Airtel announced on Monday that it is entering the estimated $1 billion cloud communications market with Airtel IQ, a cloud-based omnichannel communications platform. 

Airtel said that Airtel IQ “enables brands to deepen engagement with customers through timely and secure communication.” Giving the example of a customer ordering food, Airtel said that the entire communication between the customer ordering the food and calling the agent to find out the status of the order can be done over Airtel IQ, and that the communication is encrypted and numbers are masked.

Airtel IQ said it eliminates the need for multiple communication platforms for different channels.

Airtel said that its customers already include companies such as Swiggy, Justdial, Urban Company, Havells, Dr Lal Path Labs and Rapido, which signed up during Airtel IQ’s beta phase. 

It said that Airtel IQ has been developed by Airtel’s in-house engineering teams, and that it highlights the company’s growing digital prowess to deliver world-class solutions. 

“With just a slice of code, businesses can embed communication services such as Voice, SMS, IVR in their applications and digital properties across desktop and mobile, all through a unified platform,” Airtel said in a statement. 

Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel, said, “Businesses are increasingly looking to cloud-based digital platforms to engage with consumers and Airtel IQ is built to raise the bar when it comes to brands delighting consumers. So, the next time you enjoy shopping online, ordering food from your favourite restaurant or hailing a ride, remember there’s a bit of Airtel IQ in there making it happen seamlessly and safely.”