RingCentral Video Launches, a Departure From Its Zoom Partnership
RingCentral has launched RingCentral Video, a videoconferencing service integrated into its unified communications platform. This is a move that steers the company away from its partnership with Zoom Video Communications.
RingCentral Video had launched in early April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown amidst massive volumes of work-from-home deployment. The offering is part of its unified communications platform, targeting RingCentral’s existing customer base, and has not been launched as a standalone product. Customers may still opt to use Zoom for videoconferencing if they choose.
This development is a departure from the partnership that RingCentral and Zoom have engaged in for over six years; in fact, RingCentral and Zoom had even renewed their multiyear partnership in May 2019.
Source: RingCentral Office at SoftwareReviews
Source: Zoom at SoftwareReviews
Our Take
The launch of RingCentral Video could not have come at a more pertinent time. With the vast increase in work-from-home and remote-work activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the high volume of security concerns around Zoom, RingCentral customers can take advantage of this new feature offering in volumes that will benefit the company due to increased product exposure.
RingCentral’s approach is well formulated – it has not yet severed its ties with Zoom, which provides it with a fallback option should its foray into the video conferencing realm be unsuccessful. It can also act as a viable alternative to its customer base if they are rife with concerns around Zoom’s security. Rather than looking to abandon Zoom altogether, the company has provided its customers with an effective alternative.