About the Episode

Marc hosted Chandrashekar LSP, Managing Director for Zoho Southern Canada, in a wide-ranging conversation about Zoho’s transformative impact on businesses, its comprehensive suite of products, and its unique approach to fostering connections with users through events like Zoholics Montreal. The discussion touched on Zoho’s product ecosystem, AI innovations, global reach, and how user feedback shapes its roadmap.

Zoho’s Event Success: Zoholics Montreal

Chandrashekar LSP shared the success story of Zoholics Montreal, a user conference that attracted over 750 attendees, including Zoho employees, partners, and customers. The event provided structured learning tracks, one-on-one sessions, and an interactive Experience Center, where participants connected directly with product experts. These events help Zoho gather real-time user feedback, influencing its product roadmap and fostering deeper relationships with its community.

Zoho’s Product Ecosystem

Marc described Zoho as an “operating system for business,” offering tools like CRM, social media management, landing pages, and analytics. Chandrashekar revealed that the average Zoho One user employs 23 apps, with CRM, Analytics, Customer Support, Campaigns, and Accounting being the most popular. He also highlighted Zoho’s ability to localize products for regional needs, such as Kenyan and German editions of Zoho Books.

Zoho’s Approach to AI

Zoho’s AI strategy emphasizes contextual intelligence tailored to business needs rather than relying solely on large language models (LLMs). Chandrashekar explained how Zoho’s AI-driven tools enhance workflows, such as identifying sentiment in customer tickets or optimizing sales outreach timing. Zoho’s privacy-first approach ensures that AI learns from a business’s unique data without compromising its proprietary information. Marc praised Zoho’s unified AI ecosystem for its utility in empowering small businesses.

Global Presence and Localization

Zoho boasts over 100 million users worldwide, providing insights from diverse markets to shape its product offerings. Chandrashekar highlighted Zoho’s localization capabilities, including HR systems and accounting tools adapted for regional requirements like e-invoicing in African and Middle Eastern countries.

Data Privacy and Sovereignty

Chandrashekar discussed Zoho’s commitment to data privacy and sovereignty, sharing plans to expand its independent data centers, including in Canada, to comply with laws like Quebec’s Law 25. Unlike competitors that rely on AWS or Azure, Zoho operates its own data centers, reducing risks of cyberattacks and ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Customer-Centric Innovation

Marc and Chandrashekar explored how user feedback from events like Zoholics and community forums shapes Zoho’s product priorities. While some requested features are quickly implemented, others may take years due to the complexity of Zoho’s extensive product ecosystem and its focus on strategic integration.

Future Goals

Zoho’s immediate priorities include simplifying business operations, improving compliance with local regulations, expanding global data centers, and enhancing its BI (Business Intelligence) platform. Chandrashekar emphasized Zoho’s vision of becoming the ultimate “easy button” for businesses, providing an all-in-one solution for operational needs.

For more information, visit the official Zoholics page or explore Zoho’s suite of tools on their website.

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