Eric Yuan founded Zoom in 2011 as a video-conferencing platform.
Yuan had previously worked at Webex, a company involved in web conferencing, before leaving to create a service designed around reliable online video meetings. Zoom Video Communications was incorporated in 2011 and released its first product in 2013.
The platform allowed people to join meetings through computers, smartphones, and other devices. It became especially prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools, workplaces, families, and public organizations rapidly adopted video calls.
Zoom is sometimes mistaken for Webex or Skype because all three support internet calling and meetings. They are separate products. Zoom’s company name is Zoom Video Communications, while “Zoom” is the familiar product and brand name used by its users.