To his credit, Zoom video communication (NASDAQ: ZM) has already done the hard part: Becoming a household verb. “I’m gonna zoom you in a bit” has become part of the daily encyclopedia for millions of people video calling in personal and professional contexts, even if they do not use the actual Zoom service. Running a generated brand that is only common among consumers is a coveted performance among markets.
The next step is to make sure that Zoom’s service is available everywhere to take advantage of that branding.
Zoom will be available soon on Portal +. Image Source: Facebook.
You’ve heard of these manufacturers
Yesterday, Zoom announced a major expansion of its Zoom for Home program, allowing the company to integrate its platform with third-party hardware. The first Zoom for Home product was announced last month, a 27-inch touchscreen device made by a manufacturer you’ve probably never heard of (DTEN).
This time, Zoom has scored partnerships with the largest tech behemoths on the planet: Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), en Alphabet‘s (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google. All three of these companies offer smart monitors – Portal, Echo Show, and Nest Hub Max, respectively – that are capable of making video calls. Portal will receive Zoom integration as early as next month, with the Echo Show and Nest Hub Max expected to receive support for the service by the end of the year.
Zoom notes that the number of adults working exclusively at home has tripled during the outbreak of the coronavirus, according to a Morning Consult study. A third of those respondents are interested in upgrading their setup, but only if their business helped cover the cost. The Zoom for Home program hopes to utilize gadgets that consumers may have already purchased for personal use.
Smart monitors have emerged in recent years as a derivative category of smart speakers, which are often good for about 20% of the volume of smart speakers. The demand for smart monitors is booming due to the additional features available compared to products without a touchscreen. The partnerships will help Zoom piggyback in the growth of the category. Users will soon be able to say, “I’m zooming you in on my nest.”
In no uncertain terms, this is a huge win for Zoom, which has become a market darling this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Competition is good now
As most tech companies increasingly search the market for video calling and video conferencing solutions, you would find it unique that Facebook, Amazon and Google would open up to let Zoom in on their hardware. After all, it was only a few months ago that Facebook unveiled its Messenger video calling service on desktop platforms in an apparent attempt to take a bite out of Zoom’s popularity. For the most part, the tech juggernauts only support their own proprietary video calling services on their own hardware, with limited collaboration between the companies.
But you might just happen to remember that ginormous tech companies are under intense anti-trust controls from legislators and regulators around the world related to concerns that they are facing competition through various business practices. The hulking giants now seem a bit more open to competition. Funny how that works!
