In advanced talks with regulators for Zoom Phone launch: Company India head

'We are working on cross-platform integration in response to customer needs', said Raje

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, few companies have been as integral to the functioning of businesses as the video conferencing platform Zoom. In an interview, Sameer Raje, general manager and head for India and the SAARC region for Zoom Video Communications, tells Chintan Girish Modi about its new offering Zoom Rooms, the various initiatives it is undertaking to highlight the security features of the platform, and about its widespread use in India. Edited excerpts:

How will Zoom Rooms help companies with a hybrid workforce?

Companies are finding that employees do not want to go to their offices for tasks that can easily be completed from home. It is important for business leaders to take this into consideration and redesign workplaces. Companies have reduced the amount of money that they used to spend on renting office space. It makes sense to plan the use of space, and also coordinate schedules because people meet face-to-face at infrequent intervals. Zoom Rooms make their lives simpler because of the innovative features we have — Workspace Reservation, Virtual Reception, Smart Gallery, and Zoom Whiteboard. We believe that small and medium enterprises as well as big businesses will benefit from the offerings that we currently have.

How are you tackling concerns around security?

We are tying up with education boards, government officials, and non-profit organisations to create awareness around password protection, safety protocols, and responsible use. We have also put in place a system of inviting ethical hackers to find flaws and report them so that we can improve our offerings. Of course, they are rewarded for this important work. We engage regularly with chief information officers (CIOs) and chief security officers (CSOs) from companies across various industries to understand their challenges and provide solutions. Apart from this, third-party certification and audits help us stay on top of our game.

How many paid subscribers do you have in India?

I cannot give you any country-specific numbers, but, within the Asia Pacific region, a very large chunk comes from India. We are keen to grow further with new products and services.

When do you plan to introduce Zoom Phone in India?

We are in advanced talks with regulators at the moment. As soon as we are ready to launch it in India, we will make an official announcement. We are excited about this because, with a cloud phone service, users will be able to make calls using any of their Internet-enabled devices. We have never believed in forcing users to buy a particular hardware. We want to support all our users, including those with low bandwidth and poor connectivity.

What else do you have in store?

We are working on cross-platform integration in response to customer needs. With a Zoom plugin, users of Microsoft Teams will be able to join a Zoom meeting while they are using Microsoft Teams. The technology will have to grow. It cannot remain static if we want to stay relevant.

Are companies using Zoom call records as evidence in cases of sexual harassment?

We provide the tools. The possibilities of the software are immense, and we love the fact that users are exploring it creatively. If companies can use Zoom to record board meetings, it is understandable that POSH committees in different organisations want to do the same. Indians tend to think of multiple uses for one thing because we are jugaadu by nature. In India, we now have Zoom being used by anganwadis to deliver education, and hospitals to provide health care. Banks are using it for their KYC process. More uses will emerge.

Tell us more about Zoom supported teachers.

We made the platform available to over 3,000 schools absolutely free of cost.

Why are you partnering with DTEN?

DTEN is one of our partners. As an independent manufacturer, they provide hardware equipment. We have many other partners including Logitech, Poly, and Crestron. Our strength lies in software, and we want to develop that further. Our focus as a company is pretty clear.