As COVID struck the world, it made us rethink the working of this world. Apart from the other ‘new normals’, 2020 reiterated the need for digital solutions for better communication and learning. The urgency for change in the systems and functions that we were following all this while became prominent. Quite often, we have to depend on foreign apps for video conferencing purposes. However, a Kerala-based firm has come to our rescue with their new solution, Vconsol.
On Thursday, the Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announced ‘Vconsol’ as the winner in the Central Government competition for developing the best video conference solution under the digital media initiative. ‘Vconsol’ is a product of Techgentsia software Technologies, founded in 2009 by Joy Sebastian, a native of Alappuzha. With its multilingual, superior quality audio-video, it is set to replace Zoom and Google Meet. Vconsol will become the official video conferencing app for the Central Government.
The journey to the top wasn’t easy for the team. The competition was conducted in three stages.
“The first step involved the submission of the proposal. From this, 1,983 companies were selected. In the second stage, we were asked to submit the prototype. Here only 12 companies were selected and we were the only company from Kerala. The Central Government gave ₹5 lakhs each for developing the prototype. In the third stage, five companies were selected and ₹20 lakh each was given to three companies and ₹15 lakhs each for two companies”, said Joy Sebastian to The New Indian Express.
This Techgentsia innovation is set to be launched in September. The video-audio quality of Vconsol is admirable. However, the app won’t be free for the time being. The CEO shared that the cost involved in its making and marketing will make it chargeable after a free trial for a week. He also assured that the fee would be pocket friendly and not very high.
This is indeed a delightful moment for every Malayali (except for students attending online classes :p).
“The company’s achievement is a testimony to Kerala’s strong and vibrant IT ecosystem, backed by the Government” stated IT parks Kerala CEO Sasi PM. We need more such technological innovations aimed to improve the health and education sectors. Innovations paired with the proper implementation can uplift the stakes of our country.
