For Zoho, an Indian SaaS unicorn, AI has become an integral part of their operations. The company started its data science journey in 2011 and has now developed a complete technology infrastructure in-house, from data centers to AI software tools. This in-house ingenuity enables Zoho to effectively address various business obstacles faced by its customers and users.
“Our goal is to make AI accessible to businesses of all sizes, dramatically lowering the barrier to entry in terms of cost and the amount of data required for training,” said Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, director of AI research at Zoho. target.
The Chennai-headquartered company recently surpassed 100 million users across its extensive suite of over 55 business applications without relying on outside investment, becoming the first bootstrapped SaaS company to reach this milestone. This follows Zoho's incredible achievement of hitting $1 billion in annual revenue the previous year.
Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, Zoho has grown into a global leader in providing cloud-centric software solutions for both businesses and individuals. The company boasts of an extensive portfolio of applications and services that cover various aspects of business functioning, including customer relationship management (CRM), powering email and collaboration tools, enhancing office productivity software, streamlining financial and accounting processes, automating marketing activities, and more.
Currently recruiting
Zoho has 10+ AI & ML roles open across various locations. These roles require deep knowledge of algorithms, machine learning and experience working with large datasets. Your responsibilities may include working with a team to identify applications of AI & ML, developing models from concept to production, collecting and analyzing data, using ML techniques to solve real-world problems and optimizing models for performance, and keeping up to date with the latest developments in the AI space.
These positions are suited to both seasoned professionals with a strong understanding of data analytics, data visualization techniques, and coding skills, as well as fresh graduates eager to learn and contribute to challenging projects. Qualifications required of candidates include a track record of past performance, a positive attitude towards accomplishing tasks, and a penchant for collaborative teamwork and ownership.
Inside Zoho's Data Science Team
At the heart of Zoho's AI efforts is an adaptive AI research team that operates within the company's hybrid AI infrastructure, which helps it respond quickly to market demands and drive innovation. The AI research team is an integral part of ZLabs, Zoho's central research hub that impacts strategic AI, analytics, and other key areas. Zoho works closely with the central AI team and product-specific AI experts to implement customized AI solutions.
Initially, AI was used for tasks like spotting unusual patterns and understanding sentiment. Today, AI is deeply integrated into Zoho's technology and powers a range of features in the product. These AI-driven capabilities include statistical ML, computer vision, natural language processing, and predictive analytics for business users. Importantly, Zoho values user privacy in the development and use of its AI models.
AI, ML, and data science are not just used in Zoho's product development; they also play a vital role in the company's IT operations. In IT monitoring, AI steps in to detect anomalies, predict potential issues, and identify the causes of problems. Zoho not only sifts through operational data for more accurate predictions, but also harnesses the power of AI to reduce costs. The conversational AI interface also simplifies the process of ticket handling by providing instant access to critical organizational data. Zoho doesn't stop there; it also uses AI to strengthen security by proactively detecting and preventing malware, monitoring user behavior, and spotting phishing threats before they wreak havoc.
Riding the Generative AI Wave
At the same time, the company is also experimenting with generative AI. Earlier this year, Zoho announced plans to increase investments in research and development and introduce additional generative AI solutions in stages throughout 2023 and 2024. The company is exploring different avenues for implementing generative AI. The company's AI strategy will guide its approach to integrating generative AI technologies based on three core principles: privacy, experience, and value.
Zoho has integrated Zia, its AI engine that runs securely on the Zoho cloud, with ChatGPT from OpenAI, bringing a total of 13 generative AI applications and integrations powered by ChatGPT to the Zoho ecosystem, further increasing ChatGPT's influence in the Zoho environment.
One of the notable features is “Ask Zia,” which allows users to inquire about their data and the AI responds based on its understanding of the data. Additionally, “Zia Presentations” allows users to generate statistics and reports using user data from CRM. The use of generative AI extends to tasks such as automatic translation, grammar error detection, and more.
“Our collaboration with OpenAI was crucial to enable Zoho customers to utilize the generate feature by simply adding an OpenAI key to their account. This integration ensures that sensitive organizational context remains securely within the confines of their account, a key aspect from a privacy perspective.”
Vembu said in June that Zoho was working with its dedicated R&D arm to build its own LLM and that data would always remain within the Zoho ecosystem.
Technology stack
Zoho leverages its own suite of products and in-house tools to improve performance for its customers. Java was initially chosen as the primary programming language due to compatibility with operational procedures and Zoho's own infrastructure that uses co-located data centers rather than public cloud providers such as AWS or Azure.
Over time, Java has become the language of choice for statistical machine learning models, while Python has become popular for neural networks thanks to its open source frameworks. Zoho also maintains native C models for on-premise and mobile integration. Zoho uses its own language, Deluge, in over 55 applications to deliver solutions tailored to diverse customer needs.
Hiring Process
The company's hiring process for data science roles emphasizes technical skills, problem-solving ability, and alignment with company values. Entry-level positions involve programming and aptitude tests, multiple programming interviews, and a personal interview to assess communication skills and fit with the company culture. Lateral hiring involves a customized process based on experience, including programming assessments, discussions of data science concepts, and presentations on past challenges.
Key skills we value include a strong programming foundation in Java, Python and C.
Candidates who join the Data Science team can expect a positive and open work environment that encourages ownership, personal growth, and creativity. At Zoho, we expect team members to bring their best skills, commitment, and passion to drive growth, innovation, and collaboration through experimentation and learning from failure.
Tips to ace the interview
Data Science candidates should approach the interview with integrity and preparation, emphasizing a strong foundation of fundamental concepts and programming skills. We value technical proficiency, personality, values, and potential contributions during the interview process.
Key message for candidates applying for the company's data science roles:
- A deep understanding of fundamental concepts is essential to success.
- Programming language proficiency is very important.
- Hands-on practice with real data is encouraged.
- Use available digital resources to learn and grow.
We value privacy as a fundamental right, ethics in innovation, and we value qualities like curiosity, creativity, and a passion for problem-solving in our candidates. If you share these values, we encourage you to apply.
Workplace Culture
Zoho's work culture is unique in that it eschews a hectic work culture in favor of a supportive and fulfilling environment, which revolves around two pillars: Human Resources and Research and Development (R&D)The main focus is on encouraging individual growth and contribution, with transparency and an open door policy making every team member feel valued. This approach fosters teamwork and community spirit.
Additionally, Zoho's work culture emphasizes research and development and technical knowledge. Employees enjoy a range of benefits, including 24/7 meal coverage, comprehensive family health insurance, transportation subsidies, paid time off, and more. Although the company does not offer an ESOP as it is privately owned, the company does have a profit-sharing plan that rewards employees based on the company's success.
When it comes to gender diversity, Zoho has taken a non-traditional approach, prioritizing values and talent alignment over traditional qualifications. Notably, Zoho Labs division has achieved a balanced 50:50 gender ratio, showcasing the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
What sets Zoho apart from its competitors is its emphasis on autonomy, long-term growth, values over metrics, community commitment, privacy, innovation, focus on R&D, and openness.
Check out the opportunity now.
Learn more: Digit Insurance's Data Science Hiring Process
