Zoho Corporation, a global leader in technology, has announced the launch of its latest AI-driven innovations—Zia Agents, Agent Studio, and Agent Marketplace—set to roll out across the MENA region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. These solutions mark a significant leap forward in Zoho’s AI virtual assistant, Zia, by leveraging Agentic AI—a specialized branch of artificial intelligence that empowers digital agents to make decisions, perform complex tasks, and operate autonomously with minimal human intervention.
Agent Studio: A Revolutionary Platform for AI-Powered Custom Agents
With Agent Studio, Zoho introduces a powerful platform that enables customers, partners, and developers in MENA to create their own custom AI agents, tailored for specific industries or automated workflows, such as VAT filing automation. Zia Agent Studio offers a no-code and low-code environment, allowing businesses to develop and deploy AI agents with built-in skill sets. These agents can then be shared via Zoho’s Agent Marketplace, where organizations can access pre-built AI solutions for instant deployment.
Executive Insights on AI and Innovation
Sridhar Vembu, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Zoho Corporation, emphasized the importance of AI-driven innovation, stating:
“The rapid pace of technological disruption and innovation has inspired me to focus more on my passion—technology. I will dedicate more time to hands-on technical work, spearheading advanced R&D initiatives, starting with AI. With Zoho’s engineering expertise, proprietary data centers, and unified data model, we are committed to delivering powerful AI solutions that drive customer value while ensuring flexibility and data privacy.”
Hyther Nizam, President of Zoho MEA, highlighted the region’s commitment to AI adoption:
“MENA is witnessing a collective push towards AI advancements, with governments and businesses striving to position the region as a global innovation hub. AI is being harnessed to accelerate economic growth, enhance productivity, and improve overall quality of life. At Zoho, we are committed to empowering businesses with intelligent, autonomous AI solutions that keep them ahead in an ever-evolving technological landscape.”
Pre-Built Zia Agents for Business Optimization
Zoho, in collaboration with ManageEngine, will soon release pre-built, task-specific Zia Agents that integrate seamlessly across Zoho’s 100+ product portfolio. These AI agents are designed to enhance business operations, with initial applications in:
Account Management
Sales Development
Human Resources (HR)
Customer Support
IT Help Desk
Sales Coaching
Custom AI Agents for Versatile Business Functions
Zia Agent Studio provides an adaptable platform for businesses to build autonomous AI agents tailored to their specific needs. Users can utilize pre-built Zia Skills, Zoho’s unified data platform, and various language models to create specialized agents for tasks such as sales development and email support, or multi-functional agents like those handling RFP processing or loan approvals.
These AI agents can be deployed across any Zoho application and accessed through Ask Zia, with future plans to enable integration with third-party applications. The platform also allows businesses to combine multiple AI skills within a single agent, enabling seamless execution of diverse business tasks.
A Major Leap in Zoho’s AI Evolution
This launch marks a milestone in Zoho’s decade-long AI journey, which has progressed from predictive and prescriptive AI to generative and agentic AI.
In 2015, Zoho introduced Zia, its first AI-powered assistant, providing contextual, intelligent automation across its suite of applications.
In 2018, the company expanded its AI capabilities with Ask Zia, an interactive AI-driven assistant designed to boost employee productivity by enabling efficient task execution.
Powered by Zoho’s unified data platform, Ask Zia is seamlessly embedded within all Zoho applications. With the introduction of Zia Agents, Zoho is redefining how businesses leverage AI to enhance efficiency, decision-making, and productivity.
Record Growth and Strong Market Expansion
This announcement follows a record-breaking year for Zoho, which onboarded 110,000 new customers globally in 2024. Today, Zoho serves over 850,000 businesses worldwide, spanning diverse industries and leveraging tools from both Zoho and ManageEngine.
Zoho’s AI solutions are uniquely positioned, benefiting from an extensive dataset derived from its vast customer base. The MENA region remains one of Zoho’s fastest-growing markets, solidifying its presence as a key player in enterprise AI solutions.
