Hoylu: Connecting People and Ideas Everywhere

The modern workplace has been undergoing dynamic changes with a great deal of flux and experiments. Be it with the architecture of the workplace or with concepts like BYOD, there are highly scalable workplaces today. More importantly, the right software suite and tools are a top priority in the modern workplace.

Digital transformation is sweeping every organization and workers need powerful tools to keep pace. This is where Hoylu comes in with its Software Suite that is critical for a dynamic and digital workplace. Hoylu promises faster, easier and more intuitive ways of getting business done by accelerating and protecting a company’s knowledge in a secure and reliable way.

Let’s know more about Hoylu in a conversation with the CEO, Stein Revelsby

Why was the company set up? How did you select the vertical and decide to be a part of the global platform?

We found an opportunity to capitalize on many years of research in user interface design. The experience of working with audio and video-conferencing solutions, unified communication, natural input technologies, and an emerging trend to visualize information on larger surfaces was a foundation for us. We managed to attract an experienced product team by building a vision to offer collaboration solutions to make teamwork more efficient and engaging in a multi-location environment.

Tell us about your first product that was launched

We initially released two products, Sketch and Flow. The Sketch was a large freeform workspace that was primarily used for ideation on extra-large projector walls. With Flow, users could organize and structure information like a digital pin-board. We paid a lot of attention to our customers and designed the Hoylu Suite to become a solid enterprise platform for collaboration to be used on any device like an extra-large wall or even personal devices.

What challenges did you face in your initial years? What can your peers learn from it?

In this highly competitive talent market, especially for engineers, we are always looking for ways to recruit top talent. We are very fortunate that Hoylu started with a very strong network of colleagues who have made tremendous progress in such a short amount of time. However, we know we’re growing and so, we’re always searching for new team members who share our vision of innovation and quality.

What kind of mixed responses have you received from your consumers over the years? How have they motivated you to shape your offerings/grow the company?

Our initial customers were large global enterprises who wanted to expand their usage into more locations and different departments. This motivated us to focus on being a communication platform for multi-discipline teams who were in need of better and easy to use tools. Our tools helped to manage processes and projects, create, plan, assemble, and evolve on a shared workspace, different from the traditional silo-based and “screen share” approach.

What experiences have helped you to set this company up? What drives/inspires you to excel in your field of business?

There has not been any significant innovation dedicated to enterprise collaboration and in fact, video conferencing has been the last major event that altered the way we work on a daily basis. There are still many who carry notebooks and pens to meetings and there are office walls covered in sticky notes. We want to help move that knowledge into more digital-friendly spaces to help break silos and really start to leverage the power of collaboration.

If you have to list five factors that have been/are the biggest asset to your organization, what would they be and why?

The biggest asset we have is really summarized in one word: People. We have really terrific employees who are dedicated to our mission of delivering world-class digital workspaces every day. Hoylu also has great partners, clients, and vendors who come together to bring our solutions to market so quickly. The customers who have embraced the Hoylu Suite can look forward to each new feature we add to make them work more efficiently and smarter.

‘It is difficult to start a venture. But far more difficult to maintain it’ – How would you and your team interpret this saying?

When you are first getting started the momentum of being fresh and new self-propels the organization. It is only once you are established that you deal with so many minute details. The organization shifts from talking about vision and mission statements to determining support offerings, upgrade processes, and customer feedback platforms. It is the execution of the ideas where the real power lies and what we happen to enjoy the most.

What do you feel are the reasons behind your product popularity?

Hoylu Suite is very easy to use and it requires no prior training of people. We’ve seen people naturally fitting it into their work life that they keep using and finding new situations on their own where it is applicable. Also, we’re able to meet the needs of a wide variety of industries because we offer digital workspaces on large-scale projection walls to mobile devices.

Do you have any new products ready to be/getting ready to be rolled out into the market?

We just released the newest version of our platform: Hoylu Suite 3.5, a major software update available to all current subscribers. This release continues to focus on improving the user experience and delivering many valuable new features including expanded support for Anytime Collaboration, workspace customization, personalization, and additional device and language support. The update reinforces why Hoylu's software is the most versatile collaboration system in the market today.

From the Top Management

Stein Revelsby, CEO of Hoylu AB, has more than 30 years of experience in domains like technology, investment banking, venture capital, strategy consulting, and operational roles. Stein, originally from Oslo, Norway, is passionate about technology and delivering engaging products that solve critical business needs. He holds an MBE in Finance and Economics from BI Norwegian Business School.

“Our mission is to make every surface deeply interactive and personal, connecting people and ideas everywhere.”