It was not until COVID-19 that we realized how vital remote communication and collaboration are to modern workplaces. Today, web-conferencing tools are an indispensable part of our professional lives. And as a growing business, you just have to go ahead and buy a premium plan at some point. It is an investment, so you have to weigh the pros and cons - especially when there is more than one option available.
When thinking of team collaboration tools, Zoom is the first one that comes to mind. Well, of course! It changed the industry in 2020. But is it relevant in 2023, when Teams from Microsoft and Meet from Google are there to offer competition? In this in-depth review, let’s look at where Zoom excels and where it disappoints – so you can decide if it is worth your time and money.
Let’s dive right in!
What is Zoom?
Zoom is a scalable telecommunication solution that offers video and audio conferencing, cloud storage, online whiteboard, screen sharing, team chat, and integration with a wide array of third-party apps. It has an intuitive user interface with support for up to 500-1000 participants. Aside from the web-based application, there is a desktop app and mobile apps for Android and iOS.
In recent years, Zoom has experienced significant growth due to its ease of use, reliability, and robust features – which we will take a look at, one at a time.
Video Conferencing
One of the most popular and crucial features of Zoom is video conferencing. It enables users to host video meetings with participants from around the world and let us tell you – it is a breeze. You are always a click away from either hosting a meeting or joining one. If you want your meeting space to be secure and private, you can set up a password and share it with the participants. Otherwise, they can join just with a shareable link.
Audio Conferencing
Zoom is a dynamic platform. That is why it has an audio conferencing feature – an option to join a meeting by dialing in using a phone number provided by Zoom. There is support for global toll-free dial-in numbers in over 100 countries, call-out options, and more. The audio quality is designed to facilitate clear and reliable communication. Unfortunately, the audio conferencing feature is only available as an add-on. But it is an excellent option for those who might not have access to stable internet connections or just prefer a phone for audio communication.
Meeting Recording
Yes, that is right. Zoom offers support for recording conferencing sessions. And it can be a lifesaver when it comes to archiving meetings, sharing important aspects of a meeting with absentees or just reviewing a session later for reference.
There are two options available: recording locally or via the cloud. Local recordings are stored on the host's computer and are available from the Zoom app's recording section. On the contrary, cloud recordings are kept on Zoom’s cloud servers. These files can be accessed via Zoom’s web portal.
Well, recording meetings may be subject to privacy laws in different regions. This is why all participants are notified before a recording starts. Also, there are red indicators showing when a recording is in progress.
Live Transcriptions
Another fascinating thing about Zoom is the transcription of meetings. On the surface, it may seem like a simple speech-to-text conversion feature but it is more than that - fully automated and real-time. As a participant speaks during a meeting, their spoken words are translated into text and shown as captions on the screen.
Zoom’s Live Transcription feature is quite useful, especially, for participants with challenged hearing, and such functionality is not often seen in web conferencing space. Besides, this feature can also be utilized while someone is taking notes during a meeting.
Screen Sharing
Yes, you can share your screen with other participants during a Zoom meeting. This is another real-time feature that is particularly useful for presentations, demos, collaboration, and remote support sessions. It is worth noting that the host has more control when it comes to screen sharing. When sharing your screen, you can choose what you want to share – your entire screen, a particular window, or even a specific part of your screen.
Be warned though. Screen sharing can be a potential security risk if not managed properly.
Whiteboards
This is also a collaborative tool that participants in a Zoom conferencing can utilize to share and draw on a virtual whiteboard in real time. What is captivating about this feature is that all participants can view and interact with the whiteboard simultaneously.
There are a range of interactive tools to enhance the collaborative experience. Participants can use different colors and pen sizes to draw or write, add shapes and lines, and even upload images to the whiteboard. And oh, it goes seamlessly hand in hand with the screen-sharing functionality.
Team Chat
To further enhance team collaboration, Zoom has a natively integrated instant messaging feature. It helps connect teams in a Zoom meeting more efficiently and streamlines communication. To find contacts, messages, or files within a group chat, you can simply search with a keyword. With Zoom Mail, you can even send emails directly to Team Chat so everyone has context.
Polls and Q&A’s
Well, this feature is particularly designed for educators and presenters seeking real-time feedback or participation. As a host or co-host, you can create polls (single or multiple choice) during a meeting or webinar. Such polls can be created in advance or in the middle of a live session. Participants can respond in real time, and the results are often shown immediately.
Similarly, participants can also submit questions for the host through the Q&A panel. Hosts do have control over incoming questions – marketing them as answered or dismissing them.
Virtual Backgrounds
To make a Zoom session interactive and fun, users can replace their original background with a virtual one. In certain cases, it not only helps maintain privacy but also hides cluttered/unprofessional backgrounds. And it comes with a ton of customization. Yes, you can use a preloaded virtual background from Zoom’s library, upload a custom file from your own library, or simply blur your original background. Custom backgrounds are perfect for businesses as they can showcase their brand with a logo and everything.
To achieve the best results, we recommend using a green screen. Besides, don’t shy away from playing with video backgrounds as Zoom also supports those.
Breakout Rooms
Zoom breakout rooms are smaller, separate virtual spaces for participants to have more focused discussions or collaborate on specific topics before returning to the main meeting. A host can start breakout rooms during an ongoing meeting or before it. When the feature is enabled, they can choose to manually or automatically assign participants to breakout rooms. Also, they can set a timer for the breakout sessions to decide how long participants stay in their respective rooms.
Third-party Integrations
Zoom offers a wide range of third-party integrations through its App Marketplace, where users can find apps and tools to extend Zoom's functionality. These integrations are from multiple categories including productivity, CRM, project management, and collaboration. With support for over 2,500 apps, you can basically find every major tool such as Slack, Outlook, Google Workspace, Google Drive, Trello, and more.
Pricing
Zoom offers different pricing plans for different products such as Zoom One, Zoom Phone, Zoom Rooms, and Zoom Whiteboard. For Zoom One, there are five plans - Basic (free), Pro ($149.9/year/user), Business ($199.9/year/user), Business Plus (custom), and Enterprise (custom). The Basic plan has its limitations - 40 minutes max per meeting, 100 participants max at a time, and a lack of advanced features. These limitations can be lifted with a paid plan, of course. For pricing plans of other Zoom products, check out their official website.
Pros and Cons
Now, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons-
Pros -
A free plan
Unlimited meetings
Screen sharing and white-boarding
Meeting recordings
Cloud support
A wide array of integrations
Real-time transcripts
Scalability
Cons -
Security concerns
Lack of advanced features on the mobile app
Time limits on meetings when on the free plan
Rather expensive
Audio conferencing only available as an add-on
Final Thoughts
Phew! We made it to the end. Those were a lot of features, which make Zoom an ideal conferencing and collaboration tool for large-scale businesses. But if you are a small business owner, investing in Zoom may seem kind of unreasonable – considering the fact that there are tons of cheaper options offering just what your business needs.
Another thing worth mentioning is Zoom’s spotty history of security concerns. Although the company has addressed such issues, it is still worth considering. Overall, it is a fantastic tool if you can afford it.