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Lifesize Is Changing the Way the BlaBlaCar Team Collaborates

Blablacar and Lifesize Cloud TeleconferencingWith more than 45 million members in 22 countries and an app downloaded more than 30 million times, BlaBlaCar is recognized as one of the most innovative and successful young French companies. The dynamic start-up connects drivers with other passengers wishing to make the same trip. It is in fact developing a global community of long-distance carpools.

The BlaBlaCar team today has more than 500 employees distributed throughout France and in more than a dozen offices around the world. As the company began to expand rapidly, the management realized it needed a way:

  • to optimize how its dispersed teams collaborate
  • to provide an efficient way to communicate to its employees
  • to deploy one communication platform that unifies its internal culture.

The solution needed to enable all employees worldwide to connect through audio (telephone) or video via web browser, PC software client or video conferencing systems in meeting rooms.

After reviewing a number of options during a three-month evaluation process, the team concluded that Lifesize was the only enterprise-ready communication solution offering all the features to support the type of productive and collaborative work environment BlaBlaCar desired.

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“Lifesize has completely changed the way our company communicates internally today.”
– Andrews Delices, Head of IT, BlaBlaCar

With Lifesize, employees of BlaBlaCar can now speak directly and in a natural, familiar way, through a single, intuitive, cloud-based application. The platform integrates audio, web and video communication in high definition and also offers features for 1:1 and group chat or recording and sharing in real time. BlaBlaCar teams can work together regardless of their location, time zone or the number of people involved. It is used to simplify communications amongst groups working on projects, enabling much more efficient meetings, whether planned or spontaneous.

Every morning, BlaBlaCar gathers for a virtual “stand-up meeting” via video to start the day in sync. The Lifesize solution also plays a key role for closing the gap between BlaBlaCar’s development teams that are located outside of France. In addition, as a fast-growing enterprise, the company uses video conferencing to optimize its recruitment process by equipping two small conference rooms that have been specifically arranged for interviews of potential candidates

Andrews Delices, Head of IT of BlaBlaCar, says, “Lifesize has completely changed the way our company communicates internally today. This has allowed us to strengthen the links between our staff and our subsidiaries that are today spread around the four corners of the world. The implementation was strategic for our entire business and has allowed us to increase productivity thanks to its ease of use.”

He adds, “Previously, we had several communication channels to perform a simple video conference, and IT support was often requested for various problems. We have now simplified the entire process by deploying a single solution for all of our BlaBlaCar offices, and as a result, have become more efficient as well as reduced the support needed. For immediate adoption with our employees, we equipped more than 40 rooms in our new Paris office before we moved in. International offices followed a few days later so the entire company is equipped with the simplicity of the cloud-based deployment.”

The Lifesize solution has been implemented throughout almost all aspects of the company. BlaBlaCar leverages the complete range of Lifesize software and hardware offerings and advantages, including:

  • A cloud-based software application subscription: all employees
    have access to one shared directory and platform
  • Equipment of all meeting rooms with an HD camera and
    phone system
  • Expansion of the communication platform with features for
    chat (instant messaging), recording and sharing of meetings
    (which allows the users to archive important discussions and
    to share conversations with absent employees) as well as
    screen/data sharing

Lifesize and BlaBlaCar in a few figures:

  • Minutes: average of 4,000 minutes/66 hours per day
  • Calls: peak of 148 calls/average of 100 calls per day
  • Duration: average 1 hour and 20 minutes per call
  • Features: screen sharing feature is used in more than 80% of meetings