Zoom has announced it is acquiring Kites GmbH, a firm specializing in real-time Machine Translation (MT).

As remote work and communication platforms have surged in popularity, so has the need for real-time translation. Virtually ever major platform has been working on adding translation features.

Zoom’s latest deal should give the company’s efforts a significant boost. Kites has its roots in the academic community, and has been working to apply AI and machine learning to real-time translation.

“We are continuously looking for new ways to deliver happiness to our users and improve meeting productivity, and MT solutions will be key in enhancing our platform for Zoom customers across the globe,” said Velchamy Sankarlingam, President of Product and Engineering at Zoom. “With our aligned missions to make collaboration frictionless – regardless of language, geographic location, or other barriers – we are confident Kites’ impressive team will fit right in with Zoom.”

“Kites emerged with the mission of breaking down language barriers and making seamless cross-language interaction a reality of everyday life, and we have long admired Zoom for its ability to easily connect people across the world,” said Dr. Waibel and Dr. Stüker. “We know Zoom is the best partner for Kites to help advance our mission and we are excited to see what comes next under Zoom’s incredible innovation engine.”

The Kites team will continue to be based in Karlsruhe, Germany. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.