Kites’ research scientists will help Zoom’s engineering team in advancing the field of machine translation
Zoom has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Germany-based Kites. (Credit: Coolcaesar/Wikipedia.org)
Zoom Video Communications has agreed to acquire Karlsruhe Information Technology Solutions – kites (Kites), a Germany-based start-up focused on developing real-time machine translation (MT) solutions.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the video teleconferencing platform provider.
Established in 2015, Kites has academic roots with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a public university in Karlsruhe, where its co-founders Alex Waibel and Sebastian Stüker are faculty members.
Kites’ technology was designed originally as a tool to enable communication within international teams in an academic setting.
Zoom said that Kites’ research scientists will help its engineering team in taking the field of machine translation to the next stage.
The company expects advanced machine translation solutions to enhance meeting productivity and efficiency by offering multi-language translation capabilities for its users.
Zoom product and engineering president Velchamy Sankarlingam said: “We are continuously looking for new ways to deliver happiness to our users and improve meeting productivity, and MT solutions will be key in enhancing our platform for Zoom customers across the globe.
“With our aligned missions to make collaboration frictionless – regardless of language, geographic location, or other barriers – we are confident Kites’ impressive team will fit right in with Zoom.”
Stüker and the rest of the Kites’ team will continue to operate from Karlsruhe. Zoom said that it plans to invest in expanding the team.
Stüker said: “Kites emerged with the mission of breaking down language barriers and making seamless cross-language interaction a reality of everyday life, and we have long admired Zoom for its ability to easily connect people across the world.
“We know Zoom is the best partner for Kites to help advance our mission and we are excited to see what comes next under Zoom’s incredible innovation engine.”
The video teleconferencing platform provider revealed plans to open a research and development (R&D) centre in Germany in the future.
Zoom also said that Waibel will become a Zoom Research Fellow and will advise on the company’s research and development in machine translation.
Last month, Zoom said that it will launch an all-in-one solution called Zoom Events. The new solution will offer customers the tools needed for creating a wide variety of engaging virtual experiences.