Zoom Expands Developer Tools with New Video SDK

A key indicator of a platform’s growth is the provision of its internal services to external developers. Zoom has actively pursued this strategy, initially with the introduction of Zoom Apps and the associated Marketplace for distribution and sales. Today, the company has unveiled a new SDK (Software Development Kit) designed to facilitate the integration of Zoom’s video capabilities into other applications.

Leveraging Zoom’s Video Infrastructure

According to Zoom’s Natalie Mullin, the Video SDK empowers developers to utilize Zoom’s renowned high-definition video, audio, and interactive features. This allows for the creation of video-centric applications and desktop experiences featuring native user interfaces.

Rather than independently coding video functionality, developers can now efficiently integrate Zoom’s established expertise through the SDK, significantly reducing development time and effort.

Potential Applications Across Industries

Zoom anticipates that developers will embed video into a diverse range of applications, including those in the social, gaming, and retail sectors. The inclusion of video has the potential to substantially improve user engagement.

Consider, for instance, a retailer utilizing live video to showcase apparel to online customers, enabling real-time discussions about preferences and styles.

A Broader Developer Ecosystem

Zoom’s CTO, Brendan Ittelson, explained that the SDK is part of a larger initiative to offer developers access to the company’s expanding suite of developer tools. Complementing this effort is the launch of a centralized developer portal.

“Our goal is to establish a single destination for developers to discover all available tools and resources within the Zoom platform,” Ittelson stated. “To that end, we are introducing developer.zoom.us as the primary hub for developer resources.”

Enhanced Analytics for Developers

Furthermore, Zoom is committed to providing developers with deeper insights into the usage of Zoom features within their applications. This will be achieved through a new analytics dashboard offering comprehensive usage statistics.

“We are enhancing our toolkit by providing developers with analytic dashboards,” Ittelson added. “This will enable developers within the Zoom ecosystem to monitor the performance and adoption of their applications across the platform.”

Comprehensive Tools for Integration

Ittelson believes that the combination of the new Video SDK, existing tools, and the enhanced analytics capabilities will provide developers with versatile options. These options include integrating Zoom functionality into their applications or embedding their applications directly within the Zoom environment.

This multifaceted approach aims to foster innovation and expand the possibilities within the Zoom ecosystem.