AI just adds to Twilio’s appeal

Article Excerpt

Twilio focuses on a rapidly expanding area: it provides the building blocks that businesses and their software developers need to integrate voice calling, text messaging, video, web, mobile chat and, more recently, email. The company’s array of communications offerings continues to see increased demand. The addition of artificial intelligence (AI) will make its offerings even more attractive and useful to its customers. We think this Power Buy is poised to keep moving even higher for our subscribers. TWILIO INC., $60.35, is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol TWLO; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.twilio.com; Shares outstanding: 181.1 million; Market cap: $11.1 billion; No dividends paid.) offers a key service to software developers who create mobile apps. Specifically, its own software is used to connect apps to essential functions elsewhere on a device, including dealing with phone calls and messaging. Those applications explain why consumers can text or call an Uber driver, for instance, without actually sharing phone numbers. Twilio’s biggest customers include Uber and Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp. The company went public…