Hillary Clinton hits Zoom time limit on national TV
The former secretary of state pledged to upgrade her account
Kelly Steckelberg, CFO of Zoom, on sustaining growth after COVID-19 crisis.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in the middle of a remote MSNBC interview before the first presidential debate when a text box from Zoom Video Communications Inc. broke in: "Your meeting will end in 10 minutes."
Viewers, many of whom have relied on the video conferencing service themselves in a world where live conversations have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, were tickled.
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Clinton had been berating President Trump, declaring that his "series is about to be canceled," a reference to the real estate mogul and entertainer's star turn on "The Apprentice" franchise.
However, as Mashable reported Tuesday, it seemed that neither the network nor Clinton had upgraded their Zoom accounts to receive unlimited meeting time.
Those watching the program took to Twitter, joking that "a special [counsel would] be appointed."
"<insert joke about private server>" tweeted user @gregmschumaker, referencing the controversial email setup Clinton used as secretary of state.
"2020," wrote The Wall Street Journal's Media & Marketing bureau chief, Amol Sharma.
Some even offered to pay for an upgraded account for Clinton and her husband if they couldn't "swing it."
Evidently, the 2016 presidential candidate -- and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow -- both got the memo.
"OK, OK, I'll upgrade" to Zoom Pro, Clinton tweeted from her home in Chappaqua, N.Y.
The upgrade will cost Clinton at least $150 per license, depending on what Zoom plan she chooses. She can either be billed monthly or annually, according to the Zoom website.
Video conferencing platforms, once used mostly as a technological substitute for in-person meetings, became a vital part of day-to-day life this year for people stuck at home under restrictions intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
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The company reported it had raised its annual revenue forecast by 30% at the end of August. Zoom's shares have surged almost fourfold this year, though it has come under fire for security and privacy issues.
The company said revenue rose 355% to $663.5 million, above analysts' average estimate of $500.5 million.