider. Whether it is for convenience, cost, reach, or simplicity – choices for “the right” CPaaS provider, are as manifold as they are differing. Moreover, Automat plan to supplement the “bare” CPaaS features with components they’ve found useful over the years that are lacking with most offerings. The //workshop concept does not aim to become yet another CPaaS provider. Instead simplify the interactions of developers with existing CPaaS providers.

This is new territory in programmable telecoms, we’ve reached a level of maturity that companies like Automat can now focus on the experience and glue around telecom app development. I think we’re going to see rapid adoption across the CXTech landscape as this is relevant for any programmable telecom platform, that is beyond CPaaS, and into UCaaS, CCaaS, business messaging, in-app communications.

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) for sipgate.io as Node-RED module

Nothing explains a principle better than a practical example.

In this weblog they explain their first open-source contribution in the area of simplified CPaaS consumption. Developing a module for the wiring tool Node-RED. To help create value-added services on top of sipgate.io – the Application Programming Interface (API) sipgate offers to all of their customers.

Node-RED’s wiring capabilities are used to act as a graphical user interface (GUI) for the Automat adapter connecting to the sipgate.io API. The integration with sipgate is just one example; the modular Automat adapter concept can support various CPaaS platforms and open-source communications stacks in the future.

 

Strategically, the CXTech market could consolidate into a Twilio / Amazon duopoly, unless all CPaaS providers step up their game and make development / problem solving as easy as Twilio on their platforms. We’re thrilled Automat are sponsoring TADSummit EMEA and leading a can-not-miss session. I know I say this too often, but TADSummit continues to lead the thinking of our industry. If you want to understand the latest thinking, ideas, opportunities and insights in programmable telecoms / communications before everyone else. TADSummit is the only place to be for 7 years running.