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OpenRent Streamlines Rental Process with Vonage SMS API

Technology Category
  • Cybersecurity & Privacy - Identity & Authentication Management
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
  • Buildings
  • Telecommunications
Use Cases
  • Time Sensitive Networking
  • Voice Biometrics
Services
  • System Integration
The Challenge
OpenRent, a UK-based online rental marketplace, was faced with the challenge of making the process of finding properties easier and cheaper by eliminating the middleman and enabling landlords and tenants to connect directly. The company needed a scalable and efficient communication solution to handle over 200,000 apartment rental inquiries per month. The solution had to be secure, efficient, and cost-effective. The company also wanted to provide a fast and effortless customer experience for its users. The challenge was to find a communication solution that could handle the high volume of SMS interactions, which had grown considerably by 2016.
About The Customer
OpenRent is a London-based company that has brought the entire property rental process online, saving landlords and tenants time, money, and frustration. The company has attracted 1.6 million registered users since its launch in 2012, making it one of the biggest online rental marketplaces in the UK. OpenRent rents over 100,000 properties per year, saving landlords and tenants millions of pounds in fees. The company charges landlords a one-off fee of £49 for full tenancy set-up, compared with fees of hundreds or thousands of pounds per property with traditional agents. OpenRent aims to create a service that connects landlords and tenants directly, providing a better rental experience.
The Solution
OpenRent turned to Vonage SMS API for secure two-way SMS communications. The Vonage SMS API provided a fast, flexible, and reliable SMS solution that allowed OpenRent to deliver messages to the right person at the right moment. The solution was not only used for the rental process but also for platform management. Landlords could use SMS to manage their listings, and OpenRent could use it for two-factor authentication, adding a layer of trust when verifying user accounts. The Vonage SMS API was essential for scaling OpenRent, as it allowed the company to handle hundreds of thousands of messages per month. The solution also provided flexibility on pricing, which was a helpful factor in OpenRent's decision to switch to Vonage.
Operational Impact
  • The implementation of Vonage SMS API has significantly improved OpenRent's operational efficiency. The solution has enabled the company to manage a high volume of SMS interactions, providing a fast and effortless customer experience. The two-way SMS communication has also improved the company's platform management, allowing landlords to manage their listings more efficiently. The two-factor authentication system has added a layer of trust when verifying user accounts, enhancing the security of the platform. The solution has also provided OpenRent with the flexibility to innovate with SMS and other communication APIs, opening up possibilities for new uses of SMS and potential for future growth.
Quantitative Benefit
  • 25% saving on SMS costs by using Vonage SMS API.
  • OpenRent is now sending and receiving hundreds of thousands of messages per month.
  • The company takes an average of 8 days to let a property.

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