Zoom aims for deeper developer relationships
Zoom on Monday is introducing new tools for developers, laying the groundwork for a broader ecosystem of partners built around the videoconferencing platform's technology.
First, Zoom is making it easier to use its video SDK with a Buy Now option that helps developers quickly create a Video SDK developer account and begin building.
The company is also launching Developer.zoom.us, a site where developers can learn about Zoom's open developer platform and other developer resources.
Lastly, developers using the Zoom App Marketplace can access more detailed analytics to track the performance of their app on the marketplace. They'll be able to track user & account level subscription counts, active user & active account metrics, API usage volumes and more.
"We've developed Zoom as an open platform because we want to continue to foster innovation, and allow organizations to build best-of-breed solutions," Zoom CTO Brendan Ittelson told ZDNet.
Zoom became a household name in 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic forced people to stay physically apart. Its videoconferencing platform facilitated virtual meetings, classes and birthday parties. By the end of the company's FY 2021, "Zoom" had become a verb, and its revenue had jumped 326 percent.
But as CEO Eric Yuan said in the fall at the company's Zoomtopia virtual customer event, "Zoom has become more than just a video communication platform."
That's what makes the video SDK particularly compelling, Ittelson said -- it opens up Zoom's technology to any number of use cases.
"What we've heard from our developers is they love the Zoom technology and wish they had it as sort of a foundational component that they could customize and embed within their product," he said.
The use cases, he explained, could include unique retail experiences, social applications like livestreaming with interactive chat, or gaming -- such as a poker app where players could see everyone at the table.