Five9, Zoom quash acquisition rumour

"Five9 is not pursuing any such acquisition," according to a company statement

Both Five9 and Zoom have dismissed a report of the two making another go at an acquisition more than two years after Zoom's failed $14.7bn bid.

On Wednesday, Kelly Steckelberg - chief financial officer for California-based communications tool vendor Zoom - said the vendor is not trying to buy Five9 again, according to a transcript of her talk at the Barclays Global Technology Conference.

On Tuesday, without naming Zoom, San Ramon, California-based contact centre software vendor Five9 issued a press release confirming that it "was approached" with a "potential acquisition" opportunity.

Zoom, Five9 acquisition?

"However, Five9 is not pursuing any such acquisition," according to the statement.

CRN has reached out to Zoom and Five9 for comment.

Five9 has about 950 channel partners worldwide and 700 in North America, according to CRN's 2023 Channel Chiefs.

Zoom did not disclose its number of partners in CRN's 2023 Channel Chiefs, but it did say 32 percent of overall sales come through the channel. In 2022, the company said it had more than 8,500 partners worldwide.

During her presentation, Steckelberg said Zoom respects Five9 and called it "an amazing company."

Zoom has about $6.5bn in cash, which could go toward buying smaller, tuck-in technology companies or even a large acquisition in productivity or expanding Zoom verticals in health care and education, according to the transcript.

On Wednesday, Zoom also announced new features including personalized support powered by artificial intelligence, expanded communication channels and remote control.

Along with the new features, the vendor debuted new tiered pricing plans ranging from $69 a month for a basic package to $149 a month for an "elite" package.