Segment launches platform updates focusing on improving customer experience

Segment has released a suite of new platform updates designed to give enterprises the ability to provide better digital-first experiences.

According to Segment, positive customer experiences have always been a key differentiator for successful brands.

Businesses that can deliver highly personalised, consistent customer experiences across online and offline touchpoints gain a competitive edge, the company states.

Furthermore, the past six months has significantly changed global supply chains, rendered entire workforces virtual overnight, and resulted in many brick and mortar companies having to conduct business exclusively or mostly online.

As a result, the new updates from Segment focus on aiding in the handling of the large and diverse amount of direct customer interactions, and look to set companies up for success as they tackle these competing imperatives. This includes the following:

New low-code features for business teams: Edge Functions allow brands to enrich and transform mobile app events instantly as they flow into Segment, while Destination Actions give users the ability to better control the behaviour of their data in downstream data destinations.

Flexible identity resolution: Segment's Identity Configuration UI gives businesses the ability to define their user identity resolution rules to achieve an accurate single view of the customer to power personalisation.

Data preparation for machine learning: Data lakes offer companies a faster path to creating customer experiences using machine learning. Segment Data Lakes reduces the time spent cleaning and preparing customer data for machine learning, so companies can connect their data to a Data Lake and drive advanced analytics and AI initiatives.

Segment states this a platform for the privacy-first world, ensuring enterprises are able to adapt and adjust to external market trends while continuing to focus on digital growth initiatives.

The company also announced new platform updates that make it easier for companies to comply with local data regulations, keep up with browser changes, align with IDFA restrictions and limit PII visibility.

Comply with local data regulations: As more countries around the world pass privacy and data residency laws, Segment states it will introduce new functionality to help customers control their data collection, starting with the ability to configure endpoints to collect data exclusively in APAC, EMEA, or in the US.

Keep up with browser changes: As companies navigate new browser developments such as Safari Intelligent Tracking Protection (ITP) and the end of the third-party cookie, In-Domain Instrumentation helps companies to collect user data via their own domain, without any proxies or additional infrastructure, the company states.

Align with IDFA restrictions: At this years WWDC, Apple made a number of privacy-related changes around the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers). Segment states it continues to support privacy-first changes and has released updates to its SDK and integrations to enable customers to adapt to these changes.

Limit PII visibility by default: As of now, all personally identifiable information (PII) is automatically masked within the Segment application, unless workspace owners are explicitly granted access.

Segment CEO and cofounder Peter Reinhardt says, "We're in the midst of the most competitive digital sprint we've ever seen, and the winners will be those with organisational agility and a true understanding of their customer base.

"Creating a successful digital-first experience hinges on harnessing reliable customer data, but that's become increasingly difficult for businesses to do. We're committed to helping companies access good data, so they can drive business growth and unlock the future of personalised experiences.

The announcement was made at CDP Week, a week-long event created to help companies develop customer experiences using first-party customer data, and follows news that Twilio has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Segment to create more personalised engagement across customer service, marketing, analytics, product and sales.