Latest news with #AICompanion
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
From boardrooms to avatars: CEOs embrace AI for earnings calls
In a striking display of the growing influence of artificial intelligence in corporate communications, a number of high-profile chief executives have begun deploying AI-generated avatars to deliver their companies' quarterly results, according to a TechCrunch report. This week, Klarna and Zoom joined the ranks of firms experimenting with digital doubles, signalling a potential shift in how investors and analysts engage with corporate leadership, added the publication. You may be interested in Reportedly, the Swedish buy-now-pay-later giant Klarna premiered an 83-second video featuring an AI rendition of its co-founder and CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, to unveil its Q1 2025 financial performance. Addressing viewers with the opening line, 'It's me, or rather, my AI avatar,' the digital Siemiatkowski guided audiences through the results. Klarna, which has been transparent about integrating AI into its operations, recently attributed part of its workforce reductions to efficiencies gained from machine-learning investments. During Zoom's Q1 2026 earnings call, CEO Eric Yuan introduced a new twist by presenting part of the report through a digital avatar created using the company's own AI Companion tool. 'I'm using our custom avatars for Zoom Clips with AI Companion to deliver my section of the earnings update,' announced the lifelike avatar. A subtle watermark indicated that the video segment had been generated using Zoom's AI technology. Yuan later joined the live Q&A session in person, where he shared his excitement about the virtual avatar and hinted that such AI-powered representations could soon play a larger role in business communications. These developments underscore an emerging trend among technology leaders keen to demonstrate their organisations' AI prowess not only in product development, but in high-visibility investor relations. As digital avatars mature, they may allow executives to attend multiple events simultaneously, ensure consistent messaging and even operate in different time zones without the need for physical presence — heralding a new era of 'digital twin' governance.
Business Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Zoom lifts annual forecasts on robust demand amid AI push
ZOOM Communications raised its annual revenue forecast on Wednesday, benefiting from hybrid work trends and the integration of artificial intelligence into its products. The integration of AI into its tools and expansion of its range of services has helped Zoom. It added agentic AI Companion capabilities and AI updates across its platform in March. 'Across online and enterprise, the majority of the business in the first quarter saw no change in buying behaviour, still strong demand,' CFO Michelle Chang said on a post-earnings call. Chang said no losses were incurred even though there was increased caution and more scrutiny on deal terms among a few larger US customers. The company now sees fiscal 2026 revenue between US$4.80 billion and US$4.81 billion, above its prior forecast of US$4.79 billion and US$4.80 billion. Analysts expect US$4.79 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. 'With a beefed-up buyback programME and AI Companion upgrades now spanning everything from shift summaries to clip generation, Zoom finally has the makings of a new story to tell,' said Jeremy Goldman, senior director of briefings at Emarketer. It forecast annual adjusted profit per share between US$5.56 and US$5.59, compared with estimates of US$5.41. It had earlier forecast adjusted profit between US$5.34 and US$5.37. Revenue for the first quarter ended April 30 was US$1.17 billion, in line with expectations. Adjusted profit came in at US$1.43 per share, compared with estimates of US$1.31. REUTERS
Cision Canada
20-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Bell Canada and Zoom team up to deliver leading workplace collaboration solutions for Canadian businesses Français
Bell and Zoom are partnering to offer Workplace from Bell and Zoom, a unique suite of communication and collaboration services for Canadian enterprises. Workplace from Bell and Zoom integrates leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools as a core functionality in all packages, delivering greater value for customers. The partnership reinforces Bell's commitment to deliver best-in-class services and solutions that meet the productivity and collaboration needs of all Canadian businesses. MONTRÉAL, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Bell, Canada's largest communications company, and Zoom, a global leader in workplace communications, today announced a partnership to offer Workplace from Bell and Zoom, an open collaboration platform with AI Companion, available to Canadian enterprises exclusively through Bell. This relationship reinforces Bell's objective to provide innovative, reliable, and secure AI powered communication solutions that empower businesses to thrive in today's dynamic work environment. With its AI-first capabilities built-in to every product and not "bolted-on" to existing features, Workplace from Bell and Zoom empowers businesses with a variety of needs and levels of expertise. From organizations with limited technical proficiency seeking a simple, easy-to-deploy collaboration solution to those with dispersed employees requiring external calling capabilities and hybrid work support, Workplace from Bell and Zoom makes it easy to integrate and operate. Launching exclusively for Canadian customers, Workplace from Bell and Zoom will complement existing Bell services, offering a comprehensive and user-friendly experience with a cutting-edge collaboration platform designed to boost productivity and collaboration. Key features include: Simplified Communication across teams and departments with calling, integrated video conferencing, messaging, and file sharing. Enhanced Productivity with tools designed to improve workflow and collaboration. Flexible Workstyles that support hybrid and remote work models with seamless connectivity and communication tools accessible from any device. Robust Enterprise-grade Security designed to protect sensitive business information without compromising user experience. AI-First Capabilities (Zoom AI Companion), leading functionality included in all packages, to help users get more done, do better work, and strengthen relationships through task automation and enhancing overall productivity. "Workplace from Bell and Zoom is an important milestone within our digital-first mission, elevating Bell's set of collaboration solutions for businesses across all segments and requirements. We've worked together to deliver a comprehensive suite of tools to empower Canadian customers with the seamless and secure communication and collaboration experiences they need to thrive in today's dynamic environment." - John Watson, Group President, Bell "This partnership with Bell represents a truly unique opportunity to bring the power of the Zoom platform to the Canadian market. We're excited to work alongside Bell to deliver a solution that's not only innovative but also specifically tailored to the needs of Canadian businesses. This collaboration sets a new standard for enterprise collaboration in Canada." - Graeme Geddes, Chief Sales and Growth Officer, Zoom "Workplace from Bell and Zoom will deliver significant productivity gains for Canadian businesses facing challenges with scalability and flexibility of communications tools. With 64% of Canadian organizations struggling in these areas, and 57% needing a platform that fully integrates calling, meetings, and messaging, this solution addresses a critical market need. Further reinforcing this, 76% of Canadian IT decision-makers prefer purchasing communications solutions from trusted telecom providers, making Bell Canada a natural choice." - Elka Popova, VP and Senior Fellow, Frost & Sullivan Workplace from Bell and Zoom powered by Canada's largest network with Bell, will be available nationally this year. ABOUT BELL Bell is Canada's largest communications company [1], providing advanced broadband Internet, wireless, TV, media and business communication services. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit or Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zoom Gears Up to Post Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?
Zoom Communications ZM is scheduled to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May expects first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues between $1.162 billion and $1.167 billion. Non-GAAP earnings per share are expected in the range of $1.29-$ Zacks Consensus Estimate for ZM's first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $1.16 billion, indicating a 2.03% increase from the year-ago quarter's reported consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.30 per share, which has remained unchanged over the past 90 days. The figure suggests a 3.70% decrease from the year-ago reported surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 10.33%. (See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.) Zoom Communications, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Zoom Communications, Inc. Quote Let us see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement. The expansion of Zoom's AI Companion capabilities is anticipated to have played a major role in boosting the company's top-line performance. With the launch of AI Companion 2.0 and the rollout of the customizable add-on in April, Zoom began to monetize its agentic AI features. These innovations are likely to have improved customer stickiness and platform engagement in the quarter under review, directly benefiting the top is expected to have continued being the dominant growth driver. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, enterprise revenues grew 6% year over year and accounted for 60% of total revenues. The number of customers generating over $100,000 in trailing 12-month revenues grew 7% year over year, while churn rates reached record lows. This trend is expected to have persisted in the to-be-reported quarter, supported by continued momentum in Zoom Phone, Contact Center, and Workvivo, particularly as large deals likely ramped Online business segment, which includes SMB and individual customers, is expected to have remained flat to slightly down during the quarter. This performance reflects ongoing stabilization trends, including record-low churn levels achieved in the previous quarter. In contrast, Zoom's Enterprise segment is anticipated to have carried the bulk of the growth in the fiscal first quarter. Large deal wins, such as the deployment of Zoom solutions to Amazon employees and Delta Airlines' adoption of Workvivo, is expected to have reinforced the platform's relevance and appeal to upmarket a bottom-line perspective, strategic investments in AI are expected to have weighed on gross margins, though the company remains committed to achieving long-term efficiency gains. Zoom's federated AI approach and infrastructure optimization efforts are expected to have helped offset these costs in the fiscal first quarter, keeping operating margins stable near 39%. Additionally, free cash flow in the quarter under review is expected to have been impacted by timing differences, tax conditions and changes in interest rates. Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case currently has an Earnings ESP of -1.68% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat earnings in their upcoming releases:NVIDIA NVDA currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.87% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks shares have gained 0.8% in the year-to-date (YTD) period. It is slated to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May Lauren RL has an Earnings ESP of +2.72% and a Zacks Rank #3 at shares have gained 18.9% YTD. It is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May Sports, Inc. AS has an Earnings ESP of +1.06% and a Zacks Rank #3 at shares have gained 11.4% YTD. It is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2025 results on May 20. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Zoom Communications, Inc. (ZM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Amer Sports, Inc. (AS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Globe and Mail
19-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Zoom Gears Up to Post Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?
Zoom Communications ZM is scheduled to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 21. Zoom expects first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues between $1.162 billion and $1.167 billion. Non-GAAP earnings per share are expected in the range of $1.29-$1.31. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ZM's first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $1.16 billion, indicating a 2.03% increase from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.30 per share, which has remained unchanged over the past 90 days. The figure suggests a 3.70% decrease from the year-ago reported figure. ZM surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 10.33%. (See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.) Zoom Communications, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Zoom Communications, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Zoom Communications, Inc. Quote Let us see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement. Factors to Consider The expansion of Zoom's AI Companion capabilities is anticipated to have played a major role in boosting the company's top-line performance. With the launch of AI Companion 2.0 and the rollout of the customizable add-on in April, Zoom began to monetize its agentic AI features. These innovations are likely to have improved customer stickiness and platform engagement in the quarter under review, directly benefiting the top line. Enterprise is expected to have continued being the dominant growth driver. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, enterprise revenues grew 6% year over year and accounted for 60% of total revenues. The number of customers generating over $100,000 in trailing 12-month revenues grew 7% year over year, while churn rates reached record lows. This trend is expected to have persisted in the to-be-reported quarter, supported by continued momentum in Zoom Phone, Contact Center, and Workvivo, particularly as large deals likely ramped up. The Online business segment, which includes SMB and individual customers, is expected to have remained flat to slightly down during the quarter. This performance reflects ongoing stabilization trends, including record-low churn levels achieved in the previous quarter. In contrast, Zoom's Enterprise segment is anticipated to have carried the bulk of the growth in the fiscal first quarter. Large deal wins, such as the deployment of Zoom solutions to Amazon employees and Delta Airlines' adoption of Workvivo, is expected to have reinforced the platform's relevance and appeal to upmarket clients. From a bottom-line perspective, strategic investments in AI are expected to have weighed on gross margins, though the company remains committed to achieving long-term efficiency gains. Zoom's federated AI approach and infrastructure optimization efforts are expected to have helped offset these costs in the fiscal first quarter, keeping operating margins stable near 39%. Additionally, free cash flow in the quarter under review is expected to have been impacted by timing differences, tax conditions and changes in interest rates. What Our Model Says for ZM Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here. ZM currently has an Earnings ESP of -1.68% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Stocks to Consider Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat earnings in their upcoming releases: NVIDIA NVDA currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.87% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. NVDA shares have gained 0.8% in the year-to-date (YTD) period. It is slated to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 28. Ralph Lauren RL has an Earnings ESP of +2.72% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. RL shares have gained 18.9% YTD. It is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 22. Amer Sports, Inc. AS has an Earnings ESP of +1.06% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. AS shares have gained 11.4% YTD. It is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2025 results on May 20. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops." Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.0% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL): Free Stock Analysis Report Zoom Communications, Inc. (ZM): Free Stock Analysis Report Amer Sports, Inc. (AS): Free Stock Analysis Report
