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Zoom’s Smart Communication Tools Your Business Need

Zoom is rapidly transforming the landscape of business communication. It offers a suite of smart tools that streamline operations, increase efficiency and simplify collaboration.

From virtual meetings to file sharing and group chat, Zoom's unified platform provides a smooth workflow and an effortless user experience. With its streamlined user interface, you can effortlessly find people, access documents, share ideas and manage tasks from anywhere in the world.

Plus, its secure data privacy safeguards your sensitive information from unauthorized access. You can connect securely with clients and co-workers using cutting-edge encryption technology that guarantees shielding against cyberattacks for peace of mind.

Zoom is a video communications platform that many businesses consider a valuable digital tool today. One of Zoom's main strengths is its simplicity, but the platform also has various advanced features that remote workers and companies will find useful for improving their productivity. Let's get started with Zoom basics.

Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to approximately meet with others both by video or audio-only, all while managing live chats - and it allows you to record those sessions to view later in the future.

 Over half of the lucky 500 companies apparently used Zoom in 2019 and during the 2020 pandemic, it has hit an even greater peak, currently claiming 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants.

When people are talking over Zoom, you'll normally hear the following clauses: Zoom Meeting and Zoom Room. A-Zoom Meeting maintains a video conferencing meeting that's arranged using Zoom. 

You can join these meetings through a webcam or Smartphone. A Zoom Room is the physical hardware setup that allows companies to schedule and begins Zoom Meetings from their conference rooms.

Zoom Rooms need an extra subscription on top of a Zoom subscription and are an ideal solution for larger companies. 

Zoom is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The layout will be slightly different depending on whether you are on a desktop, tablet or mobile. 

Now is the time to revolutionize the way your business interacts — make Zoom your top choice for smarter communication today.

Zoom Business Model 

Zoom is a video conferencing application, designed for business or for your personal use. The product primarily has a mass-market business model with no interesting distinction between customer sections.

It aims at businesses of all sizes and industries that seek video conferencing solutions and has started a strong brand as a result of its amazing performance. It provides more than 300,000 organizations, involving prominent users, like Arista, SolarCity, and UCLA.

Zoom Core Features

1.One-on-one meetings:

The host has limitless one-on-one meetings even with the free plan.

2.Group video conferences:

Host up to 500 participants (if you buy and select the "large meeting" add-on). The free plan lets you host video conferences of up to 40 minutes and up to 100 participants.

3.Screen sharing:

 Meet one-on-one or with huge groups and share your screen with them so they can see what you see. 

4.Availability

Zoom can fit any working environment and is available as a desktop, browser, or mobile application. This flexibility is best for remote teams because each employee can work from wherever they are in the way that suits them best.

Users won’t have to sacrifice features when they use Zoom on their smartphones instead of their laptops, tablets or vice versa. If you’re looking for a flexible solution, Zoom has you covered.

5.Zoom Chat

In 2019, Zoom released a business messaging tool for a business called Zoom Chat, a handy communication solution included with all Zoom licenses. Full video conferences aren’t always important.

 In these situations, Zoomers can use Chat to send quick text-based messages to other employees or team members. The tool features channels to help users to do conversations, a personal space to put reminders, and a searchable history. Zoom Chat is just another tool in Zoom.

6.Change Your Background

Zoom user background manipulation is one of the best features. Zoom can be used to display a virtual background behind a user. Options include cutting-edge office spaces. You can also upload your own images as backgrounds or download professionally wallpaper-crafted ones from companies like Zoom Virtual Backgrounds.

While this feature is more about fun than functionality, your team members will appreciate not having to look at your dirty home office every time they address you in a virtual conference setting.

7.Touch-Up Appearances

If you use Zoom, you can just touch up or you can kind of make up your appearance! It will give your face an airbrushed quality and make sure you look fresh and your best in front of your boss and/or team members.

8.Set Up Breakout Rooms

You might even enjoy Zoom's break-out rooms feature if you work at a midsize to a large organization with remote workers. It will let you split your company-wide meeting into smaller virtual rooms so that specific teams can better collaborate and work more productively. This amazing feature is also great for online conferences and training seminars. ‍

9.Keyboard Shortcuts

Lastly, Zoom has a few keyboard shortcuts that will let you use its video conferencing software like seasons pro.

  • Join a Meeting: Control + J
  • Start a Meeting: Control + Control + V
  • Mute/Unmute Audio: Command + Shift + A (Mac) // Alt + A (Windows)
  • Share Screen: Control + Control + S (Mac) // Alt + Shift + S (Windows)
  • Start Recording: Command + Shift + R (Mac) // Alt + R (Windows)
  • Pause/Resume Recording: Command + Shift + P (Mac) // Alt + P (Windows)
  • Invite to Meeting: Command + I (Mac) // Alt + I (Windows)

The Zoom Application Process

  1. The communication on the application can take place through chat, video, audio, or a mix of all three which is literally the software’s value proposition. It is a one-stop solution for all types required for collaboration as it lets every way of communication be chat, video conferencing, group meetings, or simply calling.

  2.  But, You have to pay a fee to utilize its special features, for example, the ability to add 100+ members,  expand meeting hours, and combine with other services.

  3.  Zoom offers four pricing plans to allow its users to enjoy these special features and they are called Zoom Pro, Zoom Business, Zoom Enterprise, and Zoom Rooms.

  4. Users can be at Zoom Meetings utilising an internet browser, or mobile apps and desktop. The Chat comes as an addition to its Meeting product where users can join via a chat with one another, share documents, or make groups.

  5. Zoom Rooms and Zoom Workspaces are also its products but the paid ones that let businesses use hardware such as a tablet, computer, microphone, camera, and some more to plan virtual meetings. These solutions are specially meant for larger-scale businesses that need to work and collaborate across various businesses.

  6. In addition to the four products mentioned above, the company has other products as well like Zoom Phone, Zoom Video Webinars, and an App Marketplace where its users can place and use third-party apps like HubSpot, Trello, or Slack to increase the features.

  7. All in all, it is not wrong to say that its freemium business model has helped expand its adoption rate and its non-stop updates over time made it the best in the industry and a good fit for present-time needs.

What's the difference between paid and free Zoom?

There are a few differences between the paid and free Zoom plans that are value noting. Free users can download the Zoom app on their computer or phone and connect any meeting with a supplied meeting ID. 

You can choose the option to disable audio or video before connecting, too. You could even generate your free Zoom account, by linking your Google account into it, and from there you can generate a new meeting, schedule one, join a meeting, share a screen, add contacts, and so on.

Just note this point in mind you can only be signed in to Zoom on one computer, one tablet, and one phone at a time. If you log in to an extra device while logged into another device of the same type, Zoom says you will be logged out automatically on the first device.

Paid users can sign up and download Zoom onto your computer using your work email if your system director has a Pro, Business, or Enterprise account. You'll then need to sync Zoom to your calendar so you can schedule Zoom meetings and invite remote participants to join.

If you're setting up a Zoom Room, you'll require a computer to sync and run Zoom Meetings and a tablet for attendees to start the Zoom Meetings. You'll also require a mic, camera, and speaker, at least one HDTV monitor to display remote meeting members, and an HDMI cable to split computer screens on a display, as well as an internet network for your connection.

You'll also be required to download "ZoomRooms for Conference Room" on the in-room computer and "Zoom Room Controller" for the tablet in the meeting room. You can then sync those rooms to your company's split calendar so employees can see which meeting rooms are available. 

What is the difference between Zoom basic and pro

Features

Zoom basic

Zoom pro

  1. Meetings

  • Host up to 100 participants

  • Unlimited meetings for up to 40 minutes

  • Automated Captions

  • Host up to 100 participants

  • Unlimited meetings for up to 30 hours per meeting

  • 5 GB of cloud recording storage (per license)

  • Automated Captions

  1. Whiteboard

3 editable boards with 25MB of cloud storage

3 editable boards with 25MB of cloud storage

  1. Team Chat

Chats and channels for collaboration, file sharing, and more

Chats and channels for collaboration, file sharing, and more

  1. Mail & Calendar

Mail and Calendar Client beta

Mail and Calendar Client & Service beta

Zoom security tools

Zoom has also made it easy to manage and secure your meetings when they're happening. There is a range of security tools you can now access with a couple of clicks including the ability to lock the meeting when it has started so no new people can join, remove current participants on the call, muting participants and disable private chat too. 

To access the Zoom security tools, you can simply click on the security button that appears in the window when the call is happening or hover over a participant to interact with them specifically - to remove them from the call for example.

Here's how to get started with Zoom

1.Choose the right plan for your team.

Zoom offers four distinct pricing tiers for your business subscription (not including a Zoom Room subscription).

2.Download Zoom.

Now you can sign up and download Zoom onto your computer or mobile to start using it. Users can sign up using their work email if they're signing up for a specific free account, or if your system administrator is signing up for a Pro, Business, or Enterprise account, you'll be invited to sign up for Zoom as one of your company's hosts.

If you're setting up a Zoom Room, you'll also be required to download "Zoom Rooms for Conference Room" on the in-room computer and "Zoom Room Controller" for the tablet in the meeting room.

3.Sync Zoom to your calendar.

Next, you'll want to sync Zoom to your calendar so you can schedule Zoom meetings according to that to appear on your calendar, or so you can easily add a Zoom Meeting link to events on your dates so remote participants can join.

  • To do this, when you're signed into Zoom
  • Navigate to "Settings
  • Then "Meetings," then "Synced Calendars."
  • Then, toggle on "Sync Zoom Meetings from Calendars.
  • And tap to select the calendars you want to sync with Zoom.
  • By doing this, you can sync calendars with Zoom in both directions.
  • So your calendar client will offer an option to add a Zoom link, and your calendar will show Zoom Meetings you schedule in the Zoom app.

If your business sets up Zoom Rooms, you can sync those rooms to your business-shared calendar so employees can see which meeting rooms are available when they go to book. 

Zoom Rooms can also be set up to display upcoming meetings so team members are cognizant of when they need to start wrapping up, or when they can sit down in a drop-in meeting.

4.Schedule a Zoom meeting.

You can schedule a meeting using Zoom using your calendar customers (as explained and shown above), or you can schedule a meeting through the Zoom app. To do this, you can start a new meeting at the same moment by clicking "New Meeting," or clicking "Schedule Meeting" to book a Zoom meeting for the future:

Then, you can edit the information about your meeting -- for example, you can schedule a recurring meeting, set a meeting password, and choose which calendar you want to sync.

Once you're in a Zoom meeting, you can use amazing features like turning your video and microphone settings on and off, inviting other meeting participants, chatting with other meeting participants, recording the meeting, and sharing your screen.

Zoom's attendance tracking feature

If you own an account or are an administrator of a pro-Zoom account, you can review various Zoom statistics in the Reports section of the Zoom web portal.

This includes data such as registrations, attendees list, webinar poll results, performance, Q&N and many more.

Follow the below steps to access the attendance report:

Step 1: Log in to your account on the Zoom web account. 

Step 2: In the side left panel, click on Reports. If you are an admin, the Reports link will be available under the Account Management link in the same left-side panel.

Step 3: Go to Usage Reports and select the Usage option. 

All your previous Zoom meetings will be listed here. The following information will be displayed for each of those meetings such as:

  • Meeting topic
  • Meeting ID
  • Start and end time of the meeting
  • Duration of the meeting
  • Number of participants in the meeting

Step 4: Select the date and click the Search button.

Step 5: Click on the Participants link to generate Meeting Participants data.

The following information you will in the report:

  • Meeting participants
  • Their joining time
  • Their leaving time
  • Their meeting duration

Step 6: Export this report in CSV format and you will get your attendance. 

Zoom Meetings can be made private

To address Zoom security issues, Zoom has personal security and privacy features. Here is some step to follow.

1. Create a password for your Zoom meeting.

When you schedule a new meeting, under the Password option, click the checkbox next to require a meeting password. 

This lets you type in a strong password that you can share with new meeting participants. Participants will be asked to enter that same password to join the meeting. Those who don't have that same password won't be able to join your meeting.

2. Use the waiting room feature.

The waiting room feature lets the meeting host determine when participants can enter the meeting. The meeting host can admit attendees one by one individual or all at once.

 When you're signed into the Zoom meeting, click the Schedule button to create a new meeting. Click on Advanced Options, and check the index next to Enable Waiting Room.

3. Limit who can share their screen.

Once your meeting has started, click the up arrow next to the Share Screen, then click the Advanced sharing options on the screen. Under Who can share? select Only host to make sure the meeting host is the only person who can share their screen.

4. Lock the meeting.

When you're in your new meeting room, click manage participants in the Zoom toolbar. You should see your meeting participants listed on the right side of the screen. Click the More button in the bottom right-hand corner and select the Lock Meeting option.

 This prevents any new participants or fake people from joining the meeting, even if they have the meeting password.

What is zoom bombing?

Zoom bombing, or Zoombombing, occurs when an uninvited person gains access to your Zoom meeting. They join the Zoom session with the intent to disrupt the meeting or take your data. Luckily, Zoom bombing can be prevented by enabling those people in Zoom's privacy settings.

Zoom success story

These are strange times with millions of people forced to stay home to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. When companies have shifted to video conferencing, people are finding ways to stay connected with families and friends; one company has risen to the top – Zoom.

Like Zoom, there are dozens of video conferencing platforms that let people meet face-to-face virtually. At first, meant for enterprises and universities, Zoom is now in the business of connecting everybody at a time when distance is so important.

According to a download from app analytics firm Sensor Tower, between March 25 to April 10, Zoom enhanced the most downloaded Android App in India extraordinarily the popular social media app TikTok.

Another outline by the app analytics firm App Annie reported that during the week of March 15-21, Zoom was downloaded 14x more than the weekly average during Q4 of 2019 in the U.S.

Zoom’s usage shot up in March to 200 million daily meeting members from a previous maximum total of 10 million. The following month, this figure had lifted to 300 Million.

58% of lucky 500 companies are using Zoom.

Let’s take a look at how and why Zoom became the go-to platform during the pandemic and how it’s handling the influx of users and whether the company’s growth can be sustained after the coronavirus crisis is over.

Well, it surely wasn’t for Eric, nor for the 40 engineers who left with him to follow the goal. In an interview with Forbes, Yuan recalls how those 40 Cisco engineers trusted his goal and left with him to build Zoom.

Zoom reached a million users within a few months of coming up, 10 million in a year and 40 million by February 2015.  Sequoia fund invested $100 Million in January 2017 Zoom. The company was now valued at $1 billion, placing it in the vaunted unicorn club.

After two years, Zoom went public in April 2019 at $36 per share which valued the company at $9.2 billion over nine times its previous valuation.

Shares soared 72% on its very first day of trading and nearly 84% from the initial price in just over a week, which built Zoom the best-performing IPO of a U.S.-based company of 2019. Zoom ended 2019 running profitably.

Zoom Alternatives tools in the market

Zoom is a popular video conferencing software tool, but it’s not the perfect solution for every sector of the Industry. If you feel Zoom is lacking important features that you need, take a look at these three alternatives in the market:

1.Microsoft Teams:

 This app helps teams “work remotely without giving a feeling remote.” It does this by including video conferencing, chat, and collaboration features in one convenient app. Microsoft Teams is completely private and secure which makes it different.

2.Highfive: 

The app takes all of the inconvenience out of video conferencing meetings. The platform gets rid of annoying pin codes and passwords and includes simple URLs, unlimited video call meetings and minutes, and team-wide screen-sharing features.

3.CloudApp:

While CloudApp doesn’t provide the same level of video conferencing options as Zoom, it’s a convenient tool that makes staying in contact with the remote team a breeze. Its screen and webcam recording, GIF creation, and image annotation amazing features can be used for free and are powerful enough to ensure team members can communicate effectively without wasting hours in virtual meetings.

If you manage a remote team, Zoom will help you stay in contact with them through its intuitive video conferencing features. While email and Slack can boost connection as well, actually seeing your team will possibly improve employee engagement and satisfaction levels.

Summary

Video conferencing tools, like Zoom, let individuals meet and work together productively "face-to-face" when meeting in person isn't possible. This makes meeting remotely much more human, which is important to help users feel and stay connected.

It's estimated that Zoom has added 2.22 million monthly active users so far in 2020, As of January 2023, Zoom was worth $20.81 billion. And the company has 300 million users in meetings daily. 89% of zoom users use it for work meetings.

FAQ's on Smart Business:

Is Zoom free?

Basic licenses for Zoom are free. All you need to start using Zoom is sign up for an account and download the application from Zoom’s website.

Is my privacy protected on Zoom calls?

As one of its primary goals, Zoom complies with global privacy frameworks in an effort to keep you, your calls, and all of your information as safe as possible.

Can I host a webinar on Zoom?

Absolutely! However, you’ll need a webinar license, which is different and costs more than the free basic license. You can upgrade your license through your account’s billing settings.

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May 15

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