Zoom unveils AI Companion 2.0, while Miro launches Innovation Workspace

In the latest industry developments, Zoom has unveiled its AI Companion 2.0 at this year’s Zoomtopia event. This new iteration of its productivity assistant promises to enhance the management of day-to-day tasks, making information synthesis and decision-making more efficient for users. As part of Zoom’s efforts to embed AI deeply into its Workplace platform, the updated AI Companion will be accessible in a side panel, ensuring users stay connected with crucial conversations and can act swiftly.

Chief Product Officer of Zoom, Smita Hashim, emphasised the company’s commitment to an AI-first approach, stating that AI Companion 2.0 allows users to concentrate on pivotal tasks by streamlining their workflows. This tool comes with a customisable add-on feature, enabling organisations to adapt the AI Companion to cater specifically to their operational needs. The company aims to provide this tailored experience at an affordable rate.

In a significant collaboration, Zoom’s AI Companion is set to integrate with ServiceNow’s NowAssist, projected for completion by the first half of 2025. The merger of these generative AI technologies is expected to bolster workflow automation, enhancing collaboration and productivity across platforms. The partnership between Zoom and ServiceNow dates back to 2018, and has only strengthened as both companies have excelled in their respective sectors, especially during the pandemic when Zoom became a household name.

Meanwhile, Miro, a leading company in collaborative software, has launched its Innovation Workspace, a new platform designed to facilitate quicker transition from ideas to results. This AI-powered workspace aims to support teams throughout the innovation process, from brainstorming and roadmapping to executing projects. Described as Miro’s most significant product release since 2012, the platform supports a unique canvas-first approach, differentiating itself from other productivity apps by allowing flexible transitions between unstructured and structured work processes.

Andrey Khusid, CEO and co-founder of Miro, explained that the Innovation Workspace is built to guide teams through the intricacies of innovation, enabling them to embrace and manage creative processes effectively. The platform is integral to Miro’s strategy of offering inclusive environments for ideation and structured tasks like documentation and task tracking.

In the realm of legal disputes, Barco has moved to enforce its ClickShare intellectual property rights against Yealink at the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Europe. Barco seeks an injunction against Yealink to stop the production, sale, and distribution of its wireless conferencing products in the UPC’s jurisdiction. This legal action builds on a previous patent infringement lawsuit filed by Barco against Yealink in the United States, resulting in Yealink acknowledging the infringement and withdrawing its WPP30 Presentation Pod from the US market.

Kurt Verheggen, General Counsel at Barco, highlighted the company’s history of defending its technological innovations. The UPC, established in 2023, provides a mechanism for enforcing patents across its contracting member states, mirroring legal processes available in the US.

Yealink, in response, has contested Barco’s US lawsuit by filing inter partes reviews with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, aiming to protect what it claims is fair competition in the wireless presentation technology market. Yealink argues that Barco’s actions hinder innovation and competitive practices within the industry.

Source: Noah Wire Services