Keeping up with customers these days feels like a full-time job on its own, right? They're everywhere – emails, texts, social media, you name it. Trying to manage all those conversations without losing your mind or missing something important is tough. That's where customer communication management software comes into play. Think of it as your business's central hub for talking to people. In 2025, having the right tools isn't just nice to have; it's pretty much a requirement if you want to keep customers happy and your business running smoothly. We've rounded up some of the top options out there to help you streamline everything.
Zendesk is a pretty big name in the customer service software world, and for good reason. It’s been around for a while and has built a solid reputation for helping businesses manage all sorts of customer interactions. Think of it as a central hub where all your customer conversations can land, whether they come in via email, live chat, phone calls, or even social media. This means your support team isn't jumping between a bunch of different apps trying to keep track of who said what.
One of the standout features is its ticketing system. Basically, every customer inquiry gets its own ticket, which can then be assigned, prioritized, and tracked. This helps make sure nothing falls through the cracks, especially when things get busy. They also have an AI-powered bot that can handle some of the simpler, frequently asked questions, freeing up your human agents for the more complex stuff. It’s a good setup for larger companies that have a lot of customer requests coming in and need a structured way to deal with them.
While Zendesk offers a robust platform for managing customer interactions at scale, it's worth noting that the cost can add up, particularly for smaller businesses. Also, getting the most out of its advanced customization and reporting features might require some technical know-how.
Here’s a quick look at what makes Zendesk tick:
If your business is on the larger side and you need a system that can handle a high volume of customer queries with a good degree of organization, Zendesk is definitely worth a look. It’s a platform that’s designed to grow with you, helping manage support as your customer base expands.
Intercom is a customer messaging platform that really focuses on live chat and automation to get customers more involved. It's a popular choice, especially for SaaS companies that want to interact with their customers in real-time. Think of it as a way to have quick, helpful chats right on your website or app.
One of the cool things Intercom does is let you build out your own knowledge base and forums. This means customers can often find answers to their questions themselves, which cuts down on the number of support tickets your team has to deal with. It's all about making things easier for everyone.
Here's a quick look at what it offers:
Intercom integrates with a bunch of other tools you might already be using, like Facebook, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Twitter, WooCommerce, and even Zendesk. This helps keep everything connected.
While Intercom is great for engaging customers and providing fast support, it's worth noting that the pricing can start to add up as your team grows and you use more features. It's a powerful tool, but you'll want to keep an eye on the costs as you scale.
Sprout Social is a pretty solid platform if you're looking to really get a handle on your social media presence. It's not just about posting updates; it's about managing the whole conversation. Think of it as a central hub where all your social interactions from different platforms land, making it way easier to keep track of who's saying what.
One of the best things is how it pulls everything together. You can see messages, comments, and mentions from places like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) all in one spot. This means you're less likely to miss something important, which is a big deal when you're trying to build relationships with customers.
Here's a quick look at what makes it stand out:
Sprout Social also recently added a neat feature that lets you send designs directly from Canva and Adobe Express into Sprout Social as draft posts. This really speeds up the process of getting your visual content ready to go. It’s a good option if you’re serious about using social media to connect with your audience and want the tools to do it effectively.
Front is a customer communication platform that really tries to bring everything together. Think of it as a central hub where all your customer messages land, no matter where they come from – email, social media, chat, you name it. The big idea here is to stop you from jumping between different apps all day.
Front automatically sorts and sends customer messages to the right person on your team. This means less time wasted figuring out who should handle what. Everyone on the team can see the whole conversation history with a customer, plus any notes or data that might be helpful. It’s all about giving your team the context they need to respond quickly and accurately.
Here's a quick look at what makes Front stand out:
Front aims to give managers a clear picture of how customer service is performing and how it impacts the business. This visibility helps in making smarter decisions about customer engagement and team efficiency. It’s designed to make managing customer relationships feel less chaotic and more organized.
They've also been adding new features, like dynamic workflows with branching rules that came out in October 2025. This lets you build more complex automated processes based on different triggers, which can really speed things up.
My AI Front Desk is pretty neat, honestly. It’s basically an AI receptionist that can handle your calls and texts 24/7. Think of it as hiring a virtual assistant, but way cheaper and they never take a coffee break. It's designed to answer questions about your business, schedule appointments, and generally keep things running smoothly, even when you're off the clock.
Setting it up sounds like a breeze. You just tell it about your business, pay up, and start forwarding calls. They even say it takes less than five minutes to get going. For small businesses, this could be a real lifesaver, especially if you're swamped and can't always get to the phone.
Here’s a quick rundown of what it can do:
The biggest selling point here is probably the cost-effectiveness and the sheer availability. Instead of paying a full-time receptionist, you get an AI that works around the clock for a fraction of the price. Plus, it integrates with a ton of other apps, which means it can actually do things like update your CRM automatically when a call ends. That's the kind of automation that really frees up your time.
They also offer solutions for larger call centers, acting as a first point of contact to help manage call queues. And if you're in the agency world, they have a white-label program so you can offer this service under your own brand. Pretty interesting stuff if you're looking to automate your front-line communication.
Freshdesk is a solid choice if you're looking for a customer service platform that's both budget-friendly and packed with features. It really aims to make things easier for your support team, letting them handle tickets more efficiently and switch between different communication channels without missing a beat. Team leaders get a nice, consolidated view of how everything's performing, which is super helpful for spotting trends or issues.
One of the best parts is how it helps customers help themselves. You can set up a knowledge base with FAQs, articles, and even videos, so people can find answers on their own. This can seriously cut down on the number of support requests you get. Plus, it offers support through pretty much any channel you can think of – web widgets, live chat, messaging apps, bots, and even good old-fashioned phone calls.
Freshdesk also has some neat automation features. It can automatically route incoming chats, calls, and tickets to the right agents, making sure things get handled quickly. They even throw in gamification to keep your agents motivated, which is a fun little bonus.
Here's a quick look at what it offers:
Freshdesk is particularly good for small to medium-sized businesses that need an effective, yet affordable, way to manage customer communications. Its automation capabilities help streamline support operations without needing a massive team.
While it might not have all the bells and whistles of some enterprise-level solutions when it comes to deep customization, especially for email templates, it's a really strong contender for businesses wanting an all-in-one customer service platform that's easy to get started with.
Tanka is pretty interesting because it's built around this idea of an "AI Chief Memory Officer." Basically, it remembers all your customer conversations, no matter where they happen – Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp, you name it. This means you don't have to dig through old emails or chat logs to find out what was discussed last week.
It's designed to pull all that scattered info together and make sense of it. Think of it like a super-organized assistant who never forgets anything. It helps teams stay on top of things by structuring insights and giving you context-aware help when you need to respond to a customer. Plus, it can even convert chats into tasks or help schedule meetings, which is pretty neat for keeping projects moving.
Tanka really shines when your team is juggling communication across a bunch of different tools. It aims to centralize everything, making it easier to manage high volumes of messages without feeling completely swamped. The goal is to turn those messy, back-and-forth chats into clear, actionable information that helps you serve customers better and faster.
Intense Technologies is a company that really focuses on making customer interactions smoother while also trying to cut down on how much it costs to run things. They've got a platform called UniServe NXT, and it's designed to help businesses get better at talking to their customers, spend less money, and even find new ways to make money. It's pretty neat because it helps companies build new applications pretty quickly, which is good when business needs keep changing.
They're known for doing a lot of work in the telecom and insurance industries, especially in India. These are fields where companies deal with a ton of customer data and have huge customer lists, so having software that can handle all that is a big deal. Intense Technologies aims to make customer experiences better and operations more efficient.
The UniServe NXT platform is built to adapt. It helps businesses create applications that can keep up with new business opportunities and changing market conditions, making it a flexible tool for growth.
Key aspects of their approach include:
Quadient is all about making customer interactions smoother, especially when it comes to communication, package handling, and mail services. They focus on what they call 'Intelligent Communication Automation,' which basically means using smart tech to make sure your messages get to the right people at the right time, and in the right way. Think of it as a way to cut down on the busywork and make sure your customer communications are actually, you know, communicating.
They help businesses manage a lot of different customer touchpoints. It’s not just about sending out bills or marketing emails; it’s about creating a whole experience for the customer. This can involve everything from digital documents to physical mail, and even how packages are handled if you're in retail or e-commerce.
Here’s a quick look at what they bring to the table:
Quadient aims to simplify the connection between people and what matters to them, whether that's information, a service, or a product. It’s a big picture approach to customer experience, trying to tie together all the different ways a business talks to its customers.
They're really trying to bridge the gap between digital and physical communication, making sure that no matter how a customer reaches out or receives information, the experience is consistent and positive. It’s about making those connections meaningful and efficient for everyone involved.
Adobe is a name most people recognize, especially if you've ever dabbled in graphic design or digital marketing. While they're not typically thought of as a direct customer communication management (CCM) platform in the same vein as some others on this list, their suite of tools plays a significant role in how businesses create and deliver digital experiences. Think of Adobe as the powerhouse behind the content of your communications. Their solutions, like Adobe Experience Cloud, are geared towards helping companies craft engaging digital interactions, manage marketing campaigns, and handle documents.
Adobe's strength lies in its ability to help businesses:
While Adobe might not offer the end-to-end communication orchestration that some specialized CCM platforms do, its tools are often integrated into broader customer experience strategies. They provide the creative and marketing muscle that makes customer communications not just functional, but also compelling. For businesses that prioritize the visual and interactive aspects of their customer outreach, Adobe's solutions are definitely worth considering as part of a larger communication ecosystem.
Adobe's focus on digital media and marketing means they provide the building blocks for many customer interactions. They help bring the 'what' and 'how' of communication to life, ensuring that the messages sent out are not only timely but also impactful and aligned with brand identity.
ISIS Papyrus Group has been around for a while, over 35 years in fact, focusing on customer engagement and making business processes run smoother. They offer a platform that brings together a few key things: how you communicate with customers across different channels (like email, web, mobile, and even print), how you manage your workflows and specific cases, and how you handle all your content. The idea is to have all this in one place, making it easier for companies to create, gather, and share information.
Their software is designed to help businesses, especially those in finance, insurance, utilities, and healthcare, speed up their digital transformation. They aim to make customer communications more personal and efficient. It's all about getting non-technical folks in the business to be able to create and manage these communications themselves, using tools that are more visual and collaborative, which helps bridge the gap between what the business needs and what IT can provide.
The Papyrus platform is used by a lot of companies, over 2800 globally, across various industries. This wide adoption suggests it's a pretty solid solution for managing customer interactions and digital processes.
Key aspects of the ISIS Papyrus platform include:
OpenText is a big player when it comes to managing information for businesses. They've been around for over 30 years, helping companies keep their data and documents safe while also updating how they handle information.
Their main idea is to connect all sorts of information across different departments and software. Think of it like a central hub that makes it easier for employees to work together and be more productive. They use AI and machine learning to make sure all this information is organized and easy to find. Plus, they offer security solutions to protect businesses from cyber threats and data leaks.
Here's a quick look at what they focus on:
OpenText aims to power and protect information, making it accessible and secure for organizations of all sizes. They're all about modernizing how businesses handle their digital assets.
They really focus on making information work better for you, whether that's through better employee experiences or stronger security against the bad guys online. It's a pretty broad approach to information management.
Podium is a pretty neat tool if your business relies heavily on getting customer feedback, especially through online reviews. Think about it – when someone has a good (or bad) experience, they often want to share it. Podium makes it super easy for them to do just that, right from their phone.
It's all about making it simple for customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. They send out automated text messages after a service or purchase, asking for a review. This isn't some clunky email chain; it's a quick text, which most people actually check.
Here's how it generally works:
The real magic here is how Podium bridges the gap between a customer's experience and their willingness to share it online. By simplifying the review process, they help businesses build a stronger online reputation without a ton of manual effort. It's a smart way to turn happy customers into public advocates.
While it's fantastic for review management and local business communication, it's worth noting that its core strength lies in these specific areas. If you're looking for a super deep, all-encompassing CRM with complex workflow automation for every single business process, you might need to look at other options. But for businesses focused on customer feedback and local engagement, Podium is a solid choice.
InMoment is all about making customer experiences better, and they do it by focusing on what customers are actually saying. They're not just collecting feedback; they're trying to figure out the why behind it all. Think of them as the folks who help you understand the real feelings and thoughts of your customers, not just the surface-level stuff.
They offer a few key ways to get this done:
They really push the idea that understanding customer emotions is key to building loyalty and making your business stand out. It's about moving beyond just transactional data to really get to the heart of customer sentiment.
Their approach is pretty hands-on, aiming to help companies not just listen to customers, but truly understand them and then make changes that matter. It’s less about just ticking boxes and more about building genuine connections.
Hiver is a pretty neat tool that brings your customer communication into your inbox. Think of it like a shared inbox for your team, but way more organized and with features that actually help you get things done faster. It's especially good if your team is already living in Gmail or Outlook and doesn't want to learn a whole new system.
What Hiver does is pull all your customer interactions – emails, chats, social media messages – into one place. This means no more digging through different platforms or wondering who's supposed to be handling which customer. Everyone sees what's going on, and you can assign conversations to specific team members.
Here's a quick rundown of what makes Hiver stand out:
Hiver really shines when it comes to making teamwork smoother. It cuts down on confusion and makes sure that customer queries don't fall through the cracks. It’s built for teams that want to manage communication efficiently without a steep learning curve.
They also offer features like internal notes on conversations, which is super handy for giving context to colleagues, and the ability to create customer profiles right within the platform. It’s all about making customer service feel more connected and less chaotic.
Trengo is a platform that really tries to bring all your customer conversations into one place. Think of it as a central hub where emails, chats, social media messages, and even WhatsApp messages can all be managed from a single inbox. This is super handy because it means your team doesn't have to jump between a bunch of different apps to keep up with customers.
The main idea is to simplify communication and make sure no message gets lost in the shuffle.
Here’s a quick look at what Trengo offers:
It’s designed to be pretty straightforward, which is good if you’re not looking for something overly complicated. The goal is to make customer service more efficient by consolidating everything. It’s a solid choice if you’re dealing with multiple communication streams and want a cleaner way to manage them.
Managing customer interactions across various platforms can quickly become chaotic. Trengo aims to solve this by creating a single point of contact for all communications, reducing the need for agents to switch between different tools and improving response times. This unified approach helps businesses maintain a consistent and organized customer service operation.
Touchpoint is a platform that really focuses on helping businesses nurture their leads, especially when you've got a team working together on it. It's designed to make that whole process smoother, so you're not dropping the ball on potential customers.
Think of it as a central hub where your sales and support teams can collaborate. This means everyone's on the same page about who's talking to which lead and what's been discussed. It cuts down on confusion and makes sure leads get the attention they deserve.
Here's what makes Touchpoint stand out:
The idea is to create a more connected and efficient way for businesses to manage their leads from the first contact all the way through to becoming a customer. It's about making sure those important conversations don't get lost in the shuffle, especially when multiple people are involved.
If your business relies heavily on a team effort to bring in new customers, Touchpoint could be worth a look. It aims to simplify the complex dance of lead management and team collaboration.
Think of Zapier as the ultimate connector for your business tools. It's not just about linking one app to another; it's about creating a whole automated ecosystem where your customer communication software talks to your CRM, your calendar, your project management tools, and pretty much anything else you use.
This integration means your business processes can run on autopilot, saving you a ton of time and cutting down on manual data entry.
Here's how it really makes a difference:
The real power of Zapier integration lies in its ability to break down data silos. Instead of information being trapped in one application, it flows freely between all your essential business tools. This creates a more unified and efficient operational flow, allowing your team to focus on what matters most: connecting with your customers.
This level of connectivity transforms your customer communication software from a standalone tool into the central nervous system of your entire business operation. It's about making everything work together, smoothly and automatically.
Think about how often you're on a call and need to send a quick piece of info – like a link, a document, or a discount code. Instead of fumbling around to type it out or promising to send it later, what if your system could just do it automatically? That's where texting workflows come in.
These systems let you set up rules so that based on what's being said in a conversation, a relevant text message is sent out instantly. It's like having a super-attentive assistant who knows exactly what to send and when, all without you lifting a finger.
Here’s how it generally works:
This isn't just about convenience; it's about making interactions smoother and more efficient. Imagine a customer calling about a product. While they're on the phone with you, the system automatically texts them a link to the product's spec sheet or a relevant promotional offer. It keeps the momentum going and provides information exactly when it's most useful.
These automated text messages can be triggered by various conversational cues, ensuring that customers receive timely and relevant information without interrupting the flow of the live conversation. This capability is particularly useful for things like sending follow-up links, sharing contact details, or providing quick answers to common questions during a call.
It's a smart way to handle common requests, freeing up your team to focus on more complex issues. Plus, it ensures that no important detail gets forgotten or delayed.
You know, sometimes you just can't get to the phone. It happens. Maybe you're on another call, or perhaps you're just out of the office for a bit. That's where smart voicemail comes in, and honestly, it's a lifesaver.
Our AI receptionist doesn't just take a message; it understands it. It knows when it's appropriate to offer the voicemail option, so you don't get those awkward "please leave a message" loops when a human could have handled it. Once the message is left, the real magic happens. It automatically transcribes that audio into text. No more listening back to fuzzy recordings trying to catch every word.
Here's how it makes life easier:
This isn't just about not missing calls. It's about turning those missed opportunities into actionable information without the usual hassle. You get the gist of the message without having to play detective with audio files. It's efficient, plain and simple.
It’s a pretty neat way to keep communication flowing, even when you're not physically there to pick up. You get the message, you know what it's about, and you can get back to people much faster.
Remember when businesses used to worry about phone lines like they were made of gold? "Oh no, all our lines are busy!" they'd cry, as if Alexander Graham Bell himself had personally limited them to five calls at once. Well, we fixed that.
Our AI receptionist doesn't just handle multiple calls. It handles ALL the calls. At once. Forever. It's like we gave it an infinite supply of ears and an attention span that would make a zen master jealous. This means your business can scale without the growing pains. Your brand consistency remains intact whether it's the first call of the day or the ten thousandth.
What makes this so great?
Imagine your product goes viral and thousands of calls pour in. Your AI doesn't break a sweat. It's like the phone equivalent of that "This is fine" meme dog, except everything actually is fine. Or when tax season hits and accountants everywhere brace for impact, your AI just yawns and asks, "Is that all you've got?"
This feature transforms your phone system from a potential bottleneck into a robust engine for customer engagement, ensuring that no call goes unanswered and every customer feels heard, regardless of demand.
If your service goes down and angry customers flood the lines, your AI handles it so well, they hang up wondering if they should apologize to you. When you go global, your AI juggles time zones like a cosmic deity. And during the night shift, at 3 AM when all other businesses are snoring, your AI is there, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to chat about your return policy.
You know how sometimes you're talking to someone, and there's this awkward pause? Like they're searching for the right words, or maybe just trying to remember what you said? Well, that's pretty much gone with the latest in AI communication tech. We're talking response times measured in milliseconds. Seriously, it's fast enough to keep up with a normal conversation without making you feel like you're talking to a slow-motion robot.
Think about it. A conversation is kind of like a dance, right? If one partner is lagging, the whole rhythm gets messed up. That's what we've fixed. No more frustrating delays when you call a business. This AI doesn't just answer fast; it thinks fast. You can throw a complicated question its way, and it just handles it. It's like having a chat with someone super sharp, but they never need a moment to gather their thoughts.
This isn't just a cool party trick, though. It actually makes a big difference. It turns what could be an annoying interaction into something smooth and natural. It's the difference between feeling like you're stuck talking to a machine and feeling like you're actually connecting with someone who knows their stuff.
And the people behind this tech? They're pretty much obsessed with speed. They've got a whole team dedicated to making this AI faster than anything else out there. They're constantly tweaking and optimizing, shaving off tiny bits of time because, in a conversation, every millisecond counts.
This focus on speed might seem a bit much, but it's really about making communication feel as natural and efficient as possible. It's the future, and it's here now.
It's the kind of responsiveness that makes you forget you're not talking to a human. That's the power of getting the speed of thought right.
Most businesses treat call data like it's radioactive. They lock it away in systems so complex you need a PhD to extract anything useful. We think that's nuts.
We made call sharing as easy as sharing a YouTube video. Here's how it works:
That's it. No logins, no special software, no IT department involvement.
Why does this matter?
Because information wants to be free. Not free as in beer, but free as in movement. When you make information easy to share, magical things happen:
But the real power isn't in any one use case. It's in what happens when you remove friction from information flow. Ideas spread. Problems get solved faster. Your entire organization gets smarter.
Think about email. Before it, information moved slowly. After, it zipped around. We're doing the same thing for call data.
Some will worry about security. "What if the wrong person gets the link?" they'll ask. But that's missing the point. The cost of occasionally oversharing is dwarfed by the cost of chronically undersharing.
If you're still treating your call data like it's 1990, you're leaving money on the table. A lot of money. Our shareable call links fix that.
Imagine making thousands of calls without lifting a finger. That's the promise of AI dialers. These tools automate outbound calling, letting you reach a massive number of leads or customers quickly. They're designed to handle the repetitive task of dialing, freeing up your human agents for more complex interactions.
AI dialers can do more than just dial. They can often qualify leads, send reminders, and even collect payments. The idea is to keep your sales or support teams focused on actual conversations, not just the mechanics of making a call. You can set up campaigns in minutes, plug in your data, and let the AI do the heavy lifting. It's about efficiency, plain and simple.
Here's a quick look at what they typically offer:
Setting up an AI dialer campaign is surprisingly straightforward. You usually upload your contact list, define the script or questions the AI should use, and set the parameters for when and how calls should be made. The system then takes over, managing the dialing process, handling answered calls, and logging the outcomes. It's a way to massively scale your outbound efforts without a proportional increase in headcount.
Think about the sheer volume you can handle. Instead of one agent making maybe 50-100 calls a day, an AI dialer can initiate thousands. This is a game-changer for businesses looking to quickly get the word out about a new product, gather feedback, or follow up on a large batch of leads. It's about maximizing reach and response rates in a way that was previously impossible.
So, you've got all these fancy communication tools, right? But how do you actually know if they're working? That's where the "advanced analytics" part comes in. It's not just about counting calls or messages; it's about understanding what's happening behind the scenes.
Think about it like this: you wouldn't drive a car without a dashboard, would you? You need to see your speed, your fuel level, if that little engine light is on. Customer communication software is the same. You need to see the data to make smart decisions.
Here’s what you should be looking for:
The real power of analytics isn't just seeing numbers; it's about turning those numbers into actionable insights. It's the difference between guessing and knowing. You can spot problems before they become big issues, or find opportunities you might have otherwise missed. It’s about making your communication efforts smarter, not just harder.
Many platforms offer detailed reports on everything from call transcripts and text message history to voicemail summaries. Some even use AI to pull out key responses from those transcripts, which is pretty neat. You can set up custom notifications too, so you're alerted when something important pops up. It’s all about getting a clear picture so you can keep improving how you talk to your customers.
Dive deeper into how our smart tools can help your business grow. We offer more than just basic services; explore the advanced features that set us apart. Ready to see what's possible? Visit our website to learn more!
So, we've looked at a bunch of ways to make talking to your customers way easier in 2025. It's pretty clear that just having a phone number isn't enough anymore. You need tools that can keep up, talk to your other systems, and basically handle the heavy lifting so you don't have to. Whether it's an AI receptionist that never sleeps or a system that sends texts automatically when it makes sense, the goal is the same: better communication, less hassle. Picking the right software might seem like a lot, but think about how much time and frustration it could save. It’s about making your business run smoother and keeping your customers happy, which, let's be honest, is what it's all about.
Think of it like a super-smart helper for your business that keeps all your customer chats in one place. It helps you talk to customers easily through email, texting, social media, and more, making sure no one feels ignored.
You could, but it gets messy fast! This special software helps organize everything so you don't miss important messages. It's like having a super-organized assistant who never forgets anything.
It makes things run smoother! By handling customer questions quickly and keeping everything organized, your team can focus on important tasks. Happy customers often mean a growing business.
Most of these tools are designed to be easy to use, even for beginners. Some can be set up in just a few minutes, so you can start using them right away without needing to be a tech expert.
That's usually not a problem! Many of these tools can connect with other apps you already use, like your customer list (CRM) or project tools. This makes everything work together nicely.
Yes, it does! You can use it to send out updates, special offers, or reminders. Some even have smart features that can send texts during calls based on what you're talking about.
AI, or artificial intelligence, helps the software understand customer questions and respond faster. It can even help take messages or answer common questions automatically, like a virtual assistant.
It depends on what your business needs most. Some are great for social media, others for handling lots of emails and calls. Many offer free trials, so you can test them out before you commit.
Start your free trial for My AI Front Desk today, it takes minutes to setup!
