Profile

Zoom provides videotelephony and online chat services for business, education, and leisure – especially in times of a global pandemic. The cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform has rocketed in popularity since stay-at-home orders were issued across the globe. For many companies, it provided a quick and easy way to transition to remote working and still enable employees to participate in face-to-face meetings, albeit virtually. For millions of users quarantined at home, it offered a way to connect with friends in a socially distant world.

The company went public in 2019, with its share price increasing over 70% on the first day of trading. The company closed the day with a valuation of $16 billion. By the beginning of 2020, Zoom had over 2,500 employees. Concerns over security lapses drew recent criticism, as well as the company’s decision to close multiple accounts in the U.S. and Hong Kong in the wake of human rights protests.