The Covid 19 impact – how Zoom stepped up
It’s no exaggeration to say that 2020 and 2021 were two years that very few of us, if anyone, have ever experienced before. Even safe to say it was some CRAZY years! It’s a year that’s thrown up many questions about Work From Home (WFH) culture and whether we need to commute to offices anyway.
With the economy in danger of seriously stagnating, WFH technology needed to step up and cater for more than 60% of the UK’s workforce, and innovation thrives in times of crisis. Zoom existed long before the pandemic — it was originally launched in 2011 — but with lockdowns and social distancing rules prompting a retreat into our living rooms, Zoom usage really surged.
Being able to video conference each other didn’t just allow the economy to keep moving, it allowed friends and families to stay in touch. In the era of Coronavirus, Zoom genuinely became a tool for creating happiness.
As a society ever more conscious of its mental health, it was Zoom keeping everyone reunited, allowing people to broadcast fitness classes, baking classes, language learning, and reading clubs. The app has allowed isolated over-70s to see their grandchildren, office workers to replicate their Friday night pub sessions, and teenagers to throw parties.
But how did Zoom seize the initiative during the lockdowns? By 2015, 40 million people worldwide used Zoom and by 2019, the company was valued at $16 billion. But this growth has now been far exceeded. The Coronavirus pandemic meant Zoom’s daily active user base grew by over 65% in the first three months of 2020, and consequently the company now has a market value of $42 billion. In the month of March 2020 when lockdown measures were introduced in the UK, its app was downloaded more than 30 million times from the Google store.
It would be unfair to say that Zoom has thrived solely because of a global tragedy, but in stark business terms, wherever there’s a need in the market, there’ll be someone to plug it. So, why Zoom, of all the video conferencing apps available? After all, it lacked the brand recognition of Apple’s FaceTime or Skype.
Well, it’s user-friendly, even for those who are not comfortable with technology. Anyone can join a Zoom call simply by clicking on a link and there’s no complicated installation process. Zoom allows for multiple users, including as many as 100 in the free version of the software. This free version also allows 40- minute meetings (or pub quizzes and coffee mornings) to take place.
Crucially though, it’s reliable. The connection rarely cuts out or wavers. This contrasts with Skype, which has suffered recurrent complaints about sound and video since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2011. However, Zoom, or indeed other similar apps develop and thrive post-Covid, it seems that 2021 will be the year that even your grandparents knew about the latest video-conferencing technology.
Zoom brought millions of people together, even during global lockdowns.