Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Taino Naiboa
tainonaiboa@uvic.ca
Product Strategy
Zoom's product strategy is defined by three crucial elements: Market and Needs, Key Features
and Differentiation, and Business Goals. These components work to shape the company's approach to
providing video conferencing solutions that have propelled Zoom into a household name in the modern
digital landscape.
Zoom's market encompasses a broad spectrum of sectors, both public and private, where there
is a demand for efficient and effective video communication. This has allowed Zoom to be versatile in
catering to diverse customer needs. Some examples of institutions that utilize Zoom to attend to their
customer's needs are religious, educational, and medical institutions. For example, hospitals rely on Zoom
for telehealth consultations, allowing doctors to remotely connect with patients. Religious institutions
have employed Zoom to maintain their communities through virtual worship services. In the education
sector, Zoom has played an instrumental role in enabling remote learning and facilitating collaboration
among educators and students. Zoom's ability to adapt to the specific requirements of these different
markets has been a key factor in its success.
Moreover, Zoom's product strategy revolves around offering key features that enhance the user
experience. Zoom is the first cloud-based video platform that contains hassle-free connections built to
scale (Paxton, 2023). Some key features include high-definition video and audio quality, ease of use,
screen sharing, and the ability to host large-scale virtual events. What sets Zoom apart is its commitment
to constant innovation. The company is constantly innovating and has since introduced features like
breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds, and integrations with popular productivity tools, further enhancing
its appeal across various markets. Its focus on security and privacy features has been crucial in gaining
the trust of users and differentiating itself from competitors. Zoom's user-friendly interface and cross-
platform compatibility have also contributed to its popularity.
Zoom's business goal is simple: to make online meetings better than in-person meetings. The
company’s business goals align with its commitment to serving a wide array of markets and maintaining
product quality. The company aims to expand its customer base, increase revenue, and foster brand
loyalty. Achieving these goals involves staying ahead in terms of technology and security, providing
reliable customer support, and establishing partnerships. Zoom has also set its sights on becoming a
global leader in video communication technology, which drives its international expansion efforts and
localization of the platform.
Zoom's product strategy is built upon a clear understanding of its market and the diverse needs
within that market. By offering key features and differentiating itself from competitors, Zoom has been
able to cater to a wide range of customers, including hospitals, religious institutions, nonprofits, and
educational organizations. The company's focus on delivering high-quality, secure, and innovative
solutions while aligning with its business goals has propelled it to the forefront of the video
communication industry, making it an essential tool for countless users across the globe.
Pricing Strategy
Zoom’s innovative pricing strategy has played a crucial role in its rapid adaptation and growth.
Firstly, Eric Yuan, the founder of Zoom, devised a strategic plan to divert WebEx's clientele
towards Zoom. Zoom employs a "freemium" model, offering a free version with a base set of features and
limiting the length of group meetings to 40 minutes and up to 100 participants. Yuan believed that once
users experienced Zoom's superior capabilities, individuals and businesses would recognize its
advantages over WebEx and other platforms and would be willing to pay for a switch (CNN, 2020). This
approach has been instrumental in introducing a broad user base to Zoom's capabilities and pulling users
away from its competitors (Miller, 2020).
Moreover, beyond the free version, Zoom offers several paid tiers with incremental features and
benefits. These tiers cater to different needs, ranging from small teams to large enterprises (Heath, 2020).
By providing this tiered structure, Zoom can cater to a diverse set of users, from individual freelancers to
multinational corporations. The Zoom Pro tier is ideal for small teams, offering extended meeting
durations of up to 30 hours and boasting features like user management, admin controls, reporting, and 1
GB of cloud recording per license. For small to medium-sized businesses, Zoom Business is a perfect fit.
It accommodates a minimum of 10 hosts and enhances the Pro offerings with company branding, custom
emails, managed domains, phone support, single sign-on capabilities, and the addition of Zoom's
transcription service. Larger corporations might find Zoom Enterprise more fitting, as it requires a
substantial host minimum and rewards users with unlimited cloud storage, executive business reviews,
and lucrative discounts on Zoom Rooms. The Zoom United Business package seamlessly integrates
Zoom's Meetings, Phone, and Chat services, tailoring its features to businesses with a specified minimum
license requirement, and generously providing unlimited cloud storage. Zoom Rooms, on the other hand,
transforms conventional conference spaces into collaborative hubs, albeit at an extra fee and a
prerequisite host subscription. For hosting larger virtual events, Zoom Video Webinars are the go-to,
allowing different attendee levels ranging from 100 to a staggering 10,000 participants. Lastly, the Zoom
Phone tier presents a cloud-based phone system suitable for businesses, encompassing features like call
recording, voicemail, and the essentials of a traditional PBX system (C. Cawley, 2023). With this
comprehensive suite of offerings, Zoom ensures it has something valuable for everyone, from small teams
to global enterprises. By providing this tiered structure, Zoom can cater to a diverse set of users, from
individual freelancers to multinational corporations.
In terms of revenue dynamics, a significant 62% of Zoom’s earnings hail from corporations
boasting over 10 employees. Revenue contributions for companies with 10 or fewer employees rose from
20% to 38% by the end of 2020. This spike is attributed to a higher individual uptake of paid services. In
the last quarter, customers spending over $100,000 made up 18% of the total revenue, a decline from the
33% seen at the end of the previous year (Molla, 2020).
Notably, Zoom has made concerted efforts to support the education sector by providing special
pricing or even complimentary services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools shifted to remote
learning, Zoom lifted the 40-minute limit for more than 100,000 K-12 schools around the world
(Matsakis, 2020). This strategic move ensures that administrators, teachers, parents, and students alike
can benefit from a comprehensive suite of features tailored to enhance the virtual learning experience.
Users can now conduct unlimited meetings with up to 100 participants, enriched with HD audio and video
capabilities. The platform facilitates interactive teaching and learning methods by incorporating features
like screen sharing, whiteboarding, and annotations. Furthermore, to ensure effective group discussions
and focused group work, Zoom offers in-meeting chat functionality and breakout rooms (M. Walsh, n.d.).
Through these features, Zoom is positioning itself as a valuable tool in the modern educational landscape.
Zoom demonstrated a strategic move to not only support education but also to position itself as a crucial
and reliable tool for remote learning. This action combines corporate social responsibility during the
pandemic with a strategic approach to market penetration and branding. By providing these services
either at special pricing or for free, Zoom both supports an essential sector in a time of need and fosters
goodwill and positive brand association. In the long run, such strategies can lead to increased adoption,
customer loyalty, and potential revenue growth from other sectors or services.
Zoom also offers an array of integrations and add-ons, such as webinar capabilities or Zoom
Rooms, at different price points. This allows businesses to customize their Zoom experience depending
on their unique needs (ZDNet Staff, 2020). Zoom's integrative nature and adaptability have been core
components of its appeal to businesses of varying sizes and functionalities. According to Zoom, the
platform supports integrations with a multitude of third-party applications, such as Microsoft Teams,
Google Calendar, Slack, and Salesforce. This versatility ensures that organizations can integrate Zoom
seamlessly into their existing workflow without overhauling their established systems (Zoom, 2020).
Zoom's integrative nature and adaptability have been core components of its appeal to businesses of
varying sizes and functionalities. Furthermore, Zoom's webinar capabilities, named "Zoom Video
Webinars," provide a platform for businesses to host larger events, ranging from panels to global
conferences. It is noted that this feature offers various interactive functionalities like Q&A, virtual hand-
raising, and polling, catering to enterprises that require more than just basic meeting setups (Dignan,
2021). "Zoom Rooms," another one of Zoom's product offerings, is designed to transform any space into
a video-enabled collaboration room, be it huddle spaces, conference rooms, or executive offices. The
unique selling proposition of Zoom Rooms is its touch-enhanced conferencing system, which negates the
need for traditional remote controls. A review by TechCrunch highlighted that the ease of setting up and
managing Zoom Rooms, combined with its compatibility with hardware from other vendors, makes it an
attractive option for businesses looking to upgrade their conferencing systems (Miller, 2020). Zoom's
strategy of offering integrations and add-ons at varying price points, has solidified its position in the video
conferencing market. By allowing businesses to tailor the platform based on their distinct requirements,
Zoom propels itself as the go-to solution for many individuals and businesses.
Failures of Zoom
The meteoric rise of Zoom during the pandemic was not without its challenges and criticisms. As
the platform scaled rapidly to accommodate the increasing demand, it encountered some complications.
Researchers pinpointed multiple security and privacy breaches, some of which allowed hackers potential
access to a computer's webcam or microphone. Potential vulnerabilities in Zoom’s macOS installer could
have allowed hackers remote control and access, posing considerable security threats. Additionally, the
company came under scrutiny for misleadingly informing users that their meetings were fully encrypted
when they were not. These included claims of misleading encryption practices and undue data sharing
with platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Several lawsuits came to the fore, alleging that Zoom misled
its users regarding its encryption protocols and illicitly shared user data with third-party entities. Notably,
prominent competitors in the video conferencing realm like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft imposed
restrictions on their employees' use of Zoom, flagging security concerns (Dixit, 2020). Another alarming
issue was the discovery of Zoom usernames and passwords available for purchase on the dark web
(Singer & Perlroth, 2020; Somers, 2020). This tarnished their image further when it came to light that
Zoom had acquiesced to the Chinese government's demands and subsequently shut down the accounts of
activists based in China. Furthermore, the company faced scrutiny for routing its traffic through data
centers located in China and its commercial ties to the country, raising geopolitical and national security
concerns (Chen, 2022).
The term “Zoombombing” became emblematic of the platform's security lapses, where
unauthorized users could intrude into private meetings, sometimes broadcasting inappropriate or harmful
content, ranging from hate speech and explicit material to violent threats. In response to the phenomenon
of Zoombombing, the Boston branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a public advisory
warning about it (Nathoo, 2020). To combat Zoombombing, Zoom released an official blog post,
outlining best practices for users to prevent Zoom bombing (Zoom, 2020). Despite this, disruptions
persisted, prompting both users and shareholders to initiate an online petition (D. Johnson, 2020) and
contemplate a class action (L. T. Johnson, 2020).
The tide began to turn after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) declared Zoombombing a
cybercrime on March 30, urging victims to report such incidents to the authorities (Setera, 2020). The
company has been very proactive in addressing these concerns. To enhance security against the rising
threat of Zoombombing, Zoom stressed the adaptation of multiple precautionary measures. Users are
advised to opt for a unique meeting ID rather than the default Personal Meeting ID (PMI), ensuring each
meeting is distinct and harder for intruders to access. For an added layer of protection, every Zoom
meeting should be password-protected, so even if the ID is shared, unwanted guests can't join without the
designated password. The platform's Waiting Room feature is particularly valuable, as it lets the host vet
and manually admit attendees, providing granular control over participation. During a meeting, the host
should limit screen-sharing capabilities to themselves, effectively neutralizing a common tactic employed
by Zoom bombers. Furthermore, once all legitimate participants have joined, the meeting can be locked to
prevent any additional entries. For heightened security, the video and audio features for attendees can be
disabled, ensuring that disruptive intruders cannot project unwanted content. And, in the rare event that an
unwanted guest slips through these defenses, the host has the authority to swiftly remove them or place
them on hold, preserving the meeting's integrity (Panda Security, 2021).
In addressing its encryption challenges, Zoom strategically acquired Keybase, a firm with years
of experience crafting encryption solutions, like secure file-sharing and collaboration tools. Amidst
growing security concerns, this acquisition was a pivotal move for Zoom. The integration of Keybase's
expertise bolstered Zoom's security infrastructure. CEO Eric Yuan, in a statement regarding the
acquisition, highlighted that the decision to bring Keybase on board was driven by the company's
commitment to offering enhanced security, a priority that has become increasingly vital for enterprises
relying on remote work tools amidst the pandemic (Slashdot, 2020)
Two years after its successful public debut, Zoom found itself contending with increased
competition from leading tech giants. Companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and Google significantly ramped
up their video communication platforms, presenting robust challenges to Zoom's market dominance. For
instance, Microsoft introduced enhanced features to Teams, making it a formidable adversary in the video
conferencing sphere. Teams, with its integrated video conferencing tool, became an even more attractive
option as it was provided as a complimentary feature to businesses already using Microsoft's Office suite
(Microsoft Corporation, 2020). In another strategic move, Slack, a workplace communication tool,
incorporated a video functionality (Slack Technologies, Inc., 2020). This addition to Slack's arsenal meant
that Zoom's distinctiveness in the market was further challenged, as more and more platforms began
offering similar capabilities (Dignan, 2020).
Another lesson in this case study is to be adaptable. As they scaled and faced numerous security concerns,
they avoided remaining static. They were agile for example: acquiring Keybase to bolster their encryption
infrastructure and swiftly introducing features to counteract the menace of Zoombombing. Their pivot in
the face of adversity wasn't just reactive; it showcased a proactive mindset. Being adaptable ensures that
companies can not only navigate the obstacles of the corporate world but also evolve and thrive in them.
Moreover, the Zoom case study is a lesson in maintaining quality. Even during its unparalleled growth,
Zoom remained committed to consistent quality and unique features that enhanced user experience and
retained user trust and loyalty. The lesson is that even in the face of rapid expansion, maintaining the
quality of the service is important to running a successful business.
Another essential learning from Zoom's evolution is the essence of adaptability. As the company
scaled, it faced challenges such as security issues. The company showcased remarkable agility when
dealing with obstacles like Zoombombing and encryption issues. For example, their acquisition of
Keybase was a strategic move to strengthen their encryption backbone. The company also rolled out
features to combat the unforeseen challenge of Zoombombing. Their agile reactions highlighted their
forward-thinking approach as the company molded these challenges into growth opportunities.
Furthermore, Zoom’s journey offers a lesson in maintaining quality. Even amidst unprecedented
growth, the company remained committed to providing top-notch quality, embedding unique features that
enhance user experience. It's a reminder that exponential growth should never compromise the quality of
the business and its product. Maintaining quality is important in fostering trust, loyalty, and business
longevity in the marketplace.
References
Cawley, C. (2023, August 30). Zoom Pricing Guide – Upgrading from Free Video Calling. Tech.co.
https://tech.co/web-conferencing/zoom-pricing-guide
Chen, W. (2022). Zoom in and zoom out the glocalized network: When transnationalism meets geopolitics and
technopolitics. *Information, Communication & Society*, 25(16), 2381–2396.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2118545
Dignan, L. (2020, August 31). Zoom's post COVID-19 reality: SMB demand volatile, platform pivot promising.
*ZDNet*. https://www.zdnet.com/article/zooms-post-covid-19-reality-smb-demand-volatile-platform-
pivot-promising/
Dignan, L. (2020). Video conferencing tools: Zoom's rise, rivals' responses, and the adoption outlook. ZDNet.
https://www.zdnet.com/
Dixit P. (2020, April 8). Google told its workers that they can’t use Zoom on their laptops anymore. BuzzFeed
News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/google-bans-zoom
Haranas, M. (2018). Five Top Videoconferencing Frustrations And How To Tackle Them. CRN.
Johnson D. (2020). Demand that Zoom immediately create a solution to protect its users from racist cyber attacks!
Organizefor. https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/demand-that-zoom-immediately-create-a-
solution-to-protect-its-users-from-racist-cyber-attacks
Johnson L. T. (2020). Case 5:20-Cv-02376: Class action complaint demand for jury trial. United States District
Court Northern District of California.
Konrad, A. (2020). The Inside Story Of Zoom, The Videoconferencing Company Taking Over Your Living Room.
Forbes.
Lomas, N. (2013). From Estonia With Love: How Skype Was Born & How It Can Be Beaten. TechCrunch.
https://techcrunch.com/2013/02/03/from-estonia-with-love-and-that-love-can-kill-skype/
Macrotrends. (n.d.). Zoom Video Communications net worth 2012-2022. Retrieved October 24, 2023, from
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/ZM/zoom-video-communications/net-worth
Metz, C. (2014). The Inside Story of How Facebook Acquired WhatsApp. Wired.
https://www.wired.com/2014/02/facebook-whatsapp/
Microsoft Corporation. (2020). Stay connected with Microsoft Teams while working from home with the help of
the Office apps. Microsoft Blogs. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/
Molla, R. (2020, December 4). The pandemic was great for Zoom. What happens when there’s a vaccine? Vox -
Recode. https://www.vox.com/recode/21726260/zoom-microsoft-teams-video-conferencing-post-
pandemic-coronavirus
Moolchandani, K. (2021, March 19). Zoom's growth strategy. *The Strategy Story*.
https://thestrategystory.com/2021/03/19/zooms-growth-strategy/
Nathoo, Z. (2020, April 3). 'Zoom-bombing' attacks on video conferencing platform leave victims shaken. CBC
News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/zoombombing-fbi-warning-1.5519024#:~:text=FBI%20issues
%20warning%2C%20tips&text=The%20agency%20also%20released%20a,invitation%20links%20on
%20social%20media
Owl Labs. (2020). State of remote work 2020. Owl Labs Resources. https://resources.owllabs.com/state-of-
remote-work/2020
Panda Security. (2021, September 24). How to prevent Zoom-bombing. Retrieved from
https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/zoom-bombing/
Patrizio, A. (2021, August 17). The history and evolution of video conferencing. TechTarget.
https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/The-history-and-evolution-of-video-conferencing
Paxton, R. (2023, August 11). Eric Yuan's Zoom: Turning a Tech Startup into a Global Phenomenon. Strixus.
https://strixus.com/entry/eric-yuans-zoom-turning-a-tech-startup-into-a-global-phenomenon-18246
Segall, L. (2020, March 27). Zoom is a work-from-home privacy disaster waiting to happen. *CNN*.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/tech/zoom-app-coronavirus/index.html
Shah, H. (2023). How Zoom Became the Best Web-Conferencing Product in the World in Less Than 10 Years.
Nira. https://nira.com/zoom-history/
Singer N., Perlroth N. (2020, April 20). Zoom’s security woes were no secret to business partners like Dropbox.
The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/technology/zoom-security-dropbox-
hackers.html
Soper, T. (2017). Why Zoom Video Communications is poised for big growth in 2017. GeekWire.
Somers M. (2020, December 9). Zoom’s CFO on 3 ways to fix mistakes during rapid growth. MIT Sloan.
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/zooms-cfo-3-ways-to-fix-mistakes-during-rapid-growth
Slack Technologies, Inc. (2020). Slack introduces video call integration. *Slack Newsroom*. Retrieved from
https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/blog/news/
Slashdot. (2020, May 7). Zoom acquires Keybase to get end-to-end encryption expertise.
https://it.slashdot.org/story/20/05/07/145258/zoom-acquires-keybase-to-get-end-to-end-encryption-
expertise
Setera K. (2020, March 30). FBI warns of teleconferencing and online classroom hijacking during COVID-19
pandemic—FBI. *Press Release*. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/boston/news/press-
releases/fbi-warns-of-teleconferencing-and-online-classroom-hijacking-during-covid-19-pandemic
Slack Technologies, Inc. (2020). Slack introduces video call integration. Slack Newsroom. Retrieved from
https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/blog/news/
Tech.co. (2023, July 31). The Evolution of Telecommunications Video Conferencing. https://utilitiesone.com/the-
evolution-of-telecommunications-video-conferencing
Zoom. (2020, March 4). How to keep uninvited guests out of your Zoom event. Zoom Blog.
https://blog.zoom.us/keep-uninvited-guests-out-of-your-zoom-event/