San Francisco (CNN Business)Facebook has a long history of expanding its features to emulate major competitors. Now it's taking on platform-of-the-moment Zoom (ZM).The tech giant is creating a new video conference version of its Messenger app called Messenger Rooms, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Friday.The new service will allow users to host a meeting with up to 50 people at once with no time limit, Zuckerberg said in a video announcement. (Zoom's free version allows up to 100 people together, but for a maximum of 40 minutes.) Facebook (FB) users can invite people to Messenger Rooms even if they don't have Facebook accounts.

The use of video calling services has exploded in recent months, as the coronavirus outbreak forces people around the world to work and socialize from home. And few have been more popular than Zoom, which has added tens of millions of users thanks to its ability to host large virtual gatherings and fun additions, such as customizable photo backgrounds.That's another feature Facebook is rolling out — the company said Messenger Rooms will feature AI-enabled virtual backgrounds. But Facebook's backgrounds will span 360 degrees, which Zuckerberg boasted will take the experience to "the next level."