At TUCON 2013 the tibbr team launched tibbr5 and delivered a great keynote combining presentations, customer testimonials, video, and product demonstrations. While the new product launch was the highlight, strategic partnerships were also announced.
tibbr has been accused, probably rightly, by analysts of being a slow starter. It compares with the lighter weight freemium model-driven competitors. But its parent, TIBCO, has been renowned for solid, dependable engineering and a track record of delivery for enterprise clients. This foundation is behind tibbr, which is why it might seem tibbr is slow off the blocks.
User Growth and Adoption
The keynote presentation displayed a new level of confidence and energy, no doubt supported by major client engagements at blue chip customers, but also the accelerating number of paid users. This time last year in Las Vegas, tibbr had reached 1 million paid users; today, that figure stands at 6.5 million. It is clear why user licenses are climbing when you hear presentations from clients like Nielsen, Schneider Electric, Yellow Pages, Thomson Reuters, and their stories of business benefits and widespread adoption.
The tibbr engineering team is taking nothing for granted. A common theme from client panel sessions was that tibbr was behind the curve, and their clients were the ones setting the pace and coming up with ideas and user requirements. With the recent release displaying a revamped UI and slew of new functionality, the tide has turned. Now the tibbr team is starting to set the pace.
Partnerships to Add Capability
But it is not just internal development. Partnerships with start-ups like Teamly and Built.io are adding to the capability. Additionally, heavyweights like Huddle join as partners. Huddle co-founder Alastair Mitchell gave a dynamic presentation on the TUCON 2013 main stage, which reinforced why they are becoming a significant player for file sharing and document collaboration.
So with clients migrating from the other social software applications, the challenge is to demonstrate to industry analysts that tibbr is no longer just a player, but moving into a leadership position. There is no finish line in the software world, but there is a tangible feeling that tibbr is only just starting to stretch its legs. It is too early to call, but as we were in Las Vegas, my money is on the bright green.
