View source for TokBox

{{Multiple issues|
{{Puffery|date=March 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Update|reason=It was acquired by Vonage, and now the TokBox brand has been retired|date=April 2020}}
}}
{{Infobox company
| name         = TokBox Inc
| logo         = Tokbox-175.png
| logo_size    = 175px
| company_type = [[Private company|Private]]
| founder      = {{Plain list|
* [[Serge Faguet]]
* Ron Hose
}}
| location     = [[San Francisco, California]], California
| key_people   = {{Plain list|
* Scott Lomond, CEO
* Badri Rajaseker, CTO
* Melih Onvural, Director of Product Management
* Michael Kelleher, Director of Business Analytics
* Ian Small, Chairman of the Board
}}
| fate         = Acquired; brand retired
| website      = {{URL|www.tokbox.com}}
| industry     = [[Video conferencing]]
| owner        = Telefónica Digital a subsidiary of [[Telefónica]]
}}
'''TokBox''' was a [[PaaS]] (Platform as a Service) company that provided hosted infrastructure, [[API]]s and tools required to deliver enterprise-grade [[WebRTC]] capabilities. It did so primarily through its proprietary OpenTok video platform for commercial application.<ref>{{cite book | last=Cohen | first=A.D. | title=Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language | publisher=Taylor & Francis | series=Longman applied linguistics | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-317-86117-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GE7JAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA131 | page=131}}</ref>
TokBox was founded by [[Serge Faguet]] and Ron Hose. Headquartered in the SOMA (South of Market) district in [[San Francisco]], CA. TokBox was acquired by Telefónica Digital, a subsidiary of [[Telefónica]], in October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/25/telefonica-buys-video-chat-platform-tokbox-an-airtime-for-the-rest-of-us/|title=Telefonica Digital Buys Video Chat Platform TokBox, An Airtime For The Rest Of Us|first=Ingrid|last=Lunden|date=25 October 2012 }}</ref>
==Developer resources==
===Server SDKs===
Server [[Software development kit|SDKs]]: OpenTok's server SDKs wrap the OpenTok REST [[API]], and let developers securely generate tokens for their OpenTok applications. Officially supported libraries include: [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and [[PHP]]. Community supported and created libraries include: [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[Ruby On Rails]], [[.NET Framework|.NET]], [[Node.js]], [[Perl]], [[Golang]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tokbox.com/opentok/libraries/server/|title=OpenTok Server SDKs|access-date=2013-12-16|archive-date=2013-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216090309/http://tokbox.com/opentok/libraries/server/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Client libraries===
Client Libraries: OpenTok's [[WebRTC]] client libraries enable video communications on a client platform. Officially supported libraries include: [[JavaScript]], [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]]. Community supported and created libraries include: [[PhoneGap]] and [[Titanium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tokbox.com/opentok/libraries/client/|title=OpenTok Client SDKs|access-date=2013-12-16|archive-date=2013-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216092249/http://tokbox.com/opentok/libraries/client/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Developer outreach==
TokBox has a long history of active engagement with the developer community. It has sponsored numerous [[hackathon]]s since 2010 such as [[TechCrunch]] Disrupt Hackathon,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/27/disrupt-ny-2013-hackathon-team-wants-to-build-a-webrtc-based-pandora-for-exercise/|title=Disrupt NY 2013 Hackathon Team Wants To Build A WebRTC-Based Pandora For Exercise|first=Frederic|last=Lardinois|date=27 April 2013 }}</ref> API Hack Day<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tokbox.com/blog/api-hack-day-chicago-2/|title=API Hack Day Chicago - TokBox Blog|date=16 May 2011|access-date=16 December 2013|archive-date=16 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216091827/http://www.tokbox.com/blog/api-hack-day-chicago-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Music Hack Day.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sf.musichackday.org/2013/index.php?page=Main+page%2F |title=Main page- Music Hack Day SF 2013 |access-date=2022-07-08 |archive-date=2013-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216090856/http://sf.musichackday.org/2013/index.php?page=Main+page%2F |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[PennApps]], one of the largest of such events, takes place on [[University of Pennsylvania]] campus every semester. Over a thousand students from around the world competed in the September 2013 edition of [[PennApps]]. Four sophomore students from [[Carnegie Mellon University]] with no prior [[hackathon]] experience built Classity to showcase real-time lectures on the web and won the “Best Use of TokBox API” award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2013f.pennapps.com/prizes.html|title=PennApps XV|access-date=2013-12-16|archive-date=2013-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015031035/http://2013f.pennapps.com/prizes.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==History==
===2007===
* August: Series A funding from Sequoia Capital<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pehub.com/2008/08/tokbox-raises-10-million|title=TokBox Raises $10 Million - PE Hub|date=2008-08-07|work=PE Hub|access-date=2017-10-27|language=en-US}}</ref>
* October: Launched www.tokbox.com<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tokbox.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028105135/http://tokbox.com/ |title=TokBox |date=2007-07-15 |access-date=2017-10-27 |archive-date=28 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* November: Launched multi-party chat and partnership with [[Meebo]]{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
===2008===
* April: TokBox Version 2 launched{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
* July: Series B funding from [[Bain Capital Ventures]] and [[Sequoia Capital]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/08/06/video-chat-service-tokbox-raises-10-million-from-bain/|title=Video Chat Service TokBox Raises $10 Million From Bain|last=Kincaid|first=Jason|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2017-10-27|language=en}}</ref>
* September: Launched the TokBox platform/ API {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
===2009===
Added document collaboration tool—[[Etherpad]] (now owned by Google){{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
===2010===
* January: Rolled out its first set of paid features at $9.99 per month.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
* November: Series C Funding from [[DAG Ventures]], Bain Capital Ventures and Sequoia Capital<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/11/14/tokbox-raises-12m-to-jam-skype-into-your-web-browser/|title=TokBox raises $12M to jam Skype into your web browser {{!}} VentureBeat|website=venturebeat.com|date=15 November 2010|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-27}}</ref>
* November: Announced the OpenTok API{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
===2011===
* February: TokBox announced that as of April 5, 2011, they would be discontinuing the TokBox video chat and video conferencing service to focus solely on their API, OpenTok.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tokbox.com/blog/tokbox-speaks/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do/|title=Breaking up is hard to do - TokBox Blog|date=8 February 2011|access-date=4 March 2011|archive-date=13 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213011522/http://www.tokbox.com/blog/tokbox-speaks/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Controversy==
TokBox was the subject of controversy when 50% of their engineering staff was fired in July 2009. This happened around the time TokBox changed CEOs. The VP of Marketing is stated as saying the firings were part of the CEO's new restructuring plan. None of the original founders are currently with TokBox.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/07/09/tokbox-fires-50-of-engineering-team-all-founders-gone/|title=TokBox Fires 50% Of Engineering Team, All Founders Gone|first=Jason|last=Kincaid|date=9 July 2009 |publisher=[[TechCrunch]]}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite web | last=Alonso | first=Santiago Millán | title=Telefónica acelera el avance de TokBox, su filial de comunicaciones visuales | website=[[Cinco Días]] | date=June 5, 2016 | url=http://cincodias.com/cincodias/2016/06/03/empresas/1464971745_946681.html | language=es | access-date=February 17, 2017}}
* {{cite web | last=Muchmore | first=Michael | title=TokBox AIR | website=[[PC Magazine]] | date=July 25, 2008 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2326535,00.asp | access-date=February 17, 2017}}
* {{cite web | last=Nicole | first=Kristen | title=TokBox Brings Video to Facebook IM Chat | publisher=[[Mashable]] | date=July 2, 2008 | url=http://mashable.com/2008/07/02/tokbox-facebook-cha/ | access-date=February 17, 2017}}
* {{cite web | last=Tong | first=Brian | title=Tokbox gets super-sized group video meetings | publisher=[[CNET]] | date=March 31, 2010 | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/tokbox-gets-super-sized-group-video-meetings/ | access-date=February 17, 2017}}
* {{cite book | last=Wankel | first=C. | title=Streaming Media Delivery in Higher Education: Methods and Outcomes: Methods and Outcomes | publisher=IGI Global | series=Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-60960-801-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hXN7pSpD48cC&pg=PA277 |url-access=subscription | pages=277–}}
==External links==
* [http://www.tokbox.com TokBox Home Page] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930130352/http://www.tokbox.com/ |date=2008-09-30 }})
[[Category:AIM (software) clients]]
[[Category:Chat websites]]
[[Category:Instant messaging]]
[[Category:MacOS instant messaging clients]]
[[Category:Online chat]]
[[Category:Teleconferencing]]
[[Category:Telefónica]]
[[Category:Videotelephony]]
[[Category:Web conferencing]]
[[Category:WebRTC]]
[[Category:Windows instant messaging clients]]
[[Category:Yahoo! instant messaging clients]]
[[Category:Bain Capital companies]]