Money

Zoom snaps up cloud call center firm for $14.7 billion

Published

3 years ago

July 19, 2021

Zoom is pressing the answer button on a major acquisition

The video conferencing application is taking advantage of an impressive rise in its stock price in the past year and is now set to make its first major acquisition.

Zoom, which was valued at about $9 billion at its IPO two years ago, confirmed it has agreed on a deal to buy cloud call centre service provider Five9 for approximately $14.7 billion in an all-stock transaction.

Zoom has gained popularity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Five9 will become an operating unit of Zoom after the deal, which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.

The planned buyout is Zoom’s latest attempt to expand its offerings.

In the past year, the video conferencing software has added several office collaboration products, a cloud phone system, and an all-in-one home communications appliance.

Reports state that the acquisition of Five9 will help Zoom enter the “$24 billion” market for contact centers.

“We are continuously looking for ways to enhance our platform, and the addition of Five9 is a natural fit that will deliver even more happiness and value to our customers,”
said Eric S. Yuan, founder and chief executive of Zoom, in a statement.

Joining forces will offer both firms “significant” cross-selling opportunities in each other’s respective customer bases.

COVID pandemic sees the rise in video call platforms

As the world continues to work remotely, many from home – the world has seen a rise in video call platforms.

From Microsoft Teams, Google Meet’s, Skype and even Apple’s Facetime, which is set to launch on Android – the race is on between the tech giants to maintain a strong and viable product.

Zoom’s competitors have launched hybrid work features in a race to accommodate companies’ needs.

Microsoft has unveiled design changes to its Microsoft Teams platform in order to improve remote workers’ interactions in meetings, while Google has revealed updates to its Workspace productivity suite, including new tools for its Meet video conferencing system.

Money

US stocks surge as banks report record profits

US stocks rise as banks report near-record profits; CPI slows, fueling hopes for continued Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Published

3 hours ago

January 16, 2025

ticker NEWS

US stocks rise as banks report near-record profits; CPI slows, fueling hopes for continued Federal Reserve rate cuts.

US stocks rose sharply following strong earnings reports from four major banks: JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.

The banks reported their second-most profitable year ever.

JPMorgan achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first US bank to exceed $50 billion in annual profit.

Goldman Sachs saw record revenue from its equities trading division.

Citigroup reported record revenue in three of its five key segments: wealth management, US personal banking, and services.

Wells Fargo, while having the smallest presence on Wall Street, recorded a 62 per cent increase in annual revenue from investment banking.

Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are set to announce their results on Friday AEDT.

In other news, the core Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December rose at a slower rate than anticipated, indicating a potential easing of inflation.

This development has strengthened expectations that Federal Reserve policymakers may have room to continue cutting rates.

Consequently, the yield on the US 10-year bond dropped by 14 basis points to 4.66 per cent.

Similarly, UK yields fell by 16 basis points to 4.73 per cent after services inflation in the UK decreased to 4.4 per cent in December, down from 5 per cent in November, a more significant decline than the 4.8 per cent economists had predicted.

Money

Bitcoin rises 2% as market awaits inflation report

Published

18 hours ago

January 15, 2025

ticker NEWS

As of January 15, 2025, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at approximately $97,198, reflecting a 2.17% increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency’s market capitalisation stands at around $1.93 trillion, with a 24-hour trading volume of about $54.23 billion.

This recent uptick comes as investors anticipate the upcoming U.S. inflation report, which could influence the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions.

Money

Recovery on the horizon: investing in growth

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

ticker NEWS

The ‘gloom to soon’ signal points to shares and property gains

Money Minute features finance expert Dr. Steve Enticott from CIA Tax, guiding audiences through practical advice and innovative strategies for financial freedom.