How Zoom became the coronavirus lockdown’s work-from-home video calling app of choice – beating Microsoft’s Skype and Google Hangouts
The second most-downloaded app in the world right now, it’s more than virtual backgrounds and a beautification filter which has seen Zoom kick go-to platforms like Google Hangouts and Microsoft's Skype into touch during the Covid-19 pandemic
Are you using Zoom yet?
Chances are, if you're one of the tens of millions of people currently working from home or out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic, you've quickly become familiar with the teleconferencing software.
But beyond being a productivity tool, Zoom has become a place where friends are organising virtual happy hours and where families are staying in touch as the coronavirus pandemic keeps us all separated and indoors.
Whatever the case may be, Zoom is suddenly everywhere.
Zoom Video Communications, the California-based company behind the Zoom app, isn't sharing users numbers.
The closest we've got is a statement from CEO Eric Yuan on the company's most recent investor call. “We have seen a large increase in the number of free users, meeting minutes and new video use cases,” Yuan said.
A Zoom public relations representative, Farshad Hashmatulla, added, “We believe every business has the social responsibility to contribute back to the community and to society, and it's critically important during times of crisis. With this tenet in mind, Zoom is doing everything we can to provide resources and support to those navigating the coronavirus outbreak.”
But even without Zoom providing numbers, there are some pretty stark metrics showing just how big Zoom has become in a relatively short period of time.