At SurpraSphere we believe that our products should be research-based and customer-driven. While our product offering originated from an identified need in investment management firms, we recognize that a strong knowledge of the ways that people most easily communicate in different contexts is essential to building the best product for our clients' needs. Consequently, we regularly use current research on relevant topics to supplement our direct work with clients. While many companies have products which are "customer-driven", we believe that waiting until customers articulate a need in the form of a product or feature request can be an inefficient method for meeting those needs. By asking the right questions, understanding the relevant research, and listening to our customers' feedback of how they might best deploy real-time communications, we feel we provide superior solutions in adapting instant messaging to the way investment management firms work. For an example of an article that reflects our product development philosophy go here or see our Industry Links Page to review current research on communication using real-time technologies.