Verizon buys video conferencing app BlueJeans
It's an acquisition that makes a lot of sense in the current moment.
In a classic example of trying to strike while the iron is hot, the business unit of Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is acquiring BlueJeans. If you're not familiar, BlueJeans is a video conferencing app like Zoom. Verizon didn't disclose the financial terms of the deal, but it did say the founders, management and employees of BlueJeans are joining the company as part of the acquisition.
With so many people working from home, it's no surprise a company like Verizon wants to build a bigger presence in video conferencing. After all, those types of apps have seen explosive growth since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Zoom, for example, recently revealed it had more than 200 million active daily users in March, up from its previous high of 10 million at the end of last year.
There's also the 5G angle, with Verizon saying it plans to "deeply integrate" the platform into its wireless roadmap, focusing on use cases like telemedicine, remote learning and field service work. In the more immediate future, Verizon will combine the BlueJeans platform and its communications offerings as a service business. If all goes according to plan, the deal should close sometime in the next couple of months.
