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Tag: Velchamy Sankarlingam

  • Zoom Acquiring Machine Translation Firm Kites

    Zoom Acquiring Machine Translation Firm Kites

    Zoom has announced it is acquiring Kites GmbH, a firm specializing in real-time Machine Translation (MT).

    As remote work and communication platforms have surged in popularity, so has the need for real-time translation. Virtually ever major platform has been working on adding translation features.

    Zoom’s latest deal should give the company’s efforts a significant boost. Kites has its roots in the academic community, and has been working to apply AI and machine learning to real-time translation.

    “We are continuously looking for new ways to deliver happiness to our users and improve meeting productivity, and MT solutions will be key in enhancing our platform for Zoom customers across the globe,” said Velchamy Sankarlingam, President of Product and Engineering at Zoom. “With our aligned missions to make collaboration frictionless – regardless of language, geographic location, or other barriers – we are confident Kites’ impressive team will fit right in with Zoom.”

    “Kites emerged with the mission of breaking down language barriers and making seamless cross-language interaction a reality of everyday life, and we have long admired Zoom for its ability to easily connect people across the world,” said Dr. Waibel and Dr. Stüker. “We know Zoom is the best partner for Kites to help advance our mission and we are excited to see what comes next under Zoom’s incredible innovation engine.”

    The Kites team will continue to be based in Karlsruhe, Germany. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

  • Zoom Begins Offering Hardware as a Service

    Zoom Begins Offering Hardware as a Service

    Zoom has taken the next step toward world domination of the video conferencing market by offering hardware as a service (HaaS).

    As the pandemic has forced companies and individuals to change how they work and communicate, Zoom has become the clear favorite among video conferencing platforms. Although it has stumbled with some security issues, it has quickly resolved those and continued moving forward.

    Now Zoom is launching its HaaS for US customers, offering a high-quality Zoom Phone, as well as hardware for Zoom Rooms, such as wide-angle cameras and touchscreen displays.

    “Amazing hardware partnerships are a key part of Zoom’s ecosystem,” says Velchamy Sankarlingam, President of Product and Engineering at Zoom. “With many people globally coping with today’s unique challenges, easy access to hardware is critical for offices, distance learning, telehealth, and more. Zoom Hardware as a Service will help users adapt to new work-from-anywhere environments by making it easier than ever before to get access to the latest and greatest hardware for Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phone. “

    “Hardware as a Service is a game-changer that addresses key IT challenges of heavy upfront hardware costs, complex deployments, high-touch support, and cumbersome device lifecycle management,” says Roopam Jain, Industry Director, Unified Communications and Collaboration at Frost and Sullivan. “It enables flexible and cost-effective OPEX-based end-to-end deployments that future proof technology investments, allowing business users to leverage cutting-edge communications.”

    Launching Zoom HaaS is the next logical step, and allows the company to better control the user experience by taking low-quality cameras, computers and other equipment out of the equation. This will improve the overall experience for customers and likely improve brand loyalty.