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Tag: Zoom

  • Better Late Than Never: Amazon Fire TV Cube Supports Zoom Two-Way Calling

    Better Late Than Never: Amazon Fire TV Cube Supports Zoom Two-Way Calling

    Amazon has announced its Fire TV Cube now supports two-way Zoom video calling.

    Zoom has become one of the most popular videoconferencing solutions since the onset of the pandemic. While it was already popular in the enterprise, the platform is now widely used by remote workers, remote learners, individuals and families.

    Given its popularity, it’s somewhat surprising Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is only now supporting Zoom two-way calling. The devices previously supported Zoom two-way calling via another camera-enabled Alexa device. With this update, however, the Fire TV Cube now supports Zoom natively.

    We are excited to announce that starting today you can video call friends, family, and business colleagues with the Zoom app on Fire TV.

    Users will still need to connect a USB webcam.

  • Zoom Acquiring Five9 for $14.7 Billion

    Zoom Acquiring Five9 for $14.7 Billion

    Zoom announced it is acquiring Five9, a leading intelligent cloud contact center provider, for approximately $14.7 billion.

    Zoom has been rapidly improving its product and services, building on the success of its pandemic-fueled gains. Prior to the pandemic, the company’s platform was primarily used in the enterprise, but quickly became a household name, used by workers, schoolchildren, medical professionals, individuals and families around the world.

    The company is continuing to build out its platform, as companies continue to grapple with a changed workforce in a post-pandemic reality. Zoom believes Five9 will be a valuable part of that improvement, giving Zoom users even more ways to interact with their customers.

    “We are continuously looking for ways to enhance our platform, and the addition of Five9 is a natural fit that will deliver even more happiness and value to our customers,” said Eric S. Yuan, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Zoom. “Zoom is built on a core belief that robust and reliable communications technology enables interactions that build greater empathy and trust, and we believe that holds particularly true for customer engagement. Enterprises communicate with their customers primarily through the contact center, and we believe this acquisition creates a leading customer engagement platform that will help redefine how companies of all sizes connect with their customers. We are thrilled to join forces with the Five9 team, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Zoom family.”

    The deal is an all-stock transaction, and is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to standard regulatory approvals.

  • 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 Reports First Quarter Results, Beats Estimates

    Zoom Reports First Quarter Results, Beats Estimates

    Zoom reported its first quarter results, beating estimates amid strong growth in revenue and customers.

    The company reported revenue of $956.2 million, an increase of 191% year over year. Customers contributing more than $100,000 in yearly revenue was up roughly 160%, at 1,999. Zoom also reported 497,000 with more than 10 employees, an increase of 87% from the year-ago quarter.

    Analysts were expecting yearly revenue to come in at $3.8 billion and $3.77 a share. Instead, Zoom raised its revenue guidance to between $3.975 billion and $3.99 billion, and earnings per share between $4.56 and $4.61.

    “We kicked off the fiscal year with a very strong first quarter, posting 191% total year-over-year revenue growth combined with strong profitability and cash flow. Our steadfast commitment to empowering customers to work and learn from anywhere with our expansive, innovative, and frictionless video communications platform continued to drive our results. With this solid start, we are pleased to raise our total guidance range to $3.975 billion to $3.990 billion for the full fiscal year,” said Zoom founder and CEO, Eric S. Yuan. “We have also opened our technology portfolio to developers through our powerful video SDK and to businesses to expand their reach through Zoom Events. Work is no longer a place, it’s a space where Zoom serves to empower your teams to connect and bring their best ideas to life. We are energized to help lead the evolution to hybrid work that allows greater flexibility, productivity, and happiness to both in-person and virtual connections.”

  • Zoom Adds iPad Pro Center Stage Support

    Zoom Adds iPad Pro Center Stage Support

    Zoom is releasing a major update to its iPad client, adding support for the iPad Pro’s Center Stage, as well as 48-person Gallery View.

    While the move to the M1 processor and mini-LED display stole the show when Apple introduced the new iPad Pro, it was the Center Stage announcement that had many professionals ready to upgrade.

    For individuals using an iPad Pro as their primary machine (such as yours truly) the offset camera is a constant irritation. It’s impossible to look at the camera without appearing to the other participants as if you’re staring offscreen.

    Center Stage solves that problem, using a wide angle camera and machine learning, to keep you centered onscreen. Apple quickly announced the feature would not only work with FaceTime, but with third-party video apps as well.

    Zoom’s latest release adopts the feature, bringing a welcome improvement to company meetings.

    With support for Center Stage, you can participate more naturally in our Zoom video calls. Never again worry about whether you’re out of frame during a workout, teaching a class, or celebrating with friends and family over Zoom.

    Another major new addition to this release is expanded Gallery View, with support for 48 video tiles, up from 25 in the previous version. While only the 2021 iPad Pro will increase to 48 tiles, Zoom says previous models will get an expanded Gallery View as well, although the number of added tiles will depend on the device and screen size.

  • Zoom Announces Zoom Events to Tackle Virtual Experiences

    Zoom Announces Zoom Events to Tackle Virtual Experiences

    Zoom has announced it will release Zoom Events this summer, in an effort to help companies of all sizes tackle virtual events.

    The virtualization of in-person events has been just one of the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything from big events — like Apple’s WWDC and Microsoft’s events — to smaller companies’ sales summits have gone virtual. For many companies, however, it can still be a challenge to successfully pull off a digital event.

    Zoom hopes to change that with its upcoming Zoom Events platform.

    Zoom Events offers something for a variety of use cases – from enabling large businesses to seamlessly manage and host internal events like all-hands and sales summits and external events like user conferences, to smaller businesses and entrepreneurs who have been using OnZoom to create, host, and monetize events including fitness and cooking classes, theatrical presentations, and more. As part of the launch of Zoom Events, OnZoom, currently in Beta, will be rebranded and folded into Zoom Events, and can be either private, or searched and explored publicly.

    The company sees a future for the platform that extends far beyond the pandemic. In fact, Zoom cites research showing that 80% of people believe a virtual element will continue post-pandemic, with 52% of respondents planning on enjoying both in-person and virtual events.

    “It’s an exciting time to be at Zoom where the pace of innovation continues to accelerate,” said Oded Gal, chief product officer at Zoom. “We know that people are looking for flexibility in how they attend events in the future. The hybrid model is here to stay, and Zoom Events is a perfect solution for our customers who are looking to produce and host customer, company, and public events with an easy, yet powerful solution. This is another way we’re helping customers scale to meet consumer demands and the evolving virtual and hybrid landscape.”

  • Microsoft Launches Teams for Friends and Family

    Microsoft Launches Teams for Friends and Family

    Microsoft is making its personal feature in Teams available to the public in a bid to grow the platform beyond corporate use.

    Microsoft Teams has emerged as one of the premier methods of corporate communication, its popularity boosted significantly by the pandemic and remote work. The company wants to build on that and boost Teams’ popularity among individual users, much like Zoom and Skype.

    The company began rolling out personal features last year, and has been testing the features ever since. Today, the personal features are now officially part of Teams, and will make it easy for users to communicate and share content, such as photos, files, calendars, tasks and web links.

    Teams will allow one-to-one calls for up to 24 hours free, as well as free 60 minute calls for up to 100 participants. During the pandemic, however, Microsoft waiving that limitation and allowing up to 300 participants to speak for free for up to 24 hours.

    Liat Ben-Zur, Corporate Vice President, Modern Life, Search, and Devices, made the announcement in a blog post.

    Personal features in Teams are available today, for free, and for people around the world. If you’re using Teams for work, just click on your profile to add a personal account. If you’re new to Teams, you can download the iOS, Android, or desktop app to get started today. You can also use Teams on any web browser, including my personal favorite, Microsoft Edge. Learn more about personal features in Teams.

    We’re so excited that Microsoft Teams, which so many of us have come to rely on at work, can now help people connect and get things done with their family and friends. We can’t wait to hear your feedback and look forward to delivering more features over time.

  • Zoom Unveils Immersive View

    Zoom Unveils Immersive View

    Zoom has unveiled Immersive View, a way to bring together virtual participants into a single, cohesive view.

    Apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Skype and others have been instrumental to helping companies and individuals stay productive during the pandemic. In spite of their benefit, however, constantly being in virtual meetings has taken a toll on many employees, leading to what’s popularly called “Zoom fatigue.”

    Zoom is working to address that with its new Immersive View, designed to bring everyone together virtually in a way that feels more familiar and (hopefully) less taxing.

    Immersive View allows hosts to arrange video participants and webinar panelists into a single virtual background, bringing people together into one scene to connect and collaborate in a cohesive virtual meeting space.

    Whether you want to create the feeling of being in a classroom, a boardroom, a conference auditorium, or your favorite place to catch up with friends, Zoom’s Immersive View assembles up to 25 participants in one fun, consistent meeting environment.

    The new feature is similar to Microsoft Teams’ Together Mode, which the Redmond giant rolled out in July of last year. While Zoom may be nearly a year late to the party, at least it arrived with a catchier name.

  • iPad Pro’s Center Stage Will Work With Third-Party Video Apps

    iPad Pro’s Center Stage Will Work With Third-Party Video Apps

    Apple has answered a big question about the upcoming Center Stage iPad Pro feature, stating it will work with third-party video apps.

    One of the most frustrating things about videoconferencing on an iPad is the placement of the camera. Because the camera is placed at the top of the screen when held in portrait mode, it is off to the side when in landscape mode, such as when it’s in a keyboard case. As a result, looking at the screen during a video conference makes it appear as if the person is looking off to the side — because they are, in relation to the camera.

    When Apple unveiled the new iPad Pro at its Spring Loaded event, one of the most promising features was one called Center Stage. Using the iPad’s Ultra Wide camera, in combination with machine learning, Center Stage keeps the user centered in the screen, appearing to look directly at the camera.

    One of the biggest questions was whether the new feature would only work with FaceTime, or if it would support third-party apps, such as Zoom, Skype or Teams. Apple has clarified on its iPad Pro page that the feature will work with third-party apps.

    The all‑new Center Stage uses the Ultra Wide camera and machine learning to change the way you participate in video calls. As you move around, it automatically pans to keep you centered in the frame. When others join in or leave the call, the view expands or zooms in. Center Stage works with FaceTime and other video conferencing apps for an even more engaging experience

    The news will remove a significant irritation for anyone primarily using an iPad Pro for their work and virtual meetings.

  • Zoom Launches $100 Million Fund to Stimulate Zoom Apps Ecosystem

    Zoom Launches $100 Million Fund to Stimulate Zoom Apps Ecosystem

    Zoom has launched a $100 million fund to help stimulate and grow the app ecosystem surrounding the videoconferencing platform.

    Zoom emerged as a front-runner in the early days of the pandemic, with companies, schools, religious organizations and individuals turning to the platform to stay connected. As a result, Zoom experienced meteoric growth, far outpacing some of its rivals.

    The company is looking to ensure its long-term success, by helping build out the ecosystem of apps, hardware and integrations that will continue to improve the service Zoom offers.

    “I founded Zoom in 2011, nearly ten years ago. Without the support of early investors, Zoom would not be what it is today,” said Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom. “What I’ve learned over the past year is that we need to keep meetings productive and fun. My hope is that the Zoom Apps Fund will help our customers meet happier and collaborate even more seamlessly, and at the same time help entrepreneurs build new businesses as our platform evolves.”

    According to Zoom, portfolio companies will be eligible for investments “between $250,000 and $2.5 million to build solutions that will become core to how Zoom customers meet, communicate, and collaborate.”

  • Microsoft Teams Now Features Live Transcription

    Microsoft Teams Now Features Live Transcription

    Microsoft Teams has added live transcription, along with speaker attribution, as the battle over corporate communication heats up.

    Microsoft Teams has quickly emerged as one of leading corporate messaging platforms, and a part of Microsoft’s business that could one day rival and surpass the web browser in importance.

    An important new feature is live transcription in Teams meetings. The feature uses artificial intelligence to analyze the participants and meeting details to accurately transcribe the contents.

    Live transcription in Teams uses a meeting’s invitation, participant names, attachments, etc. to improve the accuracy and recognize meeting-specific jargon for each transcript automatically, without any human involvement. This means no one at Microsoft ever sees the meeting’s content, and the models are automatically deleted immediately after each meeting. In addition, Microsoft doesn’t use or store this data for improving its own AI.

    Webex, Google Chrome and Zoom all have closed captioning or transcription. Microsoft including the feature in Teams is an important step in maintaining its position in the market.

  • WSJ: Zoom Is Harder On Extroverts

    WSJ: Zoom Is Harder On Extroverts

    With the massive change toward remote working that has taken place over the last year, different personality types have had to adjust to Zoom. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article today that concluded that Zoom video conferencing is surprisingly harder on extroverts than introverts. Experts interviewed said that Zoom is “less satisfying” for extroverts who thrive when talking in-person.

    “One area where extroverts excel is the in-the-moment processing of bodily cues,” says William Lamson, an assistant professor of psychology in clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine. But because video calls are more about talking heads, extroverts end up “using more focus and not likely getting the same reward as a live interaction,” Dr. Lamson says.

    Extroverts don’t do well with the structure of Zoom calls also:

    Extroverts can also chafe at some of the structure and controls that videoconferencing platforms impose on conversations, says Elias Aboujaoude, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. Functions such as muting, for example, control the conversation in a way that does not happen with in-person conversations, says Dr. Aboujaoude.

    Introverts, on the other hand, do much better with more structure in conversation with workmates:

    “There is less spontaneous water-cooler chitchat, which isn’t necessarily their forte and can sometimes provoke anxiety,” says Dr. Aboujaoude.

    Video meetings feature frequent glitches that can offer some cover to introverts who often worry about how they look to others. “Introverts can be harsh critics of their social performance and second-guess what they have said in social settings,” says Dr. Aboujaoude. 

  • Microsoft and Verizon Deepen Teams/BlueJeans Partnership

    Microsoft and Verizon Deepen Teams/BlueJeans Partnership

    Verizon has announced further integration between Microsoft Teams and its BlueJeans videoconferencing platform.

    Verizon purchased BlueJeans in April 2019, in the early days of the pandemic, in an effort to gain a bigger piece of the remote work and collaboration market. Verizon quickly started buildingon BlueJeans’ existing features, and added partnerships to help speed its adoption.

    Microsoft Teams is one of the biggest partnerships Verizon has managed to score, and today’s announcement furthers that with enhancements to BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams (BlueJeans Gateway). Pairing the two services helps companies collaborate, regardless of their physical location.

    Verizon has also been named one of Microsoft’s launch partners for Operator Connect, an initiative to create “a direct peering relationship between the Microsoft Teams platform and Verizon’s far-reaching SIP trunking network.” The goal of Operator Connect is to bring PSTN calling to Teams, along with enterprise-grade security, reliability and management.

    “The pandemic has intensified the need for organizations to have enterprise-grade collaboration solutions for their global workforces to stay connected and work more effectively from every possible environment,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, President of Global Enterprise at Verizon Business. “These latest updates to our advanced communications portfolio with the BlueJeans Gateway and Microsoft’s new Operator Connect platform, further simplify how enterprises can readily deploy solutions at-scale to streamline connectivity, extract the most value from existing investments, and future-proof collaboration infrastructure to meet the most pressing demands of the hybrid workplace.”

  • Real-Time Translation Coming to Cisco WebEx

    Real-Time Translation Coming to Cisco WebEx

    In the battle for the videoconferencing market, Cisco has announced that WebEx will be gaining live translation for more than 100 languages.

    Zoom may have become the poster child for pandemic-based videoconferencing, but WebEx remains a popular choice, especially among businesses, thanks to its blend of features, price and security. Like Zoom, Teams and others, WebEx has continued to evolve and add features customers need, especially as a result of the current state of remote work.

    In one of its biggest additions, available for testing later this month, Cisco is adding live translation for more than 100 languages.

    In late March, Webex will begin a trial of real-time translation – from English to 100+ languages (note not all dialects included in translations). That means, non-native English speakers and/or hearing-impaired participants can choose closed captioning translation from English to one of the 108 additional languages supported from Afrikaans to Zulu. Real-time translation aids understanding and creates a more inclusive meeting, where language no longer be a barrier to great collaboration.

    The feature will likely help WebEx make inroads in multi-language teams, providing an effective way to communicate without purchasing expensive, third-party translation services.

    The feature is expected to be generally available in May.

  • Oracle Gets Boost From Barron’s Coverage of Company’s Cloud Business

    Oracle Gets Boost From Barron’s Coverage of Company’s Cloud Business

    Oracle’s stock has seen its best day in nearly a year on positive coverage of its cloud business by Barron’s, although some critics are not impressed.

    Oracle is the dominant company in the database business, and provides a range of middleware applications. The company has been working to gain a bigger portion of the cloud computing market, with mixed results.

    Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, a former Oracle executive, famously called Oracle Cloud “a disgrace.” The company has also faced a lawsuit claiming executives hid issues with Oracle’s ability to compete in the cloud market.

    On the other hand, Oracle has scored some significant winsagainst its larger rivals, gaining business from Albertsons, Humana, McDonald’s and Xactly. The company also poached 8×8 from AWS and saw Zoom use Oracle’s Cloud for its latest expansion.

    Barron’s featured an articled entitled: “Oracle Is Turning Into a Cloud Giant. Why Its Stock Is a Buy.” The article made the case that Oracle could leverage its existing software and services to help grow its cloud business, potentially becoming the next major cloud player.

    As a result of the coverage, Oracle stock rose 5%, it’s biggest single-day gains in nearly a year. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if Barron’s optimism is warranted. As of 2018, Oracle doesn’t break out its cloud earnings in its quarterly reports, making it hard to judge just how well the company’s cloud business is growing.

    CNBC points out that Oracle only reported a 1.9% growth in revenue in its latest report, far short of the estimated 37% growth rate of the cloud market in 2019. Again, without knowing what role Oracle’s cloud business played in its quarterly results, it’s hard to get an accurate read on well its business is doing. At the same time, however, 1.9% is not an encouraging growth rate.

  • East Coast Outage Impacts Google, Slack, Verizon, Zoom, AWS

    East Coast Outage Impacts Google, Slack, Verizon, Zoom, AWS

    A major outage is impacting customers on the East Coast, with some of the most critical companies being affected.

    Users of Google, Slack, Verizon, Zoom, AWS and others began reporting issues around 11:00 AM Tuesday. According to DownDetector, the issues seem to be localized to an area ranging from Washington, D.C. up the cost to Boston.

    Replying to one customer on Twitter, Verizon seemed to indicate the issue was the result of a fiber line being cut in Brooklyn, NY.

    https://twitter.com/phuhcue1/status/1354116168324415493?s=21

    As Verizon says, there is no estimated time for repair. Needless to say, in the meantime, the issue is wreaking havoc on remote workers and schoolchildren.

  • Zoom Executive Charged For Shutting Down Meetings For China

    Zoom Executive Charged For Shutting Down Meetings For China

    US prosecutors have charged a China-based Zoom executive for shutting down meetings on behalf of Chinese authorities.

    Xinjiang Jin, also known as Julien Jin, is accused of fabricating reasons to take action against various accounts, especially those critical of or commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre, according to The New York Times. Jin is accused of gaining access to meetings and then posting prohibited content, such as child pornography or terrorism-related items, in order to get the meetings flagged and shut down.

    “Americans should understand that the Chinese government will not hesitate to exploit companies operating in China to further their international agenda, including repression of free speech,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement.

    Zoom has since fired Jin and has placed other employees on administrative leave while it conducts an internal investigation. The company’s investigation has already shown that Jin accessed and shared user data with Chinese authorities, although Zoom says it was “fewer than 10 individual users” outside of China. This was despite Zoom’s efforts to restrict China-based employees from accessing the company’s global network.

    To date, Jin has not been arrested and will likely not be, given that he was aiding Chinese authorities. As the NYT points out, however, this is a significant escalation for US prosecutors, emphasizing the tightrope American tech companies operating in China must walk.

  • Zoom Planning Big Moves Against Microsoft and Google

    Zoom Planning Big Moves Against Microsoft and Google

    Zoom has experienced meteoric growth as a result of the pandemic, but it isn’t resting on its laurels as it plans to take on Microsoft and Google.

    Prior to the pandemic, Zoom was primarily an enterprise service, but its popularity has broadened significantly. Now the platform is used, not only for business and enterprise, but for remote schooling, religious services and socialization.

    The company is planning to capitalize on its success, moving into areas traditionally dominated by Microsoft and Google. According to The Information, Zoom is planning to launch email and calendar services. This would the put the company in direction competition with Microsoft Outlook, as well as Google Workspace.

    Zoom is expected to make the email service available to some customers as soon as next year, although there is less information on the calendar service. The company has also been hiring for positions involving integration with third-party services, such as Dropbox and Asana.

    Should The Information’s sources be correct, this would represent a significant move for Zoom and would likely be a big win, especially if the company can offer a well-integrated, comprehensive experience.

  • RingCentral Takes On Zoom With Free RingCentral Glip Pro

    RingCentral Takes On Zoom With Free RingCentral Glip Pro

    RingCentral has introduced its free Glip Pro, in an effort to take on Zoom and address some of the challenges with digital collaboration.

    As the pandemic forced companies and employees to work remotely and collaborate digitally, “virtual meeting fatigue” has become a real concern. Many studies and surveys have shown that virtual meetings are more taxing for individuals than in-person meetings.

    RingCentral is trying to make a difference with its Glip Pro.

    “We’re excited to announce the launch of RingCentral Glip Pro, a free, unlimited, easy-to-use solution that offers high-quality video and audio conferencing, seamlessly integrated with team messaging, file sharing, contact, task, and calendar management — resulting in a Smart Video Meetings™ experience,” writes RingCentral’s William Lau.

    “Today’s employees work in hybrid environments—any combination of office, home, and anywhere in between. RingCentral Glip is designed to drive collaboration no matter where employees work from.”

    The platform is designed to combine the best of messaging and video calling. Users can start a video call directly from a chat with a single click, making it easier to collaborate across mediums. Glip Pro video meetings provide HD quality, up to 100 attendees and a 24-hour time limit, a major selling point compared to Zoom’s free tier.

  • Tech Giants Form Modern Computing Alliance to Transform Cloud

    Tech Giants Form Modern Computing Alliance to Transform Cloud

    Some of the biggest names in tech have formed the Modern Computing Alliance, with the goal of transforming the cloud and its tools.

    Cloud computing has become one of the biggest, most important trends in modern computing. Already well under way, the migration to cloud computing went into overdrive as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies around the world are relying on cloud computing to manage remote employees, stay productive and adapt to a new reality.

    Unfortunately, migrating to the cloud is not always an easy task, especially for companies with decades of investment in legacy systems. The Modern Computing Alliance is aimed at “aligning standards and technologies to provide companies with the choice of high-performance, cloud-first computing solutions from the vendor of their choice who provide modern solutions for the modern era of business.”

    Google’s John Solomon, VP Chrome OS, outlined the alliance’s vision in a blog post:

    To drive ‘silicon-to-cloud’ innovation for the benefit of enterprise customers—fueling a differentiated modern computing platform and providing additional choice for integrated business solutions.

    Solomon emphasized that any strong alliance needs a strong diversity of members, to help bring unique perspectives to the table. The Modern Computing Alliance certainly meets that criteria with its founding members: Box, Citrix, Dell, Google, Imprivata, Intel, Okta, RingCentral, Slack, VMWare and Zoom.

    The Modern Computing Alliance members are specifically focused on four key areas:

    • Performance
    • Security and Identity
    • Remote, Collaboration and Productivity
    • Healthcare

    “The shared goal among the Modern Computing Alliance members is to fuel innovation in these key areas and provide customers with preferred choices without the tradeoffs they may face with a single vendor,” writes VMware’s Kenny Takahashi.

    “Customers will play an integral role in the Modern Computing Alliance through the Modern Computing IT Council, which will provide a forum for IT champions to make themselves heard. Customer IT Council participants will have exclusive lines of communication with Modern Computing Alliance members and help define the future of computing through research, advisory workshops, roadmap inputs, and solution testing.”

    The Modern Computing Alliance looks like a promising step in the right direction toward making cloud computing even easier.

  • Zoom the Most Downloaded iOS App of 2020

    Zoom the Most Downloaded iOS App of 2020

    Apple has released its yearly report of the most popular apps and, to no one’s surprise, Zoom was the most popular iOS app in 2020.

    Few apps have become synonymous with the pandemic as much as Zoom. As employees went home to work remotely, Zoom quickly rose to become one of the most common choices. It has also enjoyed wide use among schools, colleges and churches, as well as individuals and families looking to socialize virtually.

    As a result, Zoom quickly skyrocketed from 10 million daily users to 300 million. The company has also repeatedly beat analyst estimates for its quarterly earnings.

    Apple’s report is just the latest indication that Zoom is the company to beat among pandemic-fueled communication platforms.