Otter’s new feature lets users search across their enterprise tools
With this launch, users can connect their Gmail, Google Drive, Notion, Jira, and Salesforce accounts and query that data along with existing meeting data. The company said that it will soon allow connections with Microsoft Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Slack.
AI meeting notetaker app companies have realized that transcribing meetings and providing summaries alone is not enough to justify their business models and valuations. They now want the apps to act as a full workspace where users bring in data from different sources, search across all of it, and make decisions about their business. Following notetakers like Read AI, Fireflies.ai, and Fathom, Otter is now launching enterprise search by acting as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) client. That means it can connect to and pull data from outside apps and services using a common standard that AI tools are rapidly adopting.
Otter has been around for nearly a decade now, but it has been making moves toward becoming an enterprise productivity tool in the last few months. Last October, the company launched a way for organizations to build custom MCPs to access Otter data outside the app . The company’s latest move is more about bringing outside data into the app.
With this launch, users can connect their Gmail, Google Drive, Notion, Jira, and Salesforce accounts and query that data along with existing meeting data. The company said that it will soon allow connections with Microsoft Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Slack. Users can not only search for data across these tools but also push meeting summaries to Notion or draft a Gmail message.
The company said that it has also redesigned its AI assistant to be consistently present across the whole interface, so users can ask questions anytime. The assistant can understand the context of the screen, such as a particular meeting or a channel, and answer questions accordingly.
Meanwhile, most notetakers are following Granola’s lead and allowing for a botless meeting capture — recording meetings using a device’s system audio rather than having a bot join the call. Otter said that it brought this feature to the Mac app late last year and is now launching a Windows app with a similar feature.
There has been a debate around notetaking with bots (where a bot joins the meeting) or without bots. Otter CEO Sam Liang said that the company’s enterprise customers prefer when a meeting notetaker joins the call.
“When we talk to enterprise customers, most of them actually prefer the notetaker that joins the Zoom meeting because it provides the transparency. They also prefer the meeting notes to be shared with all the meeting attendees, so that the note is not limited to one person,” he told TechCrunch over a call.
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Otter said that it has a deduplication feature that prevents a swarm of bots from joining a meeting simultaneously to avoid situations where there are more bots than humans on a call.
Last year, the company said it had 25 million users and $100 million in annual recurring revenue . While the company didn’t provide a new set of financials, it said that the platform now has 35 million users.
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Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web.
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Key takeaways
- Integration of data from various platforms can boost AI tool adoption in Brazil.
- Interoperability among productivity tools is a growing trend in the tech sector.
- The evolution of Otter's AI assistant highlights the importance of user experience in the acceptance of new technologies.
Editorial analysis
The launch of Otter's new feature represents a significant advancement in how productivity tools can integrate data from different sources. For the Brazilian tech sector, this highlights the growing demand for solutions that not only transcribe meetings but also provide a holistic view of the information available within companies. The ability to connect to widely used platforms like Google Drive and Salesforce can facilitate the adoption of AI tools in corporate environments, especially in a market seeking efficiency and process integration.
Moreover, Otter's implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) suggests a broader trend among AI tools, where interoperability becomes a competitive differentiator. This approach may encourage other Brazilian startups to develop solutions that not only meet specific needs but also integrate into a larger ecosystem of tools, promoting a more cohesive user experience.
Another important point is the evolution of Otter's AI assistant, which is now always present in the interface. This may indicate how companies are prioritizing user experience, making interaction with technology more intuitive and accessible. For the Brazilian market, where the adoption of AI technologies is still growing, this ease of use can be a decisive factor for the acceptance of new tools.
Finally, the discussion about capturing meetings with or without bots reflects a dilemma many companies face. The choice between a more traditional approach and the innovation brought by bots can impact how meetings are conducted and recorded. By offering both options, Otter can position itself as a flexible solution, adapting to the needs of different users and sectors, which is crucial in a diverse market like Brazil.
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