Zoom, the video communications giant, will be adding virtual features in the future. This includes being able to shake hands with people on the other end of the screen and smelling coffee while on a meeting.

Eric Yuan, the founder and CEO of Zoom, has discussed about his plans for the app. Zoom has helped millions of people worldwide as the coronavirus pandemic prevented gatherings and in-person meetings and classes.

Zoom upgraded features

At the Web Summit tech conference, Yuan talked about how artificial intelligence could bring physical aspects to virtual meetings as he believes that a lot of workers will still not return to the office even after the spread of the coronavirus has slowed down. They are working on Zoom Keyboard shortcuts as well. 

Yuan argued that video meetings will be a part of the new normal and the pandemic had shown that video meetings work perfectly.

Also Read: Zoom Fatigue: A Real Sickness That You Must Acknowledge; Science Proves Its Existence 

This prediction came right after Zoom's shared value decreased as soon as Pfizer announced a COVID-19 vaccine that is 95% effective and is ready for distribution early next year. He said that office-based staff may come in for only two to three days a week as part of the new normal.

Yuan said that the world will become a hybrid workplace and he thinks that it is a world that we all have to eventually embrace. But he warned about "Zoom fatigue" and hinted that even he experienced it after attending 19 video call meetings in just one day, and it is natural for people to experience it too as it is now the only way that the public can communicate.

Yuan added that he ended every day with meditation of at least 15 minutes so he can destress and contemplate what he would do differently the following day.

Zoom's growth

Zoom has had a spectacular year in 2020, and the company is forecast to have hosted around three trillion minutes of meetings. But this success did not come without controversy, as earlier this year the app was criticized for having poor privacy and security settings and after complaints of "zoombombing" or people gatecrashing calls flooded social media sites.

The privacy and security issue had forced the FBI to get involved, until the company made the vital changes in the app to make sure that the participant's identities are confidential, according to CNN.

The company started as a business software vendor, but when the pandemic began the app became in-demand. Yuan admitted that it had been a challenge to attract funding when they started in 2011.

However, when Zoom was launched on the New York stock market last year, Yuan admitted that ringing the bell was like a dream and made him forget all the rejections that he had to endure. Zoom is now valued at $9.2 billion.

Yuan told Bloomberg that his success is due to his tenacity. He was refused a US visa eight times before he was allowed to move from China to California in 1997.

Yuan is now worth $18 billion, but despite the fame and fortune he believes his life has not changed. He said he focuses on himself, his family and his work as he looks for ways to improve his app.

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Written by Sieeka Khan