BlueJeans

Krish Ramakrishnan and Alagu Periyannan founded BlueJeans Network in 2009, completing the development within six months of technology trials. Prior to founding the company, Ramakrishnan worked at Accel Partners, and Periyannan was the CTO of Blue Coat Systems as well as a tech lead at Apple Inc. Stu Aaron, the company's chief commercial officer (CCO), described the early work as, "Ultimately, what we're trying to do is make video conferencing as comfortable and as casual as your pair of jeans." The company was able to acquire $23.5 million in venture capital from Accel Partners, NEA, and Norwest Venture Partners, and launched its commercial service on June 29, 2011{{cite web |url=http://www.crn.com/news/networking/231300475/cloud-video-startup-blue-jeans-network-taps-first-var-partner.htm?pgno=2 |title=Cloud Video Startup BlueJeans Network Taps First VAR Partner |author=Chad Berndtson |date=August 9, 2011 |access-date=November 28, 2013 |publisher=CRN Magazine}}{{cite web |url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/dete-partners-with-blue-jeans-network-for-videoconferencing--812658 |title=DeTe partners with BlueJeans Network for videoconferencing |date=June 30, 2011 |access-date=November 28, 2013 |publisher=Telecompaper}} with Ramakrishnan as CEO.

The company sought to open up video conferencing to companies across the board, including small businesses and freelancers, in addition to the traditional market of larger corporations.{{cite web |url=http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/Blue-Jeans-Tackles-Issue-of-Video-Conferencing-Interoperability-123289/#sthash.g3eyjCn0.dpuf |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140130200315/http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/Blue-Jeans-Tackles-Issue-of-Video-Conferencing-Interoperability-123289/#sthash.g3eyjCn0.dpuf |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 30, 2014 |date=July 5, 2011 |title=BlueJeans Tackles Video Conferencing Interoperability |publisher=Channel Insider |access-date=November 28, 2013 }} In its first 75 days, BlueJeans grew to 4,000 subscribers from 500 firms.{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110629005323/en/Blue-Jeans-Network-Launches-ware-Video-Conferencing|title=BlueJeans Network Launches Any(ware) Video Conferencing|date=June 29, 2011|publisher=BusinessWire|access-date= 1 March 2013 }} Upon launching, Deutsche Telekom became the company's first major channel partner. The agreement between the firms was to develop "a scalable, interoperable videoconferencing solution in Europe by the end of the year". In 2011 and 2012 it added other channel partners, including InterCall, {{Proper name|iVCI}}, York Telecom, and AVI-SPL.{{cite web|url=http://www.telekom.com/media/company/69372|title=Deutsche Telekom gets down to business with cloud based videoconferencing solution from BlueJeans Network|date=June 30, 2011|publisher=Telekom|access-date=1 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505084348/http://www.telekom.com/media/company/69372|archive-date=5 May 2012|url-status=dead}} BlueJeans has been used by more than 300,000 people worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://bluejeans.com/press-releases/blue-jeans-new-funding-and-breakthrough-functionality|title=BlueJeans Network Celebrates Momentous First Year for Its Video Conferencing Service With New Funding and New Breakthrough Functionality|date=June 27, 2012|publisher=BlueJeans|access-date=1 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330034645/http://bluejeans.com/press-releases/blue-jeans-new-funding-and-breakthrough-functionality|archive-date=30 March 2013|url-status=dead}} In 2013 BlueJeans Network expanded its user base to the UK and Australia.{{cite web |url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/blue-jeans-network-expands-to-australia--966719 |date=September 13, 2013 |access-date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=Telecompaper |title=BlueJeans Network expands to Australia}}{{cite web |date=November 14, 2013 |access-date=November 28, 2013 |url=http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/cloud-services/video-collaboration-service-blue-jeans-wraps-legs-around-uk-market-1199545 |author=Kane Fulton |title=Video collaboration service BlueJeans wraps legs around UK market |publisher=Tech Radar}} In November 2013, Ari Levy of Businessweek wrote that, "BlueJeans has raised about $100 million in venture funding and estimates it will stream one billion minutes' worth of meetings during 2014, a tenfold increase from this year."

Verizon communications announced on April 16, 2020, that it had entered into an agreement to acquire BlueJeans to expand its Business portfolio offerings, particularly its unified communications offerings. While the price of the acquisition was not announced, it is believed to be in the sub $500M range.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/16/verizon-is-buying-b2b-videoconferencing-firm-bluejeans/|title=Verizon is buying B2B videoconferencing firm BlueJeans|date=16 April 2020}} The acquisition was completed on May 15, 2020, with the service rebranded as "BlueJeans by Verizon."{{cite web |last1=Schultz |first1=Lauren |title=Verizon officially closes BlueJeans deal |url=https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-officially-closes-bluejeans-deal |website=Verizon |date=18 May 2020 |access-date=28 May 2020}}

On August 8, 2023, Verizon announced that it will shut down BlueJeans in the first half of 2024.{{cite web |last1=Peters|first1=Jay|title=Verizon is shutting down the videoconferencing app it bought for $400 million

|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/8/23825112/verizon-bluejeans-shutting-down-sunset |website=The Verge|date=8 August 2023 |access-date=10 August 2023}}

BlueJeans by Verizon provides a proprietary cloud-based video meetings service, interoperable with software development kit, etc., that connects users across different devices, platforms, and conference programs. Every BlueJeans member has a private “meeting room” in the BlueJeans cloud to schedule and host conference meetings. It operates with business conferencing solutions such as Cisco, Microsoft Lync, StarLeaf, Lifesize, and Polycom as well as consumer services like Google. This service can be used directly through BlueJeans Network or through its partner companies. For example, in 2012 BlueJeans Network began powering the videoconferencing services of InterCall.{{cite web |url=http://www.informationweek.com/intercall-partnership-boosts-blue-jeans-videoconferencing/d/d-id/1103878? |author=David F. Carr |access-date=November 28, 2013 |date=April 16, 2012 |title=InterCall Partnership Boosts BlueJeans' Videoconferencing |publisher=Information Week}}

CRN described BlueJeans services as "endpoint agnostic", meaning it does not discriminate and can work with any video call software or technology, including smartphones. This allows it to bridge between non-room-based videoconference services as well, regardless of the device or service used.{{cite web |url=http://www.crn.com/reviews/networking/232400453/review-blue-jeans-8217-video-in-the-cloud.htm |title=Review: BlueJeans' Video In The Cloud |author=Edward F. Moltzen |date=January 17, 2012 |access-date=November 28, 2013 |publisher=CRN Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128235532/http://www.crn.com/reviews/networking/232400453/review-blue-jeans-8217-video-in-the-cloud.htm |archive-date=November 28, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

Michal Lev-Ram of Fortune wrote that, "the company is mostly an enhancement—not a threat—to existing videoconference equipment makers. And whichever company ends up leading the charge, there's no question that interoperability is an inevitable must in videoconferencing, just like it was in text messaging on mobile phones. The more use corporate customers can get out of their videoconferencing systems, the more they'll invest in buying them."{{cite web |url=http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/03/21/blue-jeans-network/ |title=BlueJeans Network brings Skype, Cisco users together |author=Michal Lev-Ram |date=March 21, 2012 |access-date=November 28, 2013 |publisher=Fortune Magazine}} In contrast to this, Ari Levy reported in 2013 that BlueJeans Network and similar services had begun to cut into the revenues of larger, room-based hardware system developers, due to their greater flexibility and accessing the market of smaller businesses.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-21/cisco-telepresence-undercut-by-cheaper-videoconferencing-software|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122081954/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-21/cisco-telepresence-undercut-by-cheaper-videoconferencing-software|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 22, 2013|title=Cisco's Tough Sell for Videoconferencing|author=Ari Levy|date=November 21, 2013|publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=November 28, 2013}} That year BlueJeans Network also partnered with Salesforce.com, providing BlueJeans run video conferencing to all Salesforce clients through its "Chatter" tool. Forbes also wrote that BlueJeans "will also enable the sharing of presentations, documents, and video clips in real-time" for Salesforce customers.{{cite web |author=Ben Kepes |access-date=November 28, 2013 |date=November 18, 2013 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/benkepes/2013/11/18/exclusive-salesforce-picks-bluejeans-for-first-appexchange-video-integration/ |title=Salesforce Picks BlueJeans For First Video Integration. But It's Complicated |work=Forbes Magazine}} Other customers for BlueJeans Network include Facebook, Foursquare, and MIT.{{cite web|url=http://bluejeans.com/press-releases/blue-jeans-network-named-to-gartners-cool-vendors-report-for-2012|title=BlueJeans Network Named to Gartner's Cool Vendors Report for 2012|date=May 4, 2012|publisher=BlueJeans|access-date= 1 March 2013 }}{{cite web|url=http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444354004578058711568940782.html?mod=WSJ_TechInnovationAwards1012_MiddleSecondSummaries&mg=reno64-wsj|title=Technology Innovation Awards|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=1 March 2013}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In February 2012, Frost & Sullivan awarded its Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award to BlueJeans. The Wall Street Journal named BlueJeans a runner-up in the Software category of its 2012 Innovation Awards. In September 2012, the Telecom Council awarded BlueJeans the Graham Bell Award for Best Communication Solutions in its annual SPIFFY awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=160872|title=Fifth Annual Telecom Council SPIFFY Award Winners Announced|publisher=Web Wire|access-date= 1 March 2013 }} In November 2012, University Business honored BlueJeans with its 1st Annual Readers' Choice Awards in the category of Video Conferencing Services. CRN named BlueJeans one of the 25 Coolest Emerging Vendors for 2012. Gartner also named BlueJeans to its Cool Vendors Report for 2012.

In 2013 CRN repositioned BlueJeans on its list to number six among its ten top start-ups.{{cite web |url=http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/networking/240157961/the-10-coolest-networking-startups-of-2013-so-far.htm?pgno=6 |title=The 10 Coolest Networking Startups Of 2013 (So Far) |publisher=CRN |author=Kristin Bent |access-date=January 29, 2014 |date=July 10, 2013}} In 2013 CIO magazine ranked BlueJeans No. 3 among the top ten cloud startups of that year,{{cite web |url=http://www.cio.com/article/730460/Ranking_the_Top_10_Cloud_Startups_?page=2&taxonomyId=3024 |title=Ranking the Top 10 Cloud Startups |author=Jeff Vance |access-date=January 29, 2014 |date=March 20, 2013 |publisher=CIO Magazine |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170706/http://www.cio.com/article/730460/Ranking_the_Top_10_Cloud_Startups_?page=2&taxonomyId=3024 |url-status=dead }} and Business Insider ranked it among its top 21 cloud startups.{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-hottest-cloud-startups-2013-10#blue-jeans-network-easy-videoconferencing-1 |title=The 21 Hottest Cloud Startups Right Now |publisher=Business Insider |access-date=January 29, 2014}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{official website}}
• [https://www.bluejeans.com/blog BlueJeans Blog]

{{Verizon}}

Category:Videotelephony

Category:Web conferencing

Category:Companies based in San Jose, California

Category:2009 establishments in California

Category:Verizon acquisitions

Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions

Category:American companies established in 2009

Category:Telecommunications companies established in 2009