Lua (company)

Lua Technologies, Inc.

Type	Private
Founded	2011
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Founder(s)	Michael DeFranco, Jason Krigsfeld, Eli Bronner
Website	getlua.com
Type of site	Business communication
Available in	English
Native client(s) on	iOS, Android, web browser (Windows, Macintosh, Linux), desktop (Windows, Macintosh)

Lua is a mobile messaging software for businesses. It provides encrypted real-time messaging, calling,^[1] file sharing, and communication analytics.^[2][3] It is available for Android, iOS, desktop (Windows, Macintosh) and through a web browser. The company released its analytics dashboard, Lua Insights, in July 2014, with the aim of helping managers draw conclusions about the effectiveness of their team’s communication.^[3]

The company is based in New York City.

History

Michael DeFranco (Founder), Strauss Zelnick (CEO, Zelnick Media) and John Maloney (ex-President of Tumblr) speak on a panel about enterprise mobility.

Lua was founded in early 2011 by Michael DeFranco and co-founders Eli Bronner and Jason Krigsfeld. According to DeFranco, he first gained inspiration for the product when, as a high school student working for his parents’ company iMapData, he helped out with software that was used by disaster relief teams following Hurricane Katrina.^[4] In March 2012, Lua was selected to be a member of the Techstars program in New York.^[5]

Features

• Secure Real-Time Messaging - 256 bit TLS encrypted instant messaging between individual coworkers, groups, or entire departments.

• Instant Group Calling - One-touch calling from within the app between any number of coworkers without dial-in passcodes. A dedicated number is saved into the phone's contact list so the user knows when they receive a group call.

• Interactive Directory - People tab is an organized directory that is synced across the organization

• File Sharing - Attach any photo or file type to a message, attachments are stored in a dedicated repository.

     —Media: video, audio, photos

     —Productivity: .pdf, .doc, .xls, .ppt, etc.

• ReadReports - Enables users to see who has or has not read their message or viewed their files.

• Insights - Insights dashboard on the Web delivers real-time analytics about team communication including message read percentage and inter-departmental communication frequency

• Security - Platform includes 256-bit TLS encryption and SOC 1 audited physical security.

• Smartwatch Compatible - Lua users can receive messages on their Android Wear smartwatches and the Apple Watch

• Admin Console - Lua administrators can manage all features - users, contact details, network settings - within one portal, across devices.

Major Updates

In July 2014 Lua released its analytics dashboard, Lua Insights, with the aim of helping managers draw conclusions about the effectiveness of their team’s communication

In November 2014 Lua announced integration with Microsoft Active Directory^[6]

In March 2015 Lua announced a full integration with Citrix ShareFile^[7] and the addition of an interactive directory which displays employee contact information and photo as well as allowing users to message a group or entire department

In April 2015 Lua released the Admin Console in order to centralize all aspects of managing a business’ Lua account.^[8]

In May 2015 Lua announced the release of desktop applications for Windows and Macintosh^[9]

Compliance With Industry Regulations

• HIPAA - Lua has undergone an external HIPAA audit and has been found to be compliant. The company signs Business Associate Agreements with healthcare clients.^[10]

• GovCloud - Lua is integrated into Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud, the US government’s secure cloud network. This integration include compliance with U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) regulations as well as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements.^[11]

Culture

Lua is located in the Flatiron District of New York City. Its office was featured in the New York Post as one of New York City’s coolest companies.^[12] The office space reflects the Hawaiian heritage of Lua’s founder and is adorned with Hawaiian philosophies that drive Lua’s business culture.

References

1. Perenson, Melissa. "Lua: A messaging app that makes it easy to dial everyone in". CITEWorld.
2. Fulton, Scott. "Lua asks, can collaboration be managed with analytics?". Fierce Enterprise Communications.
3. Howlett, Den. "Team Rubicon - Living Outside the Inbox for First Responder Disaster Relief". Diginomica.
4. All, Ann. "Startup Spotlight: Lua’s Mobile Coordination Software". Enterprise Apps Today.
5. Tiku, Nitasha. "Everything You Want to Know About the Spring 2012 Class of Techstars for Demo Day". BetaBeat.
6. "Lua Announces Active Directory Integration To Further Simplify and Accelerate How Business Gets Done". PRWeb. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
7. Koh, Kohzy. "Share and Discuss More Files with Lua's ShareFile Integration". blog.getlua.com. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
8. Lane, Austin. "Lua Admin, Meet Lua’s Enhanced Admin Console". blog.getlua.com. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
9. Lane, Austin. "Lua Desktop Apps Are Here: Get Them Now!". Retrieved 14 May 2015.
10. Koh, Kohzy. "Announcing HIPAA-Compliant Messaging". blog.getlua.com. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
11. "Lua Announces Integration with AWS GovCloud". PRWeb. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
12. Chen, Jason. "The sleek offices of 4 of NYC’s coolest companies". New York Post. New York Post. Retrieved 1 May 2015.