Zoom is considering expanding to email, messaging, calendar to compete with productivity platforms giants like Google and Microsoft, according to new report
The COVID-19 pandemic made Zoom a household name. Now, the company could be building a suite of productivity services, according to The Information.
Carlo Allegri/AP
- Zoom's video-conferencing service experienced explosive growth in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools, offices, and social events to go virtual.
- Now, the company is considering expanding its offerings into email, calendars, and messaging services, The Information reported Wednesday.
- Pursuing services beyond video could help Zoom court corporate customers.
- But the company faces stiff competition from established platforms like Microsoft and Google in workplaces.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Zoom is planning its next act. The video communications company is considering expanding to email, messaging, and calendar services, in a bid to to rival productivity giants like Microsoft and Google, The Information reported Wednesday.
Zoom already integrates with third-party productivity platforms, like Dropbox and Asana, but now has begun work on a "next generation" email platform the Information reported, citing anonymous sources. However, the report notes that the project is in its early stages.
Zoom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The COVID-19 pandemic made Zoom a household name, becoming the video-conferencing service of choice for schools, businesses, and social events. In the second quarter of the 2021 financial year, the company's revenue totaled $663.5 million, more than it made in all of 2019, Business Insider previously reported.
But now, as the first vaccines roll out and experts say there's an end to the pandemic in sight, the company is eyeing a way to stay on top, even after employees return to offices.
With such massive adoption in 2020, Zoom's video conferencing gains are likely to be pretty incremental going forward, so additional products will be key to helping the company develop, analysts previously told Business Insider. Besides video calls, the company also offers a cloud phone service called "Zoom Phone," and conference room products called "Zoom Rooms."
According to The Information, senior executives at Zoom say that offering more in-house productivity tools, like email, calendars, and messaging services, could help the company court corporate customers.
If the project comes to fruition, Zoom will face stiff competition from giants like Microsoft and Google, which currently dominate workplaces. Amazon Web Services has in the past struggled to penetrate the market, The Information reported.