Zoom Wants to be More Than Just a Video-Conferencing Platform
Zoom, the video conferencing giant, recently announced the launch of Zoom Workplace, an AI-powered collaboration platform designed to transform how teams work together. While every enterprise is salivating at the thought of AI giving a massive push to their bottom line, Zoom has been compelled to adopt it facing intense competition from the likes of MegaMeeting, and Cisco’s Webex – each with their own unique selling points. Zoom is transitioning from being just a meeting application to a comprehensive collaboration platform called Zoom Workplace. In addition to its core video conferencing capabilities, the platform now includes features such as mail, chat, calendaring, and integrations with over 2,500 third-party applications in the Zoom App Marketplace. In an exclusive interview, Ricky Kapur, the head of APAC at Zoom, unveiled the company’s ambitious plans for growth, AI integration, and its strategies to penetrate tier 2 & 3 cities in emerging markets like India. The Diversification Strategy Kapur emphasised Zoom’s commitment to a federated AI model, leveraging multiple providers. “We use multiple models. We use OpenAI’s models and models from Anthropic. We allow you to bring your own model, which means you can bring your colloquialism into it,” Kapur explained. The company’s AI strategy extends beyond just using natural language processing during meetings for real-time translation and transcription. Zoom is integrating AI capabilities across its entire product suite, including AI Companion, a digital assistant that automates tasks, prepares meeting summaries, and aids in content composition. The platform also offers translation and transcription services for multilingual meetings and AI-powered insights for customer service agents using Zoom Contact Center. Moreover, since it’s repositioning itself, the company now also offers business services solutions for marketing (Zoom Events). Kapur shared examples of how companies are using this solution to reimagine customer interactions, particularly in industries like banking and retail. One notable example Kapur provided was a large banking group in Indonesia that has implemented Zoom Contact Center to provide insurance advisory services in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The bank has set up kiosks where customers can connect with advisors via video, providing a more personal and efficient service experience. They have established a network of well-equipped kiosks across the city. Each kiosk is equipped with a Zoom Contact Center and a Zoom Room, featuring a large display. “With just a click of a button, customers can connect with an advisor who guides them through a series of questions to determine their insurance needs and provide tailored advice,” said Kapur. This diversification strategy aims to capture a larger share of the enterprise software market and compete with established players in the productivity space. Competitors and a Race at Differentiation Zoom is not alone in this race, several major companies are following similar strategies, particularly in the unified communications and collaboration space. For instance, Microsoft Teams has positioned itself as a comprehensive collaboration platform that goes well beyond video meetings. Like Zoom, Teams integrates chat, video conferencing, and file sharing capabilities. However, Teams has a significant advantage in its deep integration with the Microsoft 365 suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This integration allows for seamless collaboration on documents within the Teams environment. Microsoft has also incorporated phone system capabilities and supports a wide range of third-party app integrations, similar to Zoom’s approach. Cisco Webex has also evolved into an all-in-one collaboration platform that closely resembles Zoom’s full platform strategy. Webex offers video meetings, messaging, and calling features, as well as digital whiteboarding capabilities. Like Zoom, Webex has expanded into the webinar and events space. Cisco has also heavily invested in AI-powered features, including real-time translation and transcription, which aligns with Zoom’s focus on AI integration. Google Workspace takes a slightly different approach by offering a suite of integrated tools that work together seamlessly. While not as focused on video conferencing as Zoom, Google Meet is tightly integrated with other Workspace components like Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Docs. This integration allows for a cohesive workflow across communication and productivity tools, similar to Zoom’s vision of a comprehensive platform. But Kapur stressed that the key differentiator in customer experience lies not in AI agents alone, but in the smooth handover between AI and human agents, coupled with AI-enhanced support for human representatives. “Consider a scenario where you’re facing internet connectivity issues. An AI agent can start the conversation and collect initial details, but it might hit a wall with intricate troubleshooting,” Kapur elaborated. “This is where the seamless handover to a human agent becomes invaluable, particularly when visual guidance is necessary.” He highlighted the advantage of video support in such situations, allowing customers to show their setup to agents for more effective problem-solving. Kapur noted that many existing systems lack the flexibility to switch between chat, voice, and video without requiring additional software installations for customers. Furthermore, he detailed how Zoom is enhancing human agent capabilities through AI. “We’re using advanced algorithms to analyse past tickets, conduct sentiment analysis, and provide agents with relevant product information from knowledge bases,” he said. This approach aims to equip human agents with comprehensive insights to resolve customer issues more efficiently. Focusing on SMEs and Emerging Markets The APAC head also emphasised the cost-effectiveness and simplicity of Zoom’s platform for SMEs, particularly in emerging economies like India. “We charge $20, $25 a month, whereas a competitor in that space charges $70-75. This saves an SME $50 a month for a full capability,” Kapur stated. A significant focus of Zoom’s growth strategy is capturing the SME market in emerging economies. The company is tailoring its approach to meet the unique needs of tier 2 and tier 3 cities in countries like India. Kapur outlined several initiatives, including partnering with local companies to integrate cultural and linguistic nuances into their AI models. Zoom is also exploring opportunities in sectors such as education, healthcare, and agriculture. The company is working with edtech firms to embed its video SDK into their platforms, enabling seamless integration of video conferencing capabilities for online learning. Kapur added, “We’re collaborating with healthcare providers to integrate our video platform into their existing health management systems. This initiative extends to tier 2 and tier 3 cities, where we see tremendous potential for improving patient care and connectivity.”The company is also exploring innovative use cases in agriculture, such as integrating with Skylark Drones in India, where Zoom’s technology is being used for aerial inspections and collaboration.
The APAC head also emphasised the cost-effectiveness and simplicity of Zoom’s platform for SMEs, with costs like $20, $25 a month, against competitors charging $70-75.
The APAC head also emphasised the cost-effectiveness and simplicity of Zoom's platform for SMEs, with costs like $20, $25 a month, against competitors charging $70-75.
["AI Video Generation Models"]
["Anthropic", "Go", "OpenAI", "AI", "sentiment analysis", "ML", "Git", "AI Video Generation Models", "RAG", "Aim", "R"]
["AI", "ML", "OpenAI", "Anthropic", "Aim", "RAG", "sentiment analysis", "R", "Go", "Git"]
Shyam is a tech journalist with expertise in policy and politics, and exhibits a fervent interest in scrutinising the convergence of AI and analytics in society. In his leisure time, he indulges in anime binges and mountain hikes.