Jibris On Demand: The video conferencing platform developed by Ghanaians

In the dynamic world of video conferencing, one Ghanaian startup has emerged as a true game-changer, revolutionizing how businesses and individuals communicate across borders.

Jibri’s On Demand (JOD), led by its visionary CEO, Dominic Damoah, is making an indelible mark on the global stage with its cutting-edge platform.

Backed by a powerhouse team of two talented engineers, Edwin Roger, and Joel Amoako, JOD is redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in the virtual communication landscape.

During the 2020 pandemic, when most people had to work from home and communicate via Zoom and other alternatives, Dominic Damoah, a technology enthusiast with a relentless passion for problem-solving, identified specific pressing issues in the open-source video conferencing community.

With an unwavering determination, he set out to create a platform that would transform how people record and stream their online meetings globally.

“The pandemic came, and everybody was on Zoom. There was a lot of adoption for it. It was also around this time that people realized how much Zoom actually cost.

“This was because so many people depended on it. If you download the app, install it, and set up a meeting, after about 40 minutes, Zoom kicks you out and reminds you that it is proprietary software and you’re going to have to pay for it because it costs money to manage the infrastructure and you just can’t use it for free. So consequently, people started looking for alternatives.

“Again, I can enlighten you about the fact that there’s a whole movement online for people that essentially do not like proprietary software. People that are against the fact that software is sold and actually want all software to be free and open because they feel proprietary software often comes with hidden code that users cannot see or modify. This lack of transparency can lead to concerns about security vulnerabilities, backdoors, and unaccountable behavior on the part of software providers.

“So during the pandemic, not everybody could pay for Zoom. Therefore, there were some people who, either by choice or by finance, had to use a popular open-source alternative called Jitsi. And that is where we come in.

With the help of a small team of exceptional individuals, we cleverly identified that most people self-hosting Jitsi were struggling with setting up reliable recording and streaming services for their video conferencing centers.”

According to Dominic, his teammates, Roger Edwin and Joel Amoako, played a critical role in identifying JOD’s value proposition.

“Finally, we identified the reason why everybody had a hard time setting up recording and streaming.”

“It was because, one, the open-source project (Jibri – Jitsi Broadcasting Infrastructure) was poorly documented, two, the installation process was quite error-prone and three, the cost of recording would grow proportional to the number of meetings.

“The third problem of cost was what we believed was the most intense for anybody self-hosting Jitsi. What this meant was: “If you would have 100 meetings, you need 100 virtual computers (recorders), and it would go up from there. This was particularly painful because you pay by the hour for each virtual computer (recorder).

“So if the virtual computer is just there and it’s not recording/streaming at a particular time, you’re going to be paying regardless because of its existence.

“This gave me a glimpse into the reason why Zoom as a company spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Research and Development during this period; it’s because you’re dealing with the entire world’s meetings,” Dominic explained.

Giving more details about the challenges that confronted the team and how these issues were resolved, Dominic said identifying the problems that needed to be addressed was the first step.

“We, therefore, had to find some way to make the process an on-demand process that is on an as-and-when basis or an as-needed basis, instead of just having the virtual machines lying around doing nothing.”

“And believe it or not, that was the number one way people found us on Google.”

Dominic says their commitment to excellence and the user-centric approach garnered admiration from customers worldwide, reaffirming JOD’s status as a beacon of innovation.

“We needed people to test it. We ourselves didn’t know anybody in Ghana who would be open to testing such a thing. We didn’t know who we could reach out to. We only had internet friends and people from the internet.

“And I must say they were just blown away by how easy it was and the fact that the recorder didn’t have to lie around forever. They only had to pay $0.40/hour instead of $80 monthly.

“Again, people could actually estimate how long their meeting was going to last, and when they couldn’t, they could just give an arbitrary number with the worst-case scenario and use that recorder for that period of time. They pay us a tiny amount of money, and they go away with a recording that’s easy and fairly cheap to set up. It was that simple,” the CEO added.

But Jibri’s On Demand is not just a local success story; it’s a global phenomenon.

From the bustling streets of Accra to the skyscrapers of New York, JOD’s reach spanned an astounding 63 countries. With over 500 businesses tapping into the power of JOD’s platform, it quickly became the go-to solution for recording Jitsi video conferences effortlessly.

He stressed that in the wake of the pandemic, JOD emerged as a lifeline for businesses and individuals seeking reliable video conferencing alternatives.

Telemedicine sessions that needed recording became a reality, and even Santa Claus found a way to connect with good boys and girls worldwide, thanks to JOD’s innovative services.

“We had businesses that were ready to try this. Amongst the list of customers that we had was Santa’s Club, which is the company that was set up to enable Santa Claus to interact with boys and girls in America and the rest of the world over Jitsi.

“The founder of Santa’s Club, William Evelsizer, recounted finding our solution on Google through a simple search for ‘Jibris on demand.’ His platform was featured on Forbes. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/loisaltermark/2020/10/31/forget-the-mall-and-take-your-child-to-visit-santa-at-the-north-pole-this-christmas/?sh=b96570412bc6)

Dominic says what sets Jibri’s On Demand apart from competition is its unwavering commitment to value creation.

According to him, his team believes that true success lies in understanding customers’ needs and surpassing their expectations.

“We created a lot of value for a lot of people around the world. And they really appreciated it.

“I think people should look at that more, especially when they are starting a business because that’s the whole thing about starting a business,” Dominic stressed.

By providing a seamless user experience, JOD has redefined the concept of cost-effectiveness without compromising quality.

“At the end of 2020, we eventually had to temporarily shut down the website because the team members were not in a position to continue maintaining it.

“But I recently brought it back up. We’re still in the process of restoring all of the elements on the website,” he added.

As Jibri’s On Demand continues its upward trajectory, the future brims with promise. Dominic Damoah, the visionary leader, and the formidable team of engineers Roger Edwin and Joel Amoako are unwavering in their commitment to innovation.

Expanding their offerings, forging new partnerships, and venturing into uncharted territories are all part of their grand vision.

In the vast ocean of video conferencing solutions, Jibri’s On Demand shines as a beacon of innovation, bridging gaps and connecting people across the globe. Their success story is a testament to the power of vision, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

As the world continues to embrace virtual communication, JOD’s legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations of entrepreneurs and visionaries.