Latest news with #Freshworks
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
The hidden cost of tech complexity – and what you can do about it
Freshworks is a Business Reporter client Most tech solutions promise simplicity but deliver chaos, costing time, decisions and connection – it's time for change. As companies grow, they often move fast. New markets, new customers, new demands. But growth tends to bring a flood of quick tech purchases – each solving a specific problem, each adding another layer. Before long, the very tools meant to enable speed begin to slow everything down. It's a familiar trap: complexity creeps in quietly. A duplicate process here, a siloed system there, and suddenly teams are misaligned, data is fragmented and performance suffers. Complexity is the enemy of scale As a tech leader with experience across the sector, I've seen this pattern repeat across industries and continents. Businesses of all sizes end up fighting the same invisible force: fragmentation. Teams operate from conflicting versions of the truth. Manual handoffs and makeshift integrations clog up workflows. And tech investments stall before delivering value. And it's not just operational. Fragmented systems slow down operations and obscure visibility. When your support desk, product analytics, customer database and financial systems can't communicate effectively, you're essentially making decisions without real insight. Take customer retention. If your support platform can't surface relevant in-app behaviour or billing anomalies, your team can't intervene at critical moments. That's not just a missed support ticket – it's a lost customer. Worse, it may signal dozens more if warning signs aren't shared across departments. Good intentions, bad outcomes Ironically, fragmentation often stems from good intentions. Departments adopt specialised tools to solve local challenges. But without a coherent architecture or integration strategy, organisations end up with tech stacks that resemble patchwork quilts and intelligent automation falls flat. It's what Stanford researchers Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao, authors of The Friction Project, call 'addition bias' – the instinct to add features, tools or steps instead of removing them. In their study of global brands, this tendency increased friction and slowed performance. Simplifiers, they found, often faced resistance, while adders, those who added complexity, were rewarded – even when performance suffered. Too often, organisations are sold bloated platforms packed with unused features, marketed as 'added value' but delivering the opposite. Implementations drag on for months, results take years, and the very tools meant to empower teams end up complicating their work. Meanwhile, the real cost is paid by employees, who now spend their time navigating systems rather than solving problems. AI only works if it's connected Artificial intelligence has enormous potential to accelerate business. But that promise breaks down fast without integration. Disconnected systems can't fuel automation and half-built workflows create more work – not less. But when applied strategically, AI delivers real results. Finance teams can analyse costs and optimise spending in real time. Support teams can use AI-powered agents to handle routine support tasks. Engineering can automate troubleshooting. HR can screen candidates more efficiently. And the payoff is clear: 98 per cent of employees are already getting time back in their workday thanks to AI – reinvesting it in higher-value efforts such as boosting productivity (71 per cent), coaching others (67 per cent) and tackling more creative or complex challenges (66 per cent). When AI is properly integrated across functions, it doesn't just streamline operations. It empowers people. Escape the cycle: a strategic path to uncomplicating systems The good news? It's possible to break the cycle. Here's how forward-thinking organisations are simplifying by design: Inventory everything. Map every tool across departments. You can't fix what you can't see. Use workflow automation to identify data gaps, redundancies and ownership. Prioritise integration. Evaluate platforms for open APIs and native integrations. Tools that don't integrate easily should raise red flags. Unify your data. Create a single source of truth for customer information – whether via a centralised platform or a modern data unification layer. Ensure every team works from shared insights. Designate integration leaders. Empower individuals or teams to connect departments, break silos and ensure systems integrate strategically, not reactively. Collaboration tools help align efforts. Think in platforms, not point solutions. Consolidate where it makes sense. Choose platforms that support multiple workflows – not only for current needs but also for future direction. Simplicity as a competitive edge Customer experiences are powered by the systems employees use every day. That's why tech leaders must focus on alignment, not just implementation. Sustainable speed doesn't come from scattered bursts of progress. It comes from unified momentum. In any context – business, productivity or daily operations – complexity breeds inefficiency, higher costs and slower decisions. Simplicity unlocks focus, clarity and results. For teams, unnecessary complexity causes stress and burnout. Simplicity fuels effectiveness. So the question leaders should be asking isn't whether they can afford to simplify. It's whether they can afford not to. At Freshworks, we believe simplicity isn't a sacrifice. It's a competitive edge. It's time to uncomplicate and get maximum value from your tech stack.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salesforce (CRM) To Report Earnings Tomorrow: Here Is What To Expect
Customer relationship management software maker Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) will be reporting results tomorrow after market close. Here's what you need to know. Salesforce missed analysts' revenue expectations by 0.5% last quarter, reporting revenues of $9.99 billion, up 7.6% year on year. It was a slower quarter for the company, with EPS guidance for next quarter missing analysts' expectations and a slight miss of analysts' annual recurring revenue estimates. Is Salesforce a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it's free. This quarter, analysts are expecting Salesforce's revenue to grow 6.8% year on year to $9.75 billion, slowing from the 10.7% increase it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $2.55 per share. Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. Salesforce has missed Wall Street's revenue estimates twice over the last two years. Looking at Salesforce's peers in the sales software segment, some have already reported their Q1 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. Freshworks delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 18.9%, beating analysts' expectations by 2.1%, and HubSpot reported revenues up 15.7%, topping estimates by 2%. Freshworks traded up 2.9% following the results while HubSpot was down 8.8%. Read our full analysis of Freshworks's results here and HubSpot's results here. There has been positive sentiment among investors in the sales software segment, with share prices up 9.4% on average over the last month. Salesforce is up 4.4% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $363.95 (compared to the current share price of $277.40). Unless you've been living under a rock, it should be obvious by now that generative AI is going to have a huge impact on how large corporations do business. While Nvidia and AMD are trading close to all-time highs, we prefer a lesser-known (but still profitable) semiconductor stock benefiting from the rise of AI. Click here to access our free report on our favorite semiconductor growth story.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salesforce (CRM) Q1 Earnings: What To Expect
Customer relationship management software maker Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) will be reporting earnings tomorrow after market close. Here's what you need to know. Salesforce missed analysts' revenue expectations by 0.5% last quarter, reporting revenues of $9.99 billion, up 7.6% year on year. It was a slower quarter for the company, with EPS guidance for next quarter missing analysts' expectations and a slight miss of analysts' annual recurring revenue estimates. Is Salesforce a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it's free. This quarter, analysts are expecting Salesforce's revenue to grow 6.8% year on year to $9.75 billion, slowing from the 10.7% increase it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $2.55 per share. Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. Salesforce has missed Wall Street's revenue estimates twice over the last two years. Looking at Salesforce's peers in the sales software segment, some have already reported their Q1 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. Freshworks delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 18.9%, beating analysts' expectations by 2.1%, and HubSpot reported revenues up 15.7%, topping estimates by 2%. Freshworks traded up 2.9% following the results while HubSpot was down 8.8%. Read our full analysis of Freshworks's results here and HubSpot's results here. There has been positive sentiment among investors in the sales software segment, with share prices up 7.3% on average over the last month. Salesforce is up 2.8% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $364.05 (compared to the current share price of $272.99). Unless you've been living under a rock, it should be obvious by now that generative AI is going to have a huge impact on how large corporations do business. While Nvidia and AMD are trading close to all-time highs, we prefer a lesser-known (but still profitable) semiconductor stock benefiting from the rise of AI. Click here to access our free report on our favorite semiconductor growth story. Sign in to access your portfolio
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
From India to the World: Building a global tech brand
For years, India was the world's IT backbone, a services superpower. But today, the country is undergoing a silent revolution. It's no longer just about execution excellence. India is now a fertile ground for product innovation, building for the world, from the ground up. Its rise to 39th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2024, up from 81st in 2015, proves that India is no longer just participating in the innovation economy but helping shape Back Office: India's Ascent in Product LeadershipHistorically, India's contribution to tech was in enabling others' visions. Now, we're shaping our own. What changed? The answer lies in the convergence of three powerful trends: A new breed of founders who've worked globally and returned with ambition. A new generation of builders who design with customers at the core. Infrastructure and ecosystem maturity that now rivals established global tech hubs. From Postman to Freshworks, Zoho to BrowserStack, we no longer ask for a seat at the table. We're building the table. The mindset shift: From 'Service Delivery' to 'Vision Crafting' India's legacy in IT services played a crucial role in shaping our tech DNA. Services sharpened our execution, teaching us discipline, process rigour, and a deep commitment to delivery. Working with global enterprises, Indian companies became experts in meeting deadlines, managing complex requirements, and scaling teams rapidly. Companies like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro built their global reputation by executing flawlessly on client specifications. This foundation of execution excellence gave rise to a generation of technologists who understood what it meant to build at scale, maintain reliability, and serve demanding customers. But building products is a different challenge altogether. It's not just about meeting existing needs but imagining future possibilities. Product-first companies must anticipate change, think holistically about user experience, and take bold bets. In a product-led mindset, the shift is clear: Designing for global needs, not just local fixes: Build with universality in mind, creating solutions that scale across countries, industries, and cultures. Investing in vision, not just velocity: Speed matters, but having a strong, differentiated product vision creates long-term value. Measuring success in impact, not input: It's not about how much effort was spent—it's about the real-world difference the product makes for users. This mindset shift is not a rejection of our services legacy, it's an evolution. The execution muscle built through years of service excellence now must work with creativity, curiosity, and customer-led innovation. That's how product leaders are born. Why India is the ideal launchpad for global products India offers a paradoxical advantage: constraints and complexity. Operating within constraints forces clarity, efficiency, and innovation. The product teams are accustomed to building cost-effective, elegant solutions with skills like frugal engineering , resilient system design, platform adaptability, and inclusive UX, that translate brilliantly on the global stage. The linguistic, cultural, and economic complexity creates resilient, adaptive thinkers. We design for nuance and embrace ambiguity. When you build from India, you build with empathy, and empathy scales. These conditions produce products that are: Modular and configurable Exceptionally cost-efficient Built with global architecture from day one Breaking Perception Barriers with Proof, Not Pitch Despite all progress, biases remain. Global buyers still ask: 'Can a product built in India scale?' The answer isn't a marketing slide—it's consistent execution. Companies like Zoho, with millions of global users and no external funding, or Postman, which powers over 25 million developers worldwide, are redefining what 'Made in India' means. They show that credibility is earned through relentless delivery and obsessive customer focus. The Rise of 'India First, Global Always' Products Indian-built platforms are winning because they embrace a powerful duality: Frugality in engineering, born out of necessity. Ambition in vision, born out of confidence. Whether it's Gupshup, a leading conversational messaging platform powering billions of messages across industries, or Hasura, an open-source engine redefining how developers build and scale backends with GraphQL, these products aren't playing catch-up; they're defining the pace. Today, India doesn't just follow global tech trends; it sets them. From redefining digital payments with UPI to Postman setting the gold standard in API development to Zoho building a global SaaS powerhouse without a single dollar of external funding, India is leading by example. A Defining Decade Ahead India stands at a pivotal moment. With deep talent, growing access to capital, and a maturing startup ecosystem, the conditions for global product leadership are finally aligned. In 2024 alone, India's startup ecosystem attracted $13.7 billion in venture capital funding—a 1.4x increase over the previous year, underscoring the nation's resilience and growing appeal to global investors. But building a world-class product brand from India takes more than raw potential. It takes: Deep belief in your mission. Relentless attention to craft. A refusal to compromise on global standards. This is not about 'catching up.' It's about setting the pace and doing it on our terms. Because of the next generation of global tech leaders? They're not just coming from Silicon Valley. They're coming from Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, and beyond. And we're just getting started.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Freshworks bets on agentic AI to drive enterprise growth in 2025
Nasdaq-listed SaaS firm Freshworks is positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a growth catalyst—not a disruptor of traditional software-as-a-service (SaaS)—with plans to expand its agentic AI services by the end of 2025, according to senior executives. 'We've been doing a lot of work in generative AI (GenAI) and are using about 40 foundation models. We are using a lot of those models to build out our own stack and then make it accessible to the people. By the end of 2025, we're going to launch a lot of agentic AI services as well,' Shelton Rego, vice president - India business at Freshworks, told ET. He was speaking on the sidelines of Freshworks' experience event in Mumbai, which showcases the company's latest tools aimed at improving customer, employee, and agent interactions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 금액 상관없이 빚이라면 딱 6%만 갚으세요 법무법인 벗 더 알아보기 Undo Freshworks, which began developing AI capabilities in 2019—well before the current hype cycle—has already rolled out GenAi copilots across its product suite, he said. In the third quarter of 2024 alone, it added 2,400 new Freddy AI copilot customers globally. The company is now focussed on expanding into full-fledged agentic AI—where autonomous agents can retrieve information, take actions, and soon execute multi-step workflows across domains. Live Events 'On the CX side, we have agents where we are already seeing close to 40-50% deflection where they are able to independently answer the questions and resolve customer queries,' said Sreedhar Gade, vice president, engineering and responsible AI at Freshworks. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories "In the next, maybe two quarters, we will be able to execute complex actions on behalf of a user request like booking an airplane ticket or a holiday package,' Gade added. This evolution in AI capabilities is also expected to influence how the company prices its products, moving away from subscription- or usage-based models toward value-based pricing. 'Instead of talking about 1,000 bot sessions, I would ask how many resolutions have you made? Or how many customers said thumbs up, indicating their problem was solved, versus how many times the issue was handed off from AI to a human agent? We can translate it that way,' Gade said. Freshworks currently works with more than 73,000 customers in over 120 countries across multiple verticals, including ecommerce, logistics, financial services, auto and manufacturing. India continues to play a key role in Freshworks' AI strategy—not just as a market, but as a centre for talent and product development. 'India is a strategic market also because of the talent pool that we have in AI here. A lot of the AI talent today, a large majority of that, sits in India. We see that a lot of customers are also ahead of the curve in their adoption of AI and technology. So, we see a lot of that potential in India as well," said Rego. Freshworks reported a 19% year-on-year (YoY) increase in revenue to $196.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, up from $165.1 million a year earlier, buoyed by higher operating efficiency and increased customer adoption.
