To take a look behind the scenes of the rebranding, the founders Marc Leidner and Mujibor de Graaf answered our questions. We talked about the start with Viadesk, how the company developed and what they think about the new name and identity Fellow Digitals. Here is what they had to say.
Hello, both of you. Let’s start with our short interview. You are the founders of the company, so you’ve been around a while and have formed the identity from the beginning on. What is your story with Viadesk and Fellow Digitals?
Mujibor de Graaf, CEO: As Viadesk, we have been working for more than 20 years to help people collaborate and share knowledge better, using our products and service. When we started, online knowledge sharing was still in its infancy, we have been committed to providing online services from the beginning. This was still very new for customers, they wanted to manage everything themselves. Fortunately, this has changed over the years and there is now a tendency to store everything professionally in the cloud.
Marc Leidner, CTO: The interesting thing is probably, that we started our innovations as web developers from which the Viadesk Social Intranet derived. Since that was our business, it also became our name. Then we started with the development of Coursepath. Initially that was a new product name and team. But we see that it is the same teams working on both products. Now that Coursepath is getting bigger and bigger, customers are often confused. “So, you are from Viadesk, but you can also provide me with Coursepath?” And mostly when talking about Viadesk, we think about the Social Intranet, not about the company as such. For me it’s a nice change, that the company will now have a different name than the product.
Mujibor de Graaf: We have also been busy with new software features, to improve learning and working together with our Coursepath LMS and Viadesk Social Intranet. We are always looking into workplace trends and focusing on providing our customers with state-of-the-art software. Last year, with Metatude we acquired a software development company.
Marc Leidner: Yes, with the new name we also include our Dhaka development team. Fellow Digitals is not only about our products anymore. It shows who we are as a team. It’s all about the people, working together in a team, developing and improving our products, being a Fellow Digitals colleague, no matter in which department or in which country you are working.
Mujibor de Graaf: Looking at what we’ve experienced with the Covid-19 crisis just recently, we see that working remotely has become a must. The traditional office is no longer irreplacable. You can work anywhere. Provided that the conditions regarding software and working environment are met. We are at the beginning of this major change: As Fellow Digitals, we are putting people first and foremost at the center of attention. We all need to learn how to work and communicate digitally together without employees feeling distant, insecure or less involved. Because we can only move forward together.
How has the rebranding developed? What was involved here?
Mujibor de Graaf: What we see is that a lot of organizations struggle with the side effects of working digitally. Especially in the situation we all are in at the moment. Now that we all work from home, how can we continue to work together in the best possible way? Communication and attention to each other is key!
Over the years, we have continued to develop our products for the latest forms of cooperation and knowledge sharing. We also want to further develop as an organization, in order to serve our customers in the best possible way. With our growing product and service portfolio, we think it is time to enter a new phase with the new umbrella name Fellow Digitals. The product names will stay the same, but they will receive new logos.
Marc Leidner: For a long time, we have only communicated about our products. It’s important to emphasize that we are a team of people, working together to achieve our goals.
Mujibor de Graaf: Exactly. That’s what our umbrella brand Fellow Digitals stands for. It supports our philosophy: We make every employee count, regardless of their position, origin or work location.
What does our new name Fellow Digitals mean to you?
Marc Leidner: Aside from its meaning that we are focusing on people, talking about the team, and doing things together, for me the new name also represents a new chapter in the history of the business. We’ve been around for more than 20 years now. Fellow Digitals is not a new start, but another step towards more progress. I know we can do much better, and that’s exactly what we are doing now.
Mujibor de Graaf: I agree. It also means to me that with the complex challenges that we all face worldwide, Fellow Digitals make things easier with innovative, clear, and simple solutions.
Final question: If there is one thing everyone in the world should know about Fellow Digitals, what do you think it should be?
Mujibor de Graaf: We make everyone count, with this we guarantee everyone feels included and can be of personal value to their company.
Marc Leidner: Yes. We can do it together!
Thank you for your time and the insights!
Get more information on the Fellow Digitals rebranding.
