SINGAPORE – Zoom Video Communications Inc would expand its presence in Singapore, it said on Wednesday, adding that it would open a research and development centre and hire hundreds of engineering staff immediately.
In a statement, the video-conferencing services provider said it was doubling its data centre capacity in the country. The firm, which is based in San Jose, California, launched the Singapore data centre in August and it is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.
This year, the firm has witnessed a surge in the use of its service as millions of students and employees use the video platform to work and study remotely because of the lockdowns.
“We plan to immediately hire employees,” Velchamy Sankarlingam, president of product and engineering for Zoom, said referring to the expansion plans.
The firm said it would select its location for the new centre as the pandemic-related remote-work mode subsides.
Over the years, Singapore has been bolstering efforts to woo tech firms such as Facebook, Alphabet’s Google and Tencent and Alibaba of China, to fuel its economic growth.
Last month, it came out with a new work visa for foreign executives of tech firms. This came as the global business hub is tightening broader immigration curbs to assuage fears of citizens over competition for jobs because of rising unemployment.
Zoom said it would hire engineers and sales staff.
