Putting people at the heart of hybrid work: Zoom to acquire Workvivo to bolster the employee experience offering

The employee communication and engagement platform will give Zoom customers new ways to keep employees informed, engaged, and connected in today’s hybrid work model

Zoom and Workvivo

Zoom announces intent to acquire Workvivo

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Behind work are workers. Real everyday people. People who work to live, not live to work. People who need a sense of belonging. It’s a simple concept that often gets forgotten as priorities and demands take over the workday.

With workforces looking much different than they did just a few years ago, leaders need to think differently to retain talent and maintain company culture. Today’s workforce is hybrid and distributed – with people working from home, in an office, at a remote location, on the frontlines of a retail floor or warehouse, as a pilot or flight attendant in an airplane, a nurse in a healthcare clinic, or anything in between. In fact, 70% of US employees are frontline workers. They are people who want to feel connected to their colleagues and leaders – no matter where they work. Engaging employees and driving culture through connection is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s imperative for success in today’s business environment.

Zoom is excited to announce the acquisition of Workvivo to extend Zoom’s platform and offer its customers new ways to keep employees informed, engaged, and connected.

Founded in 2017, Workvivo provides a modern, feature-rich employee experience platform, combining advanced internal communication and engagement tools, a social intranet, and an employee app, all blended into one central hub, forming the heart of a company’s digital ecosystem. Workvivo’s best-in-class offering has seen triple-digit growth in the last three years and is used and trusted by hundreds of customers worldwide, from SMBs to some of the world’s most well-known brands, including Liberty Mutual, Lululemon, Ryanair, Madison Square Garden, and Wynn Resorts.

“We are excited to welcome the Workvivo team to Zoom. The power of Workvivo employee experience platform, with its robust communications and engagement offering combined with Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform, allows organizations to fully unlock the potential of their employees and evolve their company culture in a hybrid world,” said Kelly Steckelberg, chief financial officer at Zoom. “Workvivo has set the standard for employee communications, helping businesses reach and engage millions of employees worldwide. Workvivo prioritizes ease-of-use and simplicity of design, offering the best user experience which is a perfect match to Zoom’s DNA.”

“Zoom’s rapid pace of innovation and the persistent dedication to building products with a human-first mindset is why we are most excited about joining the team,” said John Goulding, CEO and co-founder at Workvivo. “Our platform replaces outdated, clunky, internal communications tools with a vibrant, familiar social experience, and has a proven history of unparalleled levels of adoption. With Zoom, we can build great things together, make teamwork more meaningful, and extend collaboration beyond knowledge workers, allowing us to reach employees who have historically felt disconnected from the company.”

Workvivo UI
Workvivo is an employee experience platform designed to inform, engage and connect employees everywhere.

Workvivo is an employee experience platform designed to inform, engage and connect employees everywhere.

With this acquisition, Zoom continues its evolution to provide the best end-to-end collaboration platform focused on enabling modern work and powering the digital-first workplace.

Following the close of the transaction, Zoom plans to incorporate Workvivo’s capabilities into its platform to deliver a best-in-class, employee experience. Workvivo’s founders John Goulding and Joe Lennon, and the entire Workvivo team, will be instrumental in driving employee experience innovation strategy.

The transaction is expected to close in Q1 FY2024. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

About Workvivo
Workvivo is an employee experience platform designed to inform, engage and connect employees everywhere. Workvivo works with organizations globally across multiple industries, including Bupa, TELUS International and Everton FC. Read more at www.workvivo.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking information related to Zoom and Workvivo and the acquisition of Workvivo by Zoom that involves substantial risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, among other things, statements regarding the potential benefits of the proposed transaction for Zoom, Workvivo and their respective customers, Zoom’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to the proposed transaction, Zoom’s ability to offer the best end-to-end collaboration platform, the financial condition, results of operations and business of Zoom, and the anticipated closing of the proposed transaction. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “predict,” “potential,” “target,” “explore,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements are subject to numerous uncertainties and risks, including factors beyond our control, that could cause actual results, performance or achievement to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the statements, including: risks related to the ability of Zoom to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, Zoom’s ability to successfully integrate Workvivo’s operations and personnel, Zoom’s ability to implement its plan, forecasts and other expectations with respect to Workvivo’s business after the completion of the transaction, the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, and continued uncertainty regarding the extent and duration of the impact of COVID-19 and the responses of government and private industry thereto, including the potential effect on Zoom’s user growth rate as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic tapers. Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements described under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere are in Zoom’s most recent filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2023. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available to Zoom at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. Zoom assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, except as required by law.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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Zoom Public Relations
Candace Dean
press@zoom.us

Solvvy Public Relations
Eleanor O’Mahony
eleanor.omahony@workvivo.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8808322

Siem Reap Province Logs Some 430,000 Tourists in Khmer New Year First Day

Siem Reap province recorded 436,679 tourists in the first day of Khmer New Year holiday, the Provincial Tourism Department's report showed on Saturday.

Angkor Sankranta event being organised in the complex of Angkor Archeological Park, attracted the most tourists, the report read.

Visitors also visited other tourism destinations including Phnom Kulen National Park, Tonle Sap zone, and community-based eco-tourism sites.

Among the visitors, 6,679 are foreign tourists, the report pointed out.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP)

Khmer New Year Travels Reach 2 Million on First Day

More than 2.09 million people travelled to tourism destinations across the country on the first day of Khmer New Year holiday, according to a report of the Ministry of Tourism on Saturday.

Nearly 2.08 million of them are local tourists and the rest are foreigners, read the report.

Siem Reap province toped the list of destinations receiving 436,679 tourists, followed by Battambang province and Phnom Penh capital with 305,615 and 263,549 tourists, respectively.

Cambodian people are celebrating their traditional New Year, the Year of Rabbit, from April 14 to 16.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP)

Party chief receives US Secretary of State

Positive outcomes in the Vietnam-US relations will create a foundation for the two countries to elevate their ties to a new height, for the sake of their people, and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world at large, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Hanoi on April 15.

The Party chief stressed that the official visit to Vietnam, the first by Blinken in his capacity as US Secretary of State, is of significance as it takes place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the bilateral comprehensive partnership.

He spoke highly of results of the US official’s working sessions in Vietnam, as well as the strong, comprehensive development of the bilateral relations, saying the important foundations for the development lie with the respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each other, for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

The host also highly valued outcomes of his phone talks with President Joe Biden on March 29, during which they compared notes on major orientations for the Vietnam-US relations, particularly high-level meetings and exchanges in order to enhance mutual understanding and expand cooperation in trade-investment, science-technology, education-training and others.

For his part, Blinken conveyed wishes and regards of President Joe Biden to the Vietnamese Party leader, and stressed that the US also highly values the success of the phone talks.

He highlighted the comprehensive, substantive development of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership over the past years, saying the US commits to enhancing cooperation with Vietnam across spheres, especially in trade-investment, science-technology, education-training and climate change response.

The Secretary of State reiterated that the US attaches importance to its relationship with Vietnam, and wishes to advance it to a new level.

He also affirmed the US’s support for ASEAN’s centrality, and its hope for the acceleration of the handling of issues of shared concern through ASEAN mechanisms and frameworks.

In this regard, Trong welcomed the US’s support for concern of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries over regional and international issues.

On behalf of President Biden, the Secretary of State reiterated the invitation to the Party chief to visit the US.

Trong noted his thanks and asked relevant agencies to arrange the visit at an appropriate time. He also reiterated the invitation to Biden to visit Vietnam. Blinken, in reply, said the US President wishes to visit the Southeast Asian nation at an early date.

The same day, Blinken had a meeting with Le Hoai Trung, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, during which the two sides looked into orientations and measures to carry forwards outcomes of the bilateral relations, and materialise results of the phone talks between Party General Secretary Trong and President Biden, and of the visit to Vietnam by the Secretary of State./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Foreign Minister holds talks with US Secretary of State

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared the view that Vietnam and the US should continue with their cooperation and promote the bilateral ties on the basis of the principles agreed by their high-ranking leaders, during their talks in Hanoi on April 15.

They reviewed positive developments in the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership over the past time, with two-way trade growing impressively, hitting 123 billion USD last year.

Both highlighted collaboration in the COVID-19 combat, as well as the efficiency of cooperation projects on addressing war legacies, notably the one on dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport, along with the increasing number of Vietnamese students in the US.

Vietnam always considers the US a leading important partner and wishes to enhance the comprehensive partnership on the basis of mutual benefits, and respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each other, Son said.

He lauded the coordination between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State over the past time, emphasising Blinken’s role in promoting the bilateral ties, including the recent phone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden, contributing to consolidating trust, creating more momentum, and opening a new period for cooperation between the two countries.

The FM suggested the two sides step up all-level delegation exchanges and contacts this year which marks the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive partnership, and deepen the bilateral relations practically, for mutual benefits, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

Blinken, for his part, affirmed the importance the US attaches to the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, and commended Vietnam’s dynamic development, role and position in the region.

He stressed the US’s commitment to respecting political institutions, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam, and supporting a strong, independent, self-resilient and prosperous Vietnam.

The US will set aside more resources and budget to help Vietnam settle war consequences, and further bilateral cooperation in important fields such as trade-investment, science-technology, digital transformation, green transition, and high-quality personnel training in serve of the country’s development, he noted.

The two sides also compared notes on regional and international issues of shared concern.

Son suggested the US continue its active role to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in Asia-Pacific, Indian Ocean and the world as well.

Blinken said the US backs ASEAN’s centrality in the region, and will work harder to promote cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN-US comprehensive strategic partnership.

The US also supports the Mekong-US partnership, climate efforts and UN peacekeeping operations, he continued.

Regarding the East Sea issue, they agreed on the importance of peace, security, stability and freedom of navigation and aviation in the waters, addressing disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Domestic resort real estate market facing challenges

Experts have noted their hope that coastal resorts will play a role in accelerating the recovery and development of the domestic resort real estate market which is facing an array of challenges.

Mauro Gasparotti, Director of Savills Hotels, said Vietnam’s hospitality market had great momentum before the pandemic, moving from a destination only for experienced travellers, to a place for holiday and leisure travellers.

“However, development outpaced demand, and now we are dealing with the consequences of overdevelopment like incomplete or underperforming projects,” he pointed out.

“On a positive note, several high-quality hotels and resorts in the country are doing exceptionally well, and they will keep doing so for the foreseeable future. Projects that have been properly implemented and are correctly managed will recover faster,” Mauro continued.

He said tourism faces difficulties such as inflation, global political tensions, raised airfares and labour shortages.

In Vietnam, recovery is fragmented, he said. Ho Chi Minh City, for example, has experienced significant recovery with occupancy fast reaching 2019 levels. However, properties in Nha Trang and Da Nang are still struggling to improve performance. Operating margins in these areas are -40% to -60% lower than in Bali and Phuket.

Fenady Uriarte, Business Development Manager, Southeast Asia of STR, added “While Southeast Asia’s RevPAR for February YTD 2023 moves closer to 2019 levels at -3.6%, Vietnam’s overall RevPAR is still -33.4% behind.”

“However, ADR is moving in the right direction. As we look ahead, key source markets reopening, such as China and Japan, could present an upside for Vietnam.”

Many hotel developments are delayed or on hold because of tightened credit controls. However, the conversion of existing developments shows that many hotel owners are looking to collaborate with chain brands. Owners of independent hotels and chains are increasingly attracted to the opportunity to benefit from the scale, expertise, and network of global hotel operators.

Millennials make up 30% of Vietnam’s population and are shaping the travel landscape. Norbert Vas - COO of Archipelago Indochina shared “I am both concerned and optimistic about this sector in Vietnam.

Concerned about where big operators are taking the concept, but optimistic because there is vast local talent and creativity and a burgeoning young domestic class of sophisticated travellers who would gladly embrace the lifestyle concept if executed correctly.”

Speakers from QUO Global, Dulux Professional, IHG Hotels & Resorts, SOHO Hospitality and Delivering Asia Communications discussed the latest industry movements such as colour trends, hotel conversion, luxury dining, and the power of branding and media communications.

According to Savills Hotels, in the next three years, forecasts expect significant growth in the luxury hotel segment. While luxury rooms currently have 2% of the total supply, they have 5% of the pipeline.

Luxury branded residences are increasingly popular in Vietnam. International property branding expert Anthony Moulton, Managing Director at Brand & Co said, “Time and space is the new luxury.”

Ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) and high-net-worth (HNW) buyers want branded residences that buy them time and a home that gives them space, think Super Prime real estate where size matters.

True luxury is about creating a space for the mind (in a philosophical sense, creating time). It has to do with the quality of space, services, amenities, light and air, rather than just expensive materials.

When branding and marketing these types of projects, Moulton said “Prestige and status are still the two largest factors that make people buy luxury branded residences and luxury goods”.

Hotels are reshaping the look, feel and appeal of their properties, using exterior and interior designs as one of their differentiating methods to create unique experiences./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Groundbreaking ceremony held for new US Embassy in Hanoi

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 15 broke ground on the construction of the new US Embassy in Cau Giay district, Hanoi.

The new embassy represents "another significant step towards strengthening the vital partnership between our nations and peoples," US State Secretary Blinken said in his address.

The US Embassy campus has a total investment of 1.2 billion USD, built on 39,000sq.m, on a land area of 3.2 hectares, featuring plenty of greenery.

The design of the US Embassy complex will combine the modern urban landscape with the natural beauty of Hanoi as well as inspiration from the UNESCO World Heritage of Ha Long Bay.

Most of the construction will be done with recycled materials and the embassy's design will be energy-efficient and flood-resistant. The foundation of the building will be built with basalt stone, available both in Vietnam and the US,

The architecture of the campus will stand for the shared commitments of the two countries in sustainability and climate change resilience.

Blinken said this is the day he has been waiting for a long time, adding he first heard about this project when he was still Deputy Secretary of State.

He expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Government and the US Embassy’s staff for their efforts to make this historic day into reality.

Over the past 27 years, since the normalisation of ties in 1995, the relationship between Vietnam and the US has been continually strengthened. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries. The two countries have cooperated in all aspects, from improving public health to expanding all-encompassing economic opportunities to accelerating the transition to clean energy, Blinken noted.

The new embassy building will be eight stories tall and large enough to accommodate all personnel, according to the US diplomat.

The embassy will also be able to increase the number of consular service windows by four times the current capacity, allowing for more efficient and faster processing of visas and passports for a larger number of people, he noted.

It is estimated that over the course of six years of construction, the project will provide employment for approximately 1,800 local workers and contribute an additional 350 million USD to the Vietnamese economy.

At the event, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Duong Duc Tuan said that the project is the result of many years of efforts by both countries with the active participation of many agencies.

Just before the US Secretary of State's visit, Hanoi authorities approved the detailed planning for the remaining part of the new Cau Giay urban area at a ratio of 1/500 in the planning area with the code D30, which is an important condition for carrying out procedures related to the construction of the embassy.

The Hanoi People's Committee will continue to closely coordinate with central agencies and the US Embassy in the construction process, supporting the project to achieve its goals and timeline./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam, France boast huge cooperation opportunities: business forum

More than 500 managers, scientists and businesspeople from Vietnam and France gathered at a business forum in Hanoi on April 15 as part of the 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference.

The forum offered an opportunity to connect authorities of cities, investors and enterprises of the two countries, said Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen.

The sides also exchanged views, initiatives and solutions to raise mutual understanding and promote cooperation, while expanding exchange and collaboration between Vietnamese and French partners, he continued.

Quyen briefed the participants on Hanoi’s situation, with its GRDP growing 5.8% in the first quarter of this year, 1.7 times higher than the national average, and its budget collection reaching 128 trillion VND (5.48 billion USD), equivalent to 40% of the estimate.

For cooperation with France, he said since 1989 the capital city has attracted about 494.4 million USD in foreign direct investment from the country, including 7.8 million USD in 2022 and 0.92 million USD in the first three months of this year.

In his remarks, French Ambassador Nicolas Warnery noted that the year 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 10 years of the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Over the past three days, the conference looked into solutions and projects on smart cities, sustainable urban and rural development, heritage and tourism, the diplomat said.

The French embassy will work to promote mutual understanding and deepen the bilateral relations across spheres, he pledged.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich noted that the two countries boast huge cooperation opportunities in the time ahead, explaining that Vietnam is an active, responsible member of ASEAN while France is a key member of the European Union. Both are members of the Francophone community as well as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency