Product Overview

This case documents the rise of Zoom as the virtual conferencing platform of choice for millions of people worldwide during the Covid-19 crisis. The case deals with Zoom's meteoric ascent and the challenges (both technical and market related) the young company encountered on the way. The company had to take certain decisions to be able to scale-up overnight and accommodate the huge demand from users while tackling issues around security and privacy. The case also emphasizes aspects of adaptability and resilience in the face of intense external pressure and innovating to harness changing market conditions. This case will be ideal for a course dealing with technology firms and strategy. The case has 2 parts - Part A lays the context and provides a narrative of incidents leading up to March 2020: the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic. It ends by prompting students to think about possible resolutions to the challenges faced by Zoom in March 2020. Part B of the case provides the rest of the narrative in terms of how the company dealt with the challenges, and its performance until October 2020 (the time of writing the case).

Learning Objectives

Virtual Conferencing Market Adaptability and Scalanility Negotiating Crisis