Many smaller businesses are beginning to realise the strategic value of Artificial Iintelligence (AI), even without deep technical expertise or large-scale investment.

“Whether it is to increase productivity, streamline operations or enhance customer engagement, AI can empower SMBs to do more with less effort,” said William Smith, Head of SMB for Asia at Zoom (pic).

Smith was sharing findings from IDC indicating that half of APAC’s SMBs are expected to revise their IT budgets to accommodate AI by 2027.

Zoom Communications, Inc (Zoom)recently concluded its first-ever Asia Pacific small and medium businesses (SMB) Summit, spotlighting the growing role of AI in driving growth and efficiency for this community.

Meanwhile, Zoom’s Product Marketing Manager for SMB GTM, Beth Cananzi, said that the Zoom platform enables SMBs to scale efficiently without inflating costs.

She shared that Zoom’s AI Companion – available at no additional cost to eligible paid users – delivers features such as meeting summaries, voicemail task detection and a forthcoming face-to-face meeting recorder.

These tools, she said, are helping businesses manage operations more effectively and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Security was also a recurring theme, with Zoom reaffirming its commitment to responsible AI development. The company stressed that transparency, customer choice and data privacy remain central to the design of its generative AI capabilities.

The virtual event brought together regional industry leaders, customers and experts to explore how AI is reshaping the digital landscape for SMBs. It also featured a series of fireside chats with SMB leaders from across the region who shared real-world examples of how AI has transformed their businesses.

Alfred Poon, Director of Digital Transformation at AVPN, Asia’s largest network of social investors, said Zoom’s suite of collaboration tools – including Zoom Meetings, Webinars and Team Chat – had become essential in connecting staff across multiple regions.

He praised Zoom AI Companion for improving meeting efficiency by generating structured notes and actionable agenda items. He added that AI had helped lower the cost of technology, making adoption more accessible for smaller businesses.

Over in Australia, Aaron Erwich, founder and CEO of Brisbane-based performance marketing agency Digital 6, reported a sharp rise in efficiency and revenue since adopting Zoom’s AI tools. The time taken to qualify leads fell by more than 50%, and revenue grew from 14% last year to nearly 80% this year.

Erwich said automated transcripts and email summaries had enabled his team to focus more on client interaction, improving satisfaction and driving growth.

South Korean firm Boomco Communication also shared how it had used Zoom’s AI features to improve communication and internal processes. CSO Jihoon Kim said the company prioritised cost-effectiveness and usability when adopting new technologies. Zoom’s AI capabilities, bundled into existing subscriptions, allowed for rapid implementation and easy team adoption, resulting in smoother collaboration and increased efficiency.

India’s UrbanPro, a major online learning platform, credited Zoom with helping the company manage its shift to virtual education.

CEO Rakesh Kalra said automation tools had significantly reduced manual workloads across scheduling, attendance and storage, allowing the platform to conduct thousands of classes a day with minimal intervention. The improvements led to a notable rise in operational efficiency and revenue.

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