Zoom Rebrands as AI-First Company, Dropping 'Video' from Its Name

Zoom says it's no longer a video company. What that means for your meetings

Zoom is implementing a serious injection of AI - which includes your potential 'digital twin.' Zoom, the video communication service whose star rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, is getting out of the video call game -- well, sort of. In an announcement on Monday, the company said that, while people might not realize it, its official name is "Zoom Video Communications Inc." because that's where its focus lies. And while that's still a priority, Zoom says, the future is about "so much more than video meetings." Also: Can your old PC handle the Windows 11 upgrade? How to find out - before you try As a result, video is out, and the company is now just "Zoom Communications." Here's what that might mean for you. Like every other company, Zoom says a serious injection of artificial intelligence (AI) is on the way. "What may have been a 'nice-to-have' is now a 'must-have,'" the company explained, calling its Zoom AI Companion the "heartbeat" of its future. Right now, the feature can catch you up on meetings, compose messages, and more. In the future, Zoom hopes to continue developing new AI capabilities, perhaps even "a fully customizable digital twin" that knows exactly what you do and can free up your workday -- to the point of allowing you to work just four days a week. If that sounds crazy, Zoom points out that the standard work week used to be 48 hours until Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing. Also: Tech winners and losers of 2024: The year in true innovation and total product flops Moving forward, Zoom seems to be focusing on your overall workday, not just your morning or afternoon video call. It already has Zoom Docs, which lets you work collaboratively on documents both in and out of meetings, and Team Chat, which lets you access a meeting chat, share a whiteboard, jump into a meeting, and more. In short, your video calls aren't going anywhere, and Zoom will continue to be what it's been. Just expect to see more collaboration before and after the meeting ends, as well as AI all around to hopefully make your work life a little easier.

Zoom reveals major rebrand -- dropping video as it goes all-in on AI

The company is now going all-in on its Workplace office software Zoom has rebranded itself in a major shift away from the video conferencing solution that we've all come to know and "love" - and the company now wants you to know it as an "AI-first work platform for human connection." In a blog post entitled "Allow us to reintroduce ourselves," CEO Eric Yuan recalls the founding of the company in 2011, when its goal was to become the "best video conferencing solution on the market," a target it certainly delivered on during the pandemic when the rise of video calling allowed it to become synonymous with both personal and workplace communications. The so-called "Zoom 2.0" now wants to be so much more than just a video conferencing solution, but don't worry, video calls aren't going anywhere just yet. Speaking about advances in artificial intelligence, Yuan now describes Zoom as an "AI-first company," and key to this is AI Companion which is integrated throughout the Zoom Workplace portfolio. In a bold statement, Yuan proposed: "Over time, we believe these capabilities will translate into a fully customizable digital twin equipped with your institutional knowledge, freeing up a whole day's worth of work and allowing you to work just four days per week." Previously a 48-hour affair, the CEO recalls Henry Ford's work in automation to bring the typical working week down to 40 hours. He now wants to bring back another eight hours to everyone's lives. "Zoom is now about so much more than video meetings," said Yuan, who has removed the 'Video' from the company's formal name - 'Zoom Video Communications, Inc.' The company hasn't shared details of where it's heading in terms of new product launches, but the newly added Zoom Docs and the upgraded Zoom AI Companion 2.0 suggest it could be looking on to take more established giants like Microsoft and Google. The firm also announced that third-quarter revenue stood at $1.177 billion, marking a 3.6% year-over-year growth. Fourth-quarter figures aren't predicted to be so healthy, with anticipated revenue of between $1.175 billion and $1.180 billion.

Zoom's new AI rebrand seems a little short-sighted

Zoom wants to be known for more than just video (Image credit: Zoom) Ask anyone what they think of when they hear the word Zoom, and they'll probably say video calls. The conferencing app came into its own during the Coronavirus lockdown, with everything from HR meetings to birthday parties taking place via the software. But in a somewhat surprising move, it seems Zoom is keen to change the channel when it comes to its video-centric reputation. Zoom has today relaunched as an 'AI-first' company, dropping 'video' from its name and going 'far beyond video in the future of work'. Zoom is by no means the first company to embrace AI in its branding, but will shifting focus from its most famous feature to something altogether more zeitgeisty prove a wise move in the long-run? (For more inspiration, check out the best rebrands of all time.) "Although you may know Zoom as, well, "Zoom," you may be surprised to learn that our official name is "Zoom Video Communications Inc." Until now, this accurately reflected the solutions we provided, as we were heavily focused on helping people around the world connect with one another using our video communications software," announces Zoom's CEO Eric S. Yuan in a blog post. "While that is still a priority, Zoom is now about so much more than video meetings. We are an AI-first company delivering modern, hybrid work solutions that enable you to collaborate seamlessly. And that's why today, we are officially dropping "video" from our legal name. Starting today, we'll be known simply as Zoom Communications Inc." Zoom has been keen to highlight its tools outside of video for a while. Back in 2021 the company debuted a new logo designed to emphasise its entire suite of features. " With this new brand direction, Zoom is highlighting tools such as its new AI Companion. "Our AI assistant, Zoom AI Companion, is the heartbeat of our evolution into an AI-first company and is critical in helping our customers uncover new opportunities for greater productivity," Yuan adds. "Over time, we believe these capabilities will translate into a fully customisable digital twin equipped with your institutional knowledge, freeing up a whole day's worth of work and allowing you to work just four days per week." While the company's AI push certainly makes sense, reframing the entire brand around it does seem a little... impulsive. Sure, AI isn't quite the passing fad that, say, NFTs were, but focussing solely on the 'next big thing' does feel like one way of ensuring you'll need to rebrand again in a few years' time. Mark Zuckerberg's obsession with the metaverse seems a little quaint now that AI has usurped it as a buzzword - but his company is stuck with the name 'Meta'. But hey, time will tell whether Zoom's new brand direction proves successful - and helps establish its reputation as a brand that offers more than just video. But as we've seen with the disastrous Jaguar rebrand this month, it can be extremely risky for a brand to ignore its heritage.

Zoom's rebrand wants you to forget video because AI is the cool new thing

Weekend poll: What Twitter-like social networks are you using and why? Key Takeaways Zoom rebrands as Zoom Communications Inc. to reflect a new direction powered by AI. Zoom's AI Companion will assist users by handling mundane tasks to increase productivity. The brand aims to evolve to keep up with competition by integrating AI into its services. Calls and text used to be enough. But there are a lot of great alternate ways to communicate nowadays, with video calls being popular among friends, family, and even colleagues. Of course, there are a lot of different options when it comes to services, but Zoom is one of the best video chat apps available, and if you haven't used it before, you most certainly know about it. Related Google Meet and Zoom achieve bilateral interoperability The basic features of one platform work on the other's interface now Of course, there are a lot of competitors now in this space, like Slack and Google Meet, which means the company has faced some stiff competition. With that said, it appears that Zoom is finally ready to break out of its mold and move in a new direction, shedding its old name and rebranding, going from Zoom Video Communications Inc. to Zoom Communications Inc. A new direction that's powered by AI Source: Zoom The news was announced through the company blog, sharing that the brand is now "an AI-first company delivering modern, hybrid work solutions that enable you to collaborate seamlessly." While things will begin to change, that doesn't mean it hasn't already been expanding its efforts, adding a wealth of features and services to its portfolio that expand outside video services. Of course, like most companies, the brand is embracing AI and integrating it into its current and future innovations. The Zoom AI Companion will be the "heartbeat" of the brand's evolution, according to the website, and it will be "critical in helping our customers uncover new opportunities for greater productivity." The AI assistatnt will become a constant in the Zoom Workplace. It will be able to free up users' time by shouldering the load when it comes to more mundane tasks like "summarizing meeting tasks, drafting email responses, and preparing for meetings." The main goal here is to free up more time for its users, allowing them to focus on what's important and also make get extra time out of the work day. The brand is even optimistic, sharing that its AI may even be able to free up an entire day. For the most part, this is already something lots of companies are doing, and it doesn't appear that Zoom is doing much that strays from the path when compared to other services. Of course, Zoom's popularity was at its height during the pandemic, so it only makes sense that the brand would try and evolve in order to stay ahead or at least keep up with the competition.

Zoom -- the breakout star of COVID-19 -- is now an AI-focused company

Zoom has rebranded itself from "Zoom Video Communications Inc." to "Zoom Communications Inc." to emphasize its commitment to becoming an AI-first company. CEO Eric Yuan announced this move in a blog post, articulating a focus on enhancing corporate communications through AI-centric tools and products. Zoom's AI-first strategy aims to create a "federated approach" that allows users to work more productively and efficiently. The company introduced the AI Companion, a tool integrated into Zoom Workplace that assists users by summarizing meeting tasks, drafting email responses, and preparing individuals for meetings. The functionalities of the AI Companion are designed to minimize time spent on trivial tasks and enable users to concentrate on more meaningful work. According to the company, its AI advancements could potentially "free up a whole day's worth of work" and facilitate a four-day workweek for employees. Zoom's pivot to an AI-first model isn't unique, as many Big Tech companies are also investing heavily in artificial intelligence. Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are projected to allocate approximately $300 billion in AI-related capital expenditures next year, with expectations for even more significant investments by 2026, according to Morgan Stanley estimates. Microsoft recently revealed a $13 billion equity investment in OpenAI, signaling a deeper financial commitment beyond their previously stated partnership. Google has also embraced AI, with CEO Sundar Pichai noting that over 25% of new code at the company is now generated by AI technologies. This shift is perceived as enhancing productivity and efficiency, as generated code undergoes employee review to ensure quality. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has hinted at renaming his company to better align with its AI aspirations, highlighting the broader trend within the tech sector to reflect an AI-focused identity. Despite the optimism surrounding AI integration, challenges persist in the implementation of these technologies. Microsoft's Copilot, for instance, faced criticism following its debut, as a Gartner survey revealed that only four out of 123 IT leaders found significant value in the product. Zoom x Suki partnership will power AI medical scribes As part of its rebranding efforts, Zoom has expanded its service suite, moving beyond its original video conferencing functionalities. The introduction of Zoom Team Chat marked the beginning of this transition, followed by the rollout of Zoom Workplace, which includes productivity applications akin to those offered by Google and Microsoft. This full-suite solution aims to meet the needs of users who may prefer integrated tools within existing workflows. CEO Eric Yuan has emphasized the importance of harnessing AI within these services. In a summer interview, he noted the extensive time workers spend managing calls, meetings, emails, and messages. He remarked on the potential for technology to automate these repetitive tasks through the integration of AI and Zoom Workplace solutions, ultimately enhancing productivity. Zoom's AI Companion 2.0, launched in October 2024, introduces improved summarization and assistance features. These enhancements are designed to create a customizable digital assistant that aligns with an organization's specific knowledge and workflows, further streamlining employee tasks and interactions.