Business Insider Intelligence

Since the first discussions of the deal in 2019, BlueJeans has enjoyed a surge in usage prompted by coronavirus containment measures around the world, which are pushing businesses to use online collaboration tools at an unprecedented rate. In the first week of April, for instance, Verizon reported that online collaboration tool traffic on its network increased tenfold compared with a typical day prior to the pandemic. Verizon is now set to compete against Microsoft, Google, and Zoom to capitalize on the anticipated long-term shift toward remote work applications.

BlueJeans will expand the range of services within Verizon's business-to-business (B2B) ecosystem. Verizon indicated that BlueJeans would be integrated into its broader enterprise services geared toward clients in areas like telehealth and online learning.

We spoke to Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business, who observed that "[customers] don't want to get connectivity from one person, security from somebody else … [and] a video platform here — they want an integrated solution that they know is secure and that they know works when they need it to work." This suggests Verizon's video conference offering will compete most directly against Microsoft Teams, which has taken to highlighting its privacy features and broader ecosystem integration, to contrast itself with up-and-comer Zoom. 

The biggest opportunity for BlueJeans will come as companies start to adopt remote work services for long-term use cases, and not just as temporary solutions to the pandemic's disruptions. Verizon, Microsoft, and Google are adjusting their business offerings so that, as enterprise clients attempt to accommodate a long-term shift toward remote work, they'll be seen as established partners. "My expectation," Erwin told us, "[based on] conversations I've had with CEOs and businesses around the world is that these trends will continue.

We will think differently about the workforce and workplace of tomorrow." Zoom's recent troubles have prompted a number of clients — including SpaceX, NASA, the New York City Department of Education, and many others — to ditch the service, attesting to the fact that the remote work market is still up for grabs. While robust security features are a precondition to compete in this space, integrations will be a source of differentiation among different services, steering enterprises toward one over another.

Verizon's challenge will be to offer integrations above and beyond those from Microsoft and Google — together the two companies dominate the enterprise software suite market, and both already bundle their video conferencing software with their product suites.

Want to read more stories like this one? Here's how to get access:

Business Insider Intelligence analyzes the tech industry and provides in-depth analyst reports, proprietary forecasts, customizable charts, and more. >> Check if your company has BII Enterprise membership access.Sign up for the  Connectivity & Tech Briefing, Business Insider Intelligence's expert email newsletter keeping you up-to-date on the people, technologies, trends, and companies shaping the future of healthcare, delivered to your inbox 6x a week. >> Get StartedExplore related topics in more depth. >> Visit Our Report StoreCurrent subscribers can log in to read the briefing here.