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==Controversies==
==Controversies==
ZoomInfo sends notices of personal information processing with a m.zoominfo-privacy.com email address.<ref name="Brown IT">{{cite web |url=https://it.brown.edu/phish-bowl-alerts/notice-personal-information-processing-not-advertisement-zoominfo#:~:text=ZoomInfo%20is%20a%20provider%20of,sales%20and%20marketing%20and%20recruiting. |title=Notice of personal information processing. (This is not an advertisement) [ZoomInfo] |author=<!--not stated--> |date=2021-05-11 |website=Brown University |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg Zoom Information Inc"/><ref name="Reddit 01">{{cite web |url=https://reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice |author1=/u/itsjustkiet |author2=/u/alwayssonnyhere |author3=/u/mr_em_el |author4=/u/TiburonEric |author5=/u/redredredredred1 |author6=et_al. |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Reddit 01.03">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/fxyo6r7/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment & Subcomments |author=/u/alwayssonnyhere |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref> Many email recipients have confused the emails as being related to the popular videoconference software [[Zoom Video Communications|Zoom]],<ref name="Brown IT"/><ref name="Reddit 01"/>, though they are not<ref name="Brown IT"/><ref name="Zoom 01">{{cite web|url=https://community.zoom.com/t5/Billing-Account-Management/Dodgy-Email-re-Potential-selling-of-Zoom-Information/m-p/130647 |title=Dodgy Email re Potential selling of Zoom Information |website=Zoom.com |author1=Leylee |author2=Virginia ("VA") |date=2023-07-20 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Reddit 01"/><ref name="Reddit 01"/><ref name="CUHK"/><ref name="Reddit 01.01"/><ref name="ZoomInfo FAQs">{{cite web |url=https://www.zoomXXXXinfo.com/b2b/faqs |title=ZoomInfo FAQs |website=ZoomInfo |access-date=2021-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Reddit 01.02">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/g6jhtk7/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment |author=/u/mr_em_el |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Reddit 01"/>ZoomInfo is an A+ accredited business on the [[Better Business Bureau]] <ref name="Brown IT"/><ref name="BBB">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/vancouver/profile/digital-marketing/zoominfo-1296-22673812 |title=ZoomInfo |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Better Business Bureau |access-date=2021-05-11}}</ref>
Multiple organizations have issued warnings to their employees, customers, students, and other related parties regarding emails from ZoomInfo, zoominformation.com, and m.zoominfo-privacy.com.<ref name="Brown IT">{{cite web |url=https://it.brown.edu/phish-bowl-alerts/notice-personal-information-processing-not-advertisement-zoominfo#:~:text=ZoomInfo%20is%20a%20provider%20of,sales%20and%20marketing%20and%20recruiting. |title=Notice of personal information processing. (This is not an advertisement) [ZoomInfo] |author=<!--not stated--> |date=2021-05-11 |website=Brown University |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg Zoom Information Inc"/><ref name="Reddit 01">{{cite web |url=https://reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice |author1=/u/itsjustkiet |author2=/u/alwayssonnyhere |author3=/u/mr_em_el |author4=/u/TiburonEric |author5=/u/redredredredred1 |author6=et_al. |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Reddit 01.03">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/fxyo6r7/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment & Subcomments |author=/u/alwayssonnyhere |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref> The emails, while not technically claiming to be related to the popular videoconference software [[Zoom Video Communications|Zoom]],<ref name="Brown IT"/><ref name="Reddit 01"/> are vague enough that many unassuming email recipients may confuse the two;<ref name="Brown IT"/><ref name="Zoom 01">{{cite web|url=https://community.zoom.com/t5/Billing-Account-Management/Dodgy-Email-re-Potential-selling-of-Zoom-Information/m-p/130647 |title=Dodgy Email re Potential selling of Zoom Information |website=Zoom.com |author1=Leylee |author2=Virginia ("VA") |date=2023-07-20 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref> there is speculation that the vague resemblance is intentional,<ref name="Reddit 01"/> with ZoomInfo hoping to trick the recipients into clicking on the email's links,<ref name="Reddit 01"/><ref name="CUHK"/><ref name="Reddit 01.01"/> thereby providing ZoomInfo with the personal information of both recipient and all those who email to or are emailed by the recipient<ref name="ZoomInfo FAQs">{{cite web |url=https://www.zoomXXXXinfo.com/b2b/faqs |title=ZoomInfo FAQs |website=ZoomInfo |access-date=2021-01-02}}</ref><ref name="Reddit 01.02">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/g6jhtk7/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment |author=/u/mr_em_el |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref> which ZoomInfo can then sell.<ref name="Reddit 01"/> Zoom has felt the need to issue clarifying statements on the issue, too.<ref name="Zoom 01">{{cite web|url=https://community.zoom.com/t5/Billing-Account-Management/Dodgy-Email-re-Potential-selling-of-Zoom-Information/m-p/130647 |title=Dodgy Email re Potential selling of Zoom Information |website=Zoom.com |author1=Leylee |author2=Virginia ("VA") |date=2023-07-20 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref> While technically not illegal, this approach has been called "voluntary malware"<ref name="Reddit 01.04">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/g6jhtk7/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment |author=/u/mr_em_el |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref> and been noted as "morally questionable" as a legal borderline version of [[phishing]]<ref name="Reddit 01.01">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/g9b1dph/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment in Thread |author=/u/redredredredred1 |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name=CUHK>{{cite web |url=https://www.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/newsdetails/phishing-alert-notice-of-personal-information-processing-this-is-not-an-advertisement/ |title=Phishing Alert: Notice of Personal Information Processing - This Is Not An Advertisement |website=CUHK.edu}}</ref> &ndash; hence the warnings published by many organizations to their employees and customers.<ref name="Reddit 01.01">{{cite web |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/hmaanz/zoominfo_data_collection_notice/g9b1dph/ |title=ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment in Thread |author=/u/redredredredred1 |date=2021 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref name=CUHK>{{cite web |url=https://www.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/newsdetails/phishing-alert-notice-of-personal-information-processing-this-is-not-an-advertisement/ |title=Phishing Alert: Notice of Personal Information Processing - This Is Not An Advertisement |website=CUHK.edu}}</ref> For this reason, while ZoomInfo is a legitimate company, it has been rated negatively by the [[Better Business Bureau]] and "is the subject of multiple lawsuits and other complaints concerning how it collects, uses and sells personal data, which may then be leveraged by third parties to create highly specific phishing emails."<ref name="Brown IT"/><ref name="BBB">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/vancouver/profile/digital-marketing/zoominfo-1296-22673812 |title=ZoomInfo |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Better Business Bureau |access-date=2021-05-11}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:09, 26 April 2024

Not to be confused with Zoom Video Communications.
ZoomInfo Technologies Inc.
Company typePublic
IndustrySoftware as a service
PredecessorDiscoverOrg
Founded2007; 17 years ago (2007)
Founders
  • Henry Schuck
  • Kirk Brown
HeadquartersVancouver, Washington, U.S.
Key people
  • Henry Schuck (CEO)
  • Cameron Hyzer (CFO)
  • Chris Hays (COO)
RevenueIncrease US$1.24 billion (2023)
Increase US$260 million (2023)
Increase US$107 million (2023)
Total assetsDecrease US$8.67 billion (2023)
Total equityDecrease US$2.12 billion (2023)
Number of employees
3,516 (2023)
Subsidiaries
  • Rainking
  • NeverBounce
  • Datanyze
  • Komiko
  • Clickagy
  • EverString Technology
  • Insent
  • Chorus.ai
  • RingLead
Websitezoominfo.com
Footnotes / references
[1]

ZoomInfo Technologies Inc., which sometimes goes by Zoom Information Inc. (or zoominformation.com after acquiring them in 2019), is a software and data company which provides data for companies and business individuals.[2][3][4] Their main product is a commercial search-engine, specialized in contact and business information. From the internet and other sources, the company collects contact and other information about individuals, companies and other business entities, such as departments. They maintain profiles for the subjects and make these available to their clients, as a service and for a fee.

ZoomInfo offers four core services:

  • SalesOS - a sales prospecting software
  • MarketingOS - an account-based integrated sales & marketing tool
  • OperationsOS - a data management tool
  • TalentOS - a integrated data management and talent search tool

History

In 2007, DiscoverOrg was founded by Henry Schuck and Kirk Brown. In February 2019, it acquired its competitor, Zoom Information, Inc. and rebranded as ZoomInfo.[2][3] DiscoverOrg's CEO Henry Schuck, CFO Cameron Hyzer, and Chief Revenue Officer Chris Hays kept their roles.[5][6] Zoom Information was established in 2000 as Eliyon Technologies by founders Yonatan Stern and Michel Decary,[2][7] and in August 2017 was acquired by Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm, for $240 million.[8]

In June 4, 2020, ZoomInfo became a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ZI.”[9]

Acquisitions[10]

In 2017, as DiscoverOrg, the company acquired RainKing and in 2018, NeverBounce[11] and Datanyze.[12] In 2019, ZoomInfo acquired Komiko and in 2020, Clickagy and EverString Technology. In 2021, ZoomInfo acquired Insent,[13] Chorus.ai,[14] and RingLead.[15]

Controversies

Multiple organizations have issued warnings to their employees, customers, students, and other related parties regarding emails from ZoomInfo, zoominformation.com, and m.zoominfo-privacy.com.[16][4][17][18] The emails, while not technically claiming to be related to the popular videoconference software Zoom,[16][17] are vague enough that many unassuming email recipients may confuse the two;[16][19] there is speculation that the vague resemblance is intentional,[17] with ZoomInfo hoping to trick the recipients into clicking on the email's links,[17][20][21] thereby providing ZoomInfo with the personal information of both recipient and all those who email to or are emailed by the recipient[22][23] which ZoomInfo can then sell.[17] Zoom has felt the need to issue clarifying statements on the issue, too.[19] While technically not illegal, this approach has been called "voluntary malware"[24] and been noted as "morally questionable" as a legal borderline version of phishing[21][20] – hence the warnings published by many organizations to their employees and customers.[21][20] For this reason, while ZoomInfo is a legitimate company, it has been rated negatively by the Better Business Bureau and "is the subject of multiple lawsuits and other complaints concerning how it collects, uses and sells personal data, which may then be leveraged by third parties to create highly specific phishing emails."[16][25]

References

  1. ^ "2023 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Soper, Taylor (February 5, 2019). "DiscoverOrg acquires ZoomInfo to strengthen sales and marketing contact database offering". GeekWire. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Balboa, Elizabeth (June 4, 2020). "ZoomInfo IPO: What You Need To Know". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Zoom Information Inc". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "DiscoverOrg and ZoomInfo Merge Brands to Launch B2B Data Platform". CRM Magazine. Destination CRM. September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Mendonça, Elaine (August 23, 2023). "Bank of New York Mellon Corp Boosts Position in ZoomInfo Technologies Inc., Insider Trades Highlighted". Best Stocks. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Zappe, John (November 13, 2008). "New President Expected At ZoomInfo". ERE. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  8. ^ Sawers, Paul (August 17, 2017). "B2B data platform ZoomInfo was acquired by private equity firm Great Hill Partners for $240 million". VentureBeat. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  9. ^ "ZoomInfo Announces Pricing of its Initial Public Offering". Nasdaq. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  10. ^ "ZoomInfo S-1". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  11. ^ "DiscoverOrg Acquires NeverBounce". DiscoverOrg. March 5, 2019.
  12. ^ "ZoomInfo's Acquisition of Datanyze Enables Real-Time Delivery of Technographic Data". Business Wire. September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  13. ^ "ZoomInfo Acquires Insent to Enable Businesses to Implement Chat at Scale". BusinessWire. June 8, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  14. ^ Orbach, Meir (July 13, 2021). "ZoomInfo buys Israeli company Chorus.ai for $575 million". CTECH. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  15. ^ Lindenau, Kelly (September 9, 2021). "ZoomInfo Acquires RingLead to Combine, Cleanse & Route Disparate Data Sources". Demand Gen Report. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d "Notice of personal information processing. (This is not an advertisement) [ZoomInfo]". Brown University. May 11, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e /u/itsjustkiet; /u/alwayssonnyhere; /u/mr_em_el; /u/TiburonEric; /u/redredredredred1; et_al. (2021). "ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice". Retrieved January 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ /u/alwayssonnyhere (2021). "ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment & Subcomments". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Leylee; Virginia ("VA") (July 20, 2023). "Dodgy Email re Potential selling of Zoom Information". Zoom.com. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "Phishing Alert: Notice of Personal Information Processing - This Is Not An Advertisement". CUHK.edu.
  21. ^ a b c /u/redredredredred1 (2021). "ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment in Thread". Retrieved January 2, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "ZoomInfo FAQs". ZoomInfo. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  23. ^ /u/mr_em_el (2021). "ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  24. ^ /u/mr_em_el (2021). "ZoomInfo Data Collection Notice: Specific Comment". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  25. ^ "ZoomInfo". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved May 11, 2021.

External links

  • Official website
  • Business data for ZoomInfo Technologies Inc.:
  • O'Brien, Kelly J. (August 17, 2017). How ZoomInfo's CEO sold three companies for $431M over 24 years. Boston Business Journal.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ZoomInfo&oldid=1220890489"