Day: September 13, 2021

Zoomtopia 2021 Highlights Customers Using Zoom Innovations to Embrace Change, Enable Hybrid Workforces, and Grow Their Businesses

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. kicked off Zoomtopia 2021, unveiling plans for innovations across its platform designed for today’s dynamic working environments, and to ignite a new era of connection and collaboration. Zoom is transforming the trajectory of business and personal communications by advancing the way we connect, share ideas, and get more done together – regardless of location. Zoom is developing new products, features, and partnerships designed to empower and engage the modern workforce with connected workstreams.

“Innovation remains at the forefront of Zoom’s annual Zoomtopia conference,” said Daniel Newman, Principal Analyst at Futurum Research. “I am particularly impressed with how Zoom’s plans for new solutions, like Zoom Video Engagement Center and Zoom Whiteboard, could continue to broaden Zoom’s impact on different facets of our work and lives, while enabling customers to create and grow businesses entirely on its platform.”

“In the last decade, we have been honored to become the ‘go-to’ video communications platform, but there has never been a more dynamic period in the company’s history than these last 18 months,” said Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO at Zoom. “We have released hundreds of new features, enhancements, and capabilities this past year alone and we have exciting new features in our development pipeline. With the ability to visually brainstorm on a virtual whiteboard and collaborate with colleagues similar to an in-person experience, or the endless opportunities of live transcription and translation services powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) – previously considered ‘futuristic’ technologies are on the verge of becoming a reality and could reshape the way we work.”

Empowering and Engaging Communities
Zoom’s recent study on the role of video communications in daily life examined people’s preferences for how they envision using this technology in a future world. Globally, the majority of respondents agree that everything will have a virtual element – including celebrations and events.

• Zoom Events Conference is a new event type that Zoom plans to make available this fall on Zoom Events, which will allow hosts to organize multi-track and multi-day events in a sophisticated format, with rich functionality, including, event lobby, chat, networking, sponsors, surveys, recordings, analytics, and more. Zoom Events Conference will offer hosts and attendees a customizable experience with the ability to provide an engaging and connected virtual event experience.

Enabling the Modern Workforce
Zoom is working to arm customers with innovative technology solutions designed to create new opportunities for business growth. Future potential projects include:

• Zoom Video Engagement Center (VEC): Connect your experts with your customers on video to create engaging experiences where they can build rapport and trust, and share expertise in a structured and immersive virtual environment. With industry-specific solutions, Zoom VEC will offer the same cloud-first scalability and trusted video architecture customers have come to expect from Zoom.
• Zoom Whiteboard: Today’s hybrid, remote and colocated workforce relies on collaboration tools to be efficient and productive, and the goal for Zoom Whiteboard is to set a new standard for working smarter, together. We envision that Zoom Whiteboard will act as a digital canvas, enabling seamless, real-time and asynchronous collaboration, with the ability to interact with the whiteboard similar to an in-person experience, creating more visually engaging and efficient meeting experiences.
• Zoom & Oculus Team Up: Zoom will be teaming up with Horizon Workrooms to bring the physical and virtual world together using Zoom. The goal is to allow users to access their Zoom Whiteboard and Zoom Meetings within the virtual Workrooms environment when this ships next year. With this collaboration, we aim to let people immerse themselves into the Zoom Whiteboard no matter what device they join from, all while in a Zoom meeting.
• Live Translation and Transcription: Zoom meetings will become even more inclusive with the addition of real time, automated translation, as well as expansion of its existing live transcription, with support for multiple languages coming later next year. Zoom connects users across borders and continents, and these live transcription and translation features will create endless opportunities by bridging the communications gap across language barriers as well.
• Zoom Rooms Smart Gallery: Zoom is committed to enabling the modern workforce. To foster a more inclusive hybrid, remote and colocated work experience, we plan to expand use cases of Zoom Rooms Smart Gallery for meeting spaces of all sizes by creating individual video feeds of in-room participants, so they’re viewed clearly and equally by remote employees.
• Hot Desking: Zoom’s envisioned hot desking solution, available later this year, will allow employees to reserve desks and spaces in their offices using an interactive map and enable easy authentication to bring your personal Zoom experience to any Zoom Rooms or Zoom Phone appliance.
• Platform Security: Security and privacy are cornerstones of the Zoom platform. To empower customers to provision and manage their own encryption keys, Zoom is developing a Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) offering, with an initial beta planned for later this year. Additionally, Zoom plans to extend End-to-end encryption (E2EE) to Zoom Phone, potentially enabling users to upgrade to E2EE during one-on-one phone calls that occur via the Zoom client in the coming year.

Connecting Workstreams
Zoom is virtually replicating the various ways we interact in real life, and beyond. Zoom Meetings, Chat, Webinars and Phone all work together as one unified communications solution, with the ability to navigate between them.

• Zoom Apps are built to optimize meeting workflows. Later this year, we plan to make integration of Zoom Apps available throughout the platform, including Zoom Apps for Webinars, Zoom Apps for Mobile, and immersive apps, which will enable even more immersive and collaborative app experiences.
• Zoom Chat Huddle View will potentially provide a visual layout of channels to give teams a sense of connectedness while working virtually. Channel members will potentially be able to choose a unique virtual background of their choice, chat, easily see who is in the channel, and quickly identify if they are busy or available, bringing teams together in a whole new way.
• Zoom Phone Video Voicemails is planned to provide a more personable alternative to standard voicemails with the ability to leave video messages for colleagues, right into their voicemail inbox.
• Zoom Continuous Collaboration could make it easier to collaborate across tools with tighter integrations across the Zoom platform and third parties. With these planned enhancements, users would benefit from the ability to share files, recordings and chats from Zoom Meetings to Zoom Chat for easy reference and collaboration on documents and integration with file sharing solutions – all without having to leave the Zoom client.
• Zoom Widget is planned to provide a view at-a-glance schedule, that could enable users to see who is already in the meeting, and notify the host using Zoom Chat if they are running late. For people in back-to-back meetings, Zoom Widget will help them manage time, expectations, and keep their teammates in the know.

These planned innovations will help to create a more efficient, collaborative, and engaging user experience, while also simplifying processes by connecting and organizing workstreams.

Social Impact and Zoomtopia Awards

• Zoom Cares, Zoom’s social impact arm, announced $2 million of new funding to a collection of eight global nonprofits supporting mental health among native, LGBTQ, and young people of color who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and systemic racism. Zoom organized a team of seven global experts as part of its participatory grantmaking process to collaboratively decide on the nonprofits and distribution of donations.
• Zoom is honoring select customers who made tremendous efforts to combat COVID-19 with the Zoom Delivering Hope Awards. By activating their networks, leveraging their resources, and sharing their expertise, these organizations had a massive impact on the global collective effort against the coronavirus.
• Every year at Zoomtopia, the company highlights the creative and unique ways its customers are using Zoom with the Zoomtopia Innovation Awards. The contest recognizes the Zoom customers that most embody innovation, inspiration, and creativity in using Zoom solutions.

Zoomtopia, powered by Zoom Events Conference, features over 75 educational sessions, over 100 thought-provoking speakers, business leaders and celebrity appearances, and opportunities to network, collaborate, and learn, visit Zoomtopia.com to register and attend. The statements contained here are for informational purposes only. Any services, products or functionality referenced that are not currently available are subject to change at Zoom’s sole discretion and may not be delivered as planned or at all. Customers who purchase from Zoom should make their purchase decisions based upon currently available pricing, features and functions.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. We help you express ideas, connect to others, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

Zoom Public Relations
Farshad Hashmatulla
Product PR Manager
press@zoom.us

Acquisition creates the most feature-rich, global, cloud-based, multienterprise supply chain network

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TrueCommerce, a leading global cloud provider of supply chain and trading partner connectivity, integration, and omnichannel solutions, announced today that it has acquired DiCentral, a leading global B2B and API solutions provider. This acquisition enables TrueCommerce to fuel the growth of its leading global network, deepen its solutions portfolio, and expand its global geographic footprint.

This acquisition further cements TrueCommerce’s position as a leader in the digital supply chain collaboration and connectivity space. By leveraging the combined company’s expertise in automation, digitalization, and integration, TrueCommerce is uniquely positioned to transform the way its customers do business, with value-added solutions designed to tackle complex supply chain and eCommerce challenges, streamline operations, and increase profitability.

Known for simplifying complex API and EDI business challenges, DiCentral adds 30,000 connections to TrueCommerce’s Global Commerce Network, plus nearly 5,000 customers from a diverse base. The combined TrueCommerce network now expands to 160,000 connections and nearly 18,000 customers. Combining the strengths of both companies creates an unmatched network and innovative solution offering that empowers customers to digitize, expand, and grow their businesses like never before.

“Together, we offer intuitive integrated solutions and connectivity that solve the challenges our customers face in growing their business across an increasingly digitized, global, and complex supply chain,” said John Fay, CEO of TrueCommerce.

The acquisition fuels TrueCommerce’s vision for global growth with expanded services and integrations, including:

• Expanded cloud-based global supply chain network
• Increased API connectivity to key 3^rd party solutions
• An enhanced set of integrated SaaS applications and tools
• Powerful iPaaS capabilities
• A more extensive supply chain visibility solution
• Extended geographic footprint
• A more comprehensive retail drop ship program
• Tighter integration with cloud-based SMB & enterprise-level ERPs
• Accelerated deployment and ROI for customers

“I am thrilled to be joining the TrueCommerce leadership team and working alongside John Fay and Todd Johnson to seamlessly bring the two companies together,” said Thuy Mai, CEO of DiCentral. “We see this as a win-win for both TrueCommerce and DiCentral customers. The resulting increase in global network connectivity, commerce solutions, applications, and tools provides an unmatched offering for customers looking to grow their businesses.”

Mr. Mai will become a member of the TrueCommerce executive leadership team, serving as Co-Chief Strategy Officer of TrueCommerce. Todd Johnson will serve as the new CEO of DiCentral in addition to his current role as President and COO of TrueCommerce. John Fay will continue to serve as CEO of the combined company.

“DiCentral’s offerings strengthen our multienterprise commerce network, which already empowers businesses of all sizes to grow both domestically and internationally,” said Todd Johnson, CEO of DiCentral and President and COO of TrueCommerce. “I’m looking forward to working with the DiCentral team and continuing to provide best-in-class solutions and services to our customers.”

Ryan Harper, General Partner at Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), a leading technology-focused private equity firm that recently acquired TrueCommerce, remarked, “We are confident that TrueCommerce is on track to becoming the global leader in supply chain collaboration, connectivity and omnichannel solutions. We continue to support the strategy of combining organic growth with focused, strategic acquisitions that expand the depth and breadth of new and existing segments, geographies, and capability areas.”

WCAS acquired TrueCommerce in November 2020 from Accel-KKR (AKKR). AKKR remains a minority shareholder of TrueCommerce. DiCentral was advised by DC Advisory.

About TrueCommerce
TrueCommerce is the most complete way to connect your business across the supply chain, integrating everything from EDI, to inventory management, to fulfillment, to digital storefronts and marketplaces. We’ve revolutionized supply chain visibility and collaboration by helping organizations make the most of their omnichannel initiatives via business P2P connectivity, order management, collaborative replenishment, intelligent fulfillment, cross-functional analytics, and product information management.

The TrueCommerce Global Commerce Network can connect businesses to over 130,000 retailers, distributors, and logistics service providers. As a fully managed services provider, we also manage new trading partner onboarding, as well as the ongoing management of partner-specific mapping, labeling changes, and communications monitoring. That’s why thousands of companies—ranging from startups to the global Fortune 100, across various industries—rely on us.

TrueCommerce: Do business in every direction
For more information, visit www.truecommerce.com

About DiCentral
Founded in 2000, DiCentral is a leading global provider of business-to-business and application integration solutions, with over two decades of experience solving complex EDI and API challenges. As market conditions continue to fluctuate and technology is deployed to manage process changes, leading organizations rely on DiCentral’s cloud-based integration platform and a global team of specialized experts to integrate and leverage data across multiple cloud and on-premises systems and applications.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, DiCentral has 11 offices worldwide, supporting customers in more than 35 countries. DiCentral utilizes a vast library of integrations with ERPs and other applications to seamlessly exchange transactional data with trading partners worldwide to maximize ROI while maintaining existing data infrastructure. DiCentral’s services and solutions are leveraged by many Fortune 1000 companies, processing over $200 billion in transactions for over 30,000 organizations worldwide. For more information, visit www.dicentral.com.

About Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
WCAS is a leading U.S. private equity firm focused on two target industries: technology and healthcare. Since its founding in 1979, the firm’s strategy has been to partner with outstanding management teams and build value for its investors through a combination of operational improvements, growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions. The firm has raised and managed funds totaling over $27 billion of committed capital. For more information, please visit www.wcas.com.

About Accel-KKR
Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with over $10 billion in capital commitments. The firm focuses on software and tech-enabled businesses, well-positioned for topline and bottom-line growth. At the core of Accel-KKR’s investment strategy is a commitment to developing strong partnerships with the management teams of its portfolio companies and a focus on building value alongside management by leveraging the significant resources available through the Accel-KKR network. Accel-KKR focuses on middle-market companies and provides a broad range of capital solutions including buyout capital, minority-growth investments, and credit alternatives. Accel-KKR also invests across a wide range of transaction types including private company recapitalizations, divisional carve-outs and going-private transactions. In 2019 and 2020, Inc. named Accel-KKR to “PE 50 – The Best Private Equity Firms for Entrepreneurs,” its annual list of founder-friendly private equity firms. Accel-KKR is headquartered in Menlo Park with offices in Atlanta and London. Visit www.accel-kkr.com to learn more.

Media Contact

Lisa Aurichio
President, BSYA
(917) 476-8366
Lisa@bsya.com