The Year 2023 in Review - Digital Samba

2023 has been a big year for Digital Samba. Video conferencing is growing fast, and we have stayed on top of it by rolling out new features. We have focused on improving the user experience throughout the year by introducing new products. To cater to the changing needs of our diverse user base, we have overhauled our pricing model and introduced a new pricing plan that aligns with our offerings. 

The recognition received in the form of awards is the endorsement of our dedication and hard work that define Digital Samba's commitment to excellence.

Let's look at Digital Samba's 2023 highlights!

Celebrated 20 years of Digital Samba

In 2023, we celebrated two decades of dedication to enabling meaningful connections and enhancing communications. Over the years, our company has adapted to the changing landscape of remote work and digital communication, achieving impressive milestones along the way.

On our 20th anniversary year, Digital Samba experienced massive growth, adding over 50 new features to its product, receiving more than 10 awards, and introducing Digital Samba Embedded, a VPaaS technology built on modern web technologies. 

The journey continued in 2023, with the company extending Digital Samba Embedded to focus on developers and businesses. The product now emphasises security and offers integration options through API and SDK.

Features and product enhancements

At Digital Samba, our commitment to delivering an exceptional digital communication experience has been evident in several features and product enhancements we introduced over the past year. These advancements were designed to make your interactions seamless, meaningful, and engaging.

Video capabilities

• Video SDK launch: We introduced Video SDK to bring advanced video capabilities and provide users with more tools to create immersive video experiences.
• AI captions for enhanced accessibility: Recognising the importance of accessibility, we integrated AI captions to ensure everyone can engage effortlessly with the content.

User Experience (UX) and collaboration tools

• Improved whiteboard for enhanced UX: Collaboration improved with our improved whiteboard functionality, offering a smoother and more interactive UX for frictionless brainstorming sessions.
• Virtual backgrounds for customisation and branding: We introduced virtual backgrounds to enable you to personalise your space and tailor your environment for a more branded and professional look.
• Roles and permissions for efficient management: Our new roles and permissions feature ensures efficient management, giving you the power to tailor access and control within your digital space.
• Raise hand functionality implementation: Your voice mattered, so with the introduction of the "Raise Hand" feature, participating in discussions became more inclusive and organised. 

Security and control measures

• End-to-end encryption (E2EE) introduction: We respect privacy, so we introduced end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to ensure that conversations remain confidential, as your privacy matters to us. 
• Control room entry with the new lock room feature: The new Lock Room feature provided added control, allowing you to regulate entry to your virtual meeting space.

Recording and analytics

• Cloud recording functionality and free cloud recording in a Free plan: We introduced cloud recording functionality for our video conferences and provided free access to limited cloud recording for our Free plan, providing you with the flexibility to capture and revisit important moments.
• Dashboard revamp for better analytics: We revamped our dashboard for better analytics, giving you comprehensive insights into your meetings and interactions.
• Expansion of webhooks capabilities: We expanded our webhooks' capabilities by incorporating support for extra events linked to recordings. This improvement allows integrators to create personalised callbacks within their apps for diverse stages of the recording process.

New business strategies and plans

As we reflect on the past year, our strategic pricing changes and introduction of a new pricing package highlight our commitment to adaptability, fairness, and providing a platform that aligns with unique users' demands. 

Let's explore the highlights of our new pricing model. 

New pricing model

• Farewell to "per host" licensing: In a significant shift, Digital Samba has transitioned away from the per-host pricing model. There's no need to purchase licences for team members with minimal platform engagement. 
• Single licence based on organisational capacity: Embracing simplicity, our new pricing model offers a single licence based on the specific capacity required by each organisation. 
• Free plan for easy entry: To facilitate a smooth entry into the Digital Samba experience, we introduced a free plan. Developers now have the opportunity to explore the platform for its potential for their projects without any financial commitment.
• Discounts for high-volume consumption and resellers: Beyond the quota, we ensure seamless service continuity by automatically managing average charges. Digital Samba allows users to upgrade to larger capacity packs anytime, unlocking higher volume discounts as their organisational needs evolve. 

New pricing package and upgrades

• Create S introduction: We introduced a new pricing plan: Create S. This plan is tailored for small meetings and is priced at 99/month. Ideal for those needing simultaneous 1-on-1 video calls, it accommodates 40 concurrent participants, 20 sessions, and 2 participants per session.
• Free plan upgrades: Our Free plan now includes a waiting room feature for controlled participant admittance, a whiteboard for real-time collaboration, and limited cloud recordings with 60 minutes per month and a 15-minute maximum recording length per session.
• 10,000 free minutes for everyone: Boosting flexibility and cost-effectiveness, we increased our free-minute limit in our Free plan. Users can now enjoy 10,000 free minutes, substantially increasing from the previous 3,000. This ensures even more time for free users to explore and engage with Digital Samba's features. 

Head over here to know the full details. 

New plugins

Digital Samba proudly introduced two new plugins this year to add convenience and efficiency to your video conferencing experiences. 

Digital Samba WordPress video conferencing plugin

Digital Samba launched WordPress Video Conferencing Plugin to revolutionise virtual collaboration. This plugin ensures secure, GDPR-compliant E2E encrypted meetings with multilingual support, AI captioning, and a user-friendly dashboard. You can enhance your online events with dedicated virtual meeting rooms, customisable branding, and live engagement features.

Digital Samba Google Calendar plugin

Digital Samba introduced the Google Calendar plugin to enhance your scheduling efficiency. This plugin eliminates the hassle of additional downloads and tool-switching. With a point-to-click, you can host large meetings or 1-1 video conferences, enjoy HD quality, and add branding to meeting rooms. Key features include roles and permissions, meeting analytics, branding capabilities, and much more. 

Recognition and awards

Digital Samba takes pride in a year marked by recognition, emphasising our commitment to excellence and innovation in video conferencing.

Here are some of the awards and recognitions in 2023:

• SourceForge Top Performer in Video Conferencing Software - recognized as a Top Performer in Video Conferencing Software by SourceForge.
• IT Europa Channel Awards Finalist - Acknowledged as a Finalist in the IT Europa Channel Awards, Digital Samba excels in two categories - "Best Remote Management Solution of the Year" and "Business Continuity Solution of the Year."
• G2 Awards for GDPR-Compliant Solutions - Digital Samba earns top G2 Awards, including "Momentum Leader" for continuous growth. Recognized as the "Easiest To Do Business With" and excelling in "Best Relationship," "Best Support," and "High Performer" categories, particularly in small business.