Zoom's enormous success highlights how little attention the established tech giants were paying to their teleconferencing and video calls
Wednesday, 29th April 2020, 11:15 am
Six months ago few technology companies could have guessed how valuable their video calling products would become, as the world adjusts to working and socialising remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic - hosting everything from morning meetings and yoga classes to weekly catch-ups and lengthy quizzes.
Zoom, a previously little-known teleconferencing tool, saw its daily active users rise from around 10 million each day in December last year to 300 million in April, with first-time installations of its mobile app rocketing 728 per cent since 2 March, according to market research firm SensorTower.
Despite the rise in "zoombombing" - where users gatecrash other people's social events and shout abuse or stream pornography - and concerns around the app's security, the app's ease of use (you don't need a login to join a meeting) and fun features like changing your background using green screen technology has made it the star of staying connected during the outbreak, with millions of people holding free 40-minute meetings for up to 100 attendees every day (including MPs).
Others have also benefitted from our new-found interest in video chatting. Social app Houseparty, which allows users to video chat and play simple trivia and drawing games, saw its downloads rise 2,902 per cent in March compared to the previous month, and Facebook has rushed to update WhatsApp and Messengers' video calling capabilities in recent weeks.
Making Google Meet free
Zoom's enormous success has highlighted how little attention the established tech giants were paying to their teleconferencing and video calling tools - to their detriment.
Skype, the once-indomitable video chat app, frittered away its captive audience by failing to make it easy to use on mobile, pushing out unfocused redesigns and failing to market it as a tool for large group chats. The Microsoft-owned company announced it had hit 40m daily active users at the end of March, a 70 per cent increase on the same time the previous month but a far cry from Zoom's 300m.
Google is now attempting to get back in on the act by making its Google Meet video meeting service free. Previously only available to business-focused G Suite customers for $6 per month for a basic plan, Google Meet is currently gaining around three million new users each day and surpassed 100 million daily users last week.
Making the switch
For the first time, Meet users will be able to create and host meetings for up to 100 people (providing they have a Google account) for no charge, complete with live captions for speakers and screen sharing. Google's decision to open up a tool previous geared towards businesses to general consumers is no mistake - it's hoping its enormous userbase of Google accounts worldwide will make the switch from Zoom et al.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiTmh0dHBzOi8vaW5ld3MuY28udWsvbmV3cy9nb29nbGUtbWVldC1mcmVlLXZpZGVvLWNhbGwtem9vbS1oYW5nb3V0cy1hcHAtMjU1MzU3MNIBUmh0dHBzOi8vaW5ld3MuY28udWsvbmV3cy9nb29nbGUtbWVldC1mcmVlLXZpZGVvLWNhbGwtem9vbS1oYW5nb3V0cy1hcHAtMjU1MzU3MD9hbXA?oc=5
2020-04-29 10:24:42Z
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