What used to seem like forever in getting a response or connecting with a family from another country can now easily be done in minutes & even seconds. Despite our present advancements in communication technology, people are discovering better ways to boost the quality & upgrade the way we converse or keep in touch with others. Either for personal or business purposes, we’ll always have the need to connect & express ourselves. 

With the help of APIs (Application Program Interface) today, we can conveniently configure, install, and enable add-ons by managing programs. Add-ons are pre-integrated technologies from partners that permit developers to do more with our APIs. It’s now possible to build rich communications experiences in a flash by integrating 3rd-party capabilities and our own API. This will then give us the ability to pick the right technology for our needs without having to learn, test, and manage different platforms. 

Add-ons are products from our partners that are pre-integrated into our APIs that help you instantly add new capabilities such as advanced caller identification, compliance, spam detection, multi-lingual speech to text, audio search, and lots more. They’re super convenient to use and are designed to lessen the time of getting a new capability into production.

Here’s a quick view at what add-ons can do: 

• Number Add-ons allow you to have more data for a given phone number
• Messaging Add-ons allow contents of a text message to get analyzed, while
• Recording Add-ons help you get an analysis of recordings that you make with our system.
• And last but definitely not the least, it helps get rid of manual configuration and email interactions

 In order to see how communication varies in different mediums & how we can apply the necessary add-ons, we must view their impact on the efficiency of our communications and how our message gets interpreted.

Messaging/Text

One of the most popular categories used - emails, SMS, social media interaction, and instant messaging programs are all widely used by companies to level up communication between parties.Yet, there are limitations to text-based communication that makes it inapplicable at times. 

• It forces us to be concise. In texts and emails, there's no room for small talk or pleasantries so your message gets right to the point.
• Your message can be recorded. There's room for misinterpretation, but the original message can't be questioned--it's searchable and available for reference by all parties involved.
• You may be precise. Writing things down forces us to think carefully about what it is that we want to say. In many cases, that makes us more likely to be specific and write in detail.
• It carries no tone. Aside from emoticons, which appears as unprofessional, there's no way to infuse subtext into your message. Any tone of voice or body language is instantly lost. (that’s why a text to speech add-on may be helpful here)
• It's impersonal. Some messages require compassion and sympathy in their delivery, and text simply doesn't have the same effect as a face-to-face meeting.

Voice Calls

Are honestly starting to become obsolete as text messages are more concise, and video calls are more personal. Still, vocal interaction has a place for many people. 

• You may express your pitch without worrying about body language. Voice carries tone much better than text messages, allowing you to inject humor or sympathy into your words without having to pay attention to your body language.
• Several people can connect simultaneously and remotely. Using conference calls, several people from all around the world can speak together at once.
• People speak over each other. With speech delays and few body cues, it's easy for people to clamor over each other, especially while on a conference line.
•  There's no record. You can record phone calls, but it's much more difficult to find necessary information in a sound recording than searchable text.
• People aren't always easy to hear. Heavy accents, bad connections, and naturally low voices can all make phone communication more difficult.

Video Calls

Are a significant alternative to in-person meetings for those who want the experience of a face-to-face meeting but can't geographically connect. Skype and FaceTime are two of the most popular video chat applications, but there are many options available. 

• You can express body language which is important especially when you're trying to build a relationship with another person. Sometimes, in-person meetings are just not possible that’s why video calls are perfect for this.
• Video calls sometimes offer other options. For example, the Skype app allows you to simultaneously send files and communicate with text, so you can keep a record of the conversation.
• Video calls use a lot of bandwidth. Depending on your network, it may have an impact on those around you.
•  Bad connections can ruin everything. Again, this depends on your network, but it is a real risk to the medium. You don't want your client meeting to be cut short without warning.
•  There's a threshold for effectiveness. Two people video chatting is more effective than twenty people trying it. Google Hangouts is trying to find a solution for this problem, but for now, the fewer the people involved, the better.

Video calls are a great substitute for an in-person meeting, but only if it's impossible to meet in person, you have a great connection, and there are only a handful of participants. Otherwise, you might end up frustrating more people than you end up informing.

In Conclusion 

The Add-on Management API is designed to help you install & configure add-ons that can help build features in your apps that can be enabled without manual intervention. This helps create a better customer experience for your users. And now that we have a better look at the effectiveness of each type of medium for communication, we’ll be able to determine where to apply our add-ons to foster a rich communication experience. 

For more information on how to get started and what add-ons to apply, visit us at foneapi.com or leave your comments below.