Zoom – Video Conferencing Software 2023

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Zoom – Video Conferencing Software

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zoom

Zoom Meetings, styled as zoom, is a proprietary video teleconference software product developed by Zoom Video Communications. The free plan supports up to 100 concurrent participants and has a time limit of 40 minutes.

Users can choose to upgrade by purchasing a premium plan. The most expensive package allows for up to 1,000 concurrent participants for meetings lasting up to 30 hours.

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that allows people to connect online for video conference meetings, webinars, and live chat via a PC desktop or mobile app.

There was a significant surge in the use of Zoom for distant work, distance education, and online social contacts during the COVID-19 epidemic Zoom is now one of the most downloaded smartphone apps in the world, with over 500 million downloads and over 300 million daily meeting attendees.

Zoom has seen a boom in popularity during the Covid19 crisis, with millions of individuals utilizing it to stay in touch with friends.

The software is free to download, and Zoom users can sign up for the free service or one of several paid subscriptions. Users can establish limitless meetings with up to 100 people for free, but group meetings have a time limit of 40 minutes. Schools that use the app can apply to have the limit lifted for free by going to: zoom.us/docs/ent/school-verification.

History

Zoom was established in 2011. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, California. Zoom also has offices in the United States, China, India, Oceania, Europe, and other parts of Eastern Asia. On August 21, 2012, Zoom debuted a beta version that could organize conferences with up to 15 video attendees.

The program’s version 1.0 was introduced on January 25, 2013, with an increase in the number of participants per conference to 25. By the end of its first month, Zoom had 400,000 users and increased to over one million users by May 2013.

After the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has gained 2.22 million users in 2020, more than it had in all of 2019, with the company’s share price increasing by 35%. The Zoom app was downloaded 2.13 million times in March 2020. The following is a list of the top ten things to do in April. On August 24, 2020, Zoom had extensive outages for many hours until service was restored.

Features

Zoom One is divided into six different tiers: Basic, Pro, Business, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus. Zoom works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux.

It is well-known for its user-friendliness and usability, regardless of technological competence. One-on-one meetings, group video conferencing, screen sharing, plugins, browser extensions, and the ability to record and automatically transcribe conversations are among the features. Some computers and operating systems allow users to choose a virtual background, which may be downloaded from many websites, to use as a backdrop behind them.

The software is free to use for video conferencing with up to 100 participants at once, with a time limit of 40 minutes. Between free 40-minute appointments, there is a 10-minute break. Paid subscriptions are available for longer or larger conferences with more features. Zoom Rooms, which are designed for corporate conferences, are also available.

A desktop or laptop screen may display up to 49 people at once, an iPhone or Android mobile phone or tablet computer can display up to 4 people per screen, and an iPad can display up to 16 people per screen.

Password-protected meetings, user authentication, waiting rooms, restricted meetings, preventing participant screen sharing, randomly generated IDs, and the ability for the host to remove disruptive members are all Zoom security features.

Zoom began offering end-to-end encryption to commercial and enterprise users in June 2020, with AES 256 GCM encryption enabled for all users. Zoom will introduce end-to-end encryption for both free and premium customers in October 2020. Except for the official Zoom web client, it is available on all platforms.

Zoom also provides a transcription service that uses Otter.ai software to allow businesses to retain and search transcriptions of Zoom meetings, including distinguishing and categorizing distinct speakers.

Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phone will be available as hardware-as-a-service solutions beginning in July 2020. Zoom Phone is accessible for domestic telephone service in 47 countries as of July 2022, and the business has sold 3 million seats for the service.

Zoom for Home, a line of home-use gadgets, will be released in August 2020. Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, which provides users with voice service options, is available in over 70 countries. In July 2022, Zoom Phone added the ability to enable end-to-end encryption during one-on-one calls between users on the same company account.

Zoom released additional accessibility features in September 2020 to make the app easier to use for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired. New features include the ability to move video windows around in gallery view, pin video windows to be highlighted, enhance keyboard shortcuts, new tools for adjusting the size of closed captioned text, and sign language interpreter windows that can now reside directly next to the speaker.

OnZoom, a virtual event marketplace with an integrated payment system where users may host and advertise free or paid live events, will be launched in October 2020 at Zoomtopia, Zoom’s annual user conference. Users will be able to book and host one-time events or event series for up to 1,000 guests, as well as sell tickets online, using OnZoom.

Zoom Apps, a feature that integrates third-party apps so they can be utilized within the Zoom interface during meetings, was recently unveiled by the business. The first such apps, from firms such as Slack, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Qatalog, were projected to be ready by the end of 2020. Zoom’s online meetings network will be upgraded to end-to-end encryption in October 2020, providing users with more protection.

Zoom has inked a new carrier deal with Global BT Business in October 2020 to offer a fully managed Zoom Meetings service with a choice of connectivity and integration with its global phone network.

Zoom said on March 22, 2021, that it would begin offering its videoconferencing technology as a white-label product, allowing other firms to integrate it into their own products, with calls operating via Zoom but not bearing the company’s brand name.

Zoom will introduce a new function called Focus Mode in August 2021. It is intended for use in online classrooms and other educational environments.

When the mode is enabled, participants’ screens are hidden from one other (though they can see each other’s names), while the host can view everyone’s camera stream or screen sharing. All Zoom accounts, including free ones, have access to the feature.

At Zoomtopia in September 2021, the business revealed that end-to-end encryption would be available as an upgrade for Zoom Phone subscribers. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) (which allows users to manage their own encryption keys that Zoom cannot access or see), Verified Identity (a multi-factor authentication feature that works through Okta and allows users to confirm the identity of meeting participants), and Video Engagement Center were also announced (for businesses to digitally interact with customers).

Other enhancements include redesigned virtual whiteboard tools, such as touchscreen whiteboards that can be digitized for remote participants, as well as better communication between Zoom Meetings and Zoom Chat.

The feature to automatically generate closed captions in English for Zoom meetings was added to all accounts, including free ones, in October 2021. Previously, the feature was exclusively available to Premium subscribers.

Zoom released new capabilities in April 2022, including gesture detection, a virtual whiteboard, and Zoom IQ for sales. Zoom Contact Center, a cloud contact center built for video calls and linked directly to Zoom, was introduced in February 2022.

Zoom was released in June 2022. It brings together chat, phone, whiteboard, and video conferencing capabilities into one service. Also in June 2022, Zoom released its Zoom Apps developer program to all developers, via Zoom Apps SDK. Zoom One provides video conferencing translation and captioning in 11 languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian. The Business Plus and Enterprise Plus plans have this capability.

How does it work?

Users of Zoom can establish and join online meeting spaces where they can interact with one another via audio and video. Participants may have access to additional tools that allow them to share their screen, transfer files, and text chat either publicly or privately with other meeting participants.

A participant needs the Zoom app, the meeting link, or a Meeting ID and password in order to join a Zoom meeting. While you do not require a Zoom account to access a conference, users need to set up an account in order to organize a meeting.

Setting up a meeting: The host has the option of setting up a meeting immediately or in advance for a specific time.

This generates the meeting URL, Meeting ID, and password, which may be distributed to those who want to attend the meeting.

Users will need to input the password to attend a meeting if they are manually entering the information because Zoom recently enabled passwords by default. When a participant clicks the meeting URL to join it, they are not required to input this password.

In their account settings, hosts can control other permissions for things like whether participants are permitted to share their screen or engage in private conversations with other meeting participants.

Video and audio – Users can choose whether to have their video on or off when entering a Zoom conference. If other attendees have their cameras turned on, you will also be able to see them. Additional controls are available to the meeting host, who can use them to turn off participants’ videos or silence their audio.

 Share Screen – People can share what is on their screen with other meeting participants using the Share Screen features. The Share Screen icon on the control panel can be clicked to accomplish this. The meeting host can decide who has access to this feature—either all users, a selected group of users, or just the host.

Chat function – Participants may utilize private chat to communicate with other members of the group while using group chat during the meeting. This setting can be changed by meeting hosts to limit who attendees can chat with.

Why is it popular?

The appeal of Zoom is that it enables users to convene a sizable group of attendees in a single conference, even when utilizing the service’s free tier. The only person who has to create a Zoom account is the host, and anyone who might want to join the conference can easily receive the login details.

What is the age requirement?

According to Zoom’s Privacy Policy, “Zoom does not knowingly let children under the age of 16 sign up for their own accounts.” Users are prompted for their birthdate when making an account, but no extra age verification is used.

Users do not need to create a Zoom account in order to join a Zoom meeting, though.

The Digital Age of Consent in Ireland is established at 16, therefore online service providers must obtain parental permission to process the data of children under 16 in accordance with this rule.

Privacy and security concerns

It is crucial to comprehend how an app or platform functions and any associated hazards before utilizing it. Concerns concerning the service’s privacy and security have been voiced, especially those related to “Zoom Bombing” instances, in which random people enter meetings to cause trouble. The meeting URL is shared on a public forum, where it may be freely accessed by anyone, which is a common cause of zoom bombing.

Spend time getting acquainted with the privacy and moderation controls that a host can employ for their meeting to reduce these hazards.

Note: Zoom has been making frequent platform updates to resolve concerns. If you use the service, be aware that settings, security, and privacy changes may be made in the future.

Meeting privacy

Making ensuring that private information is not disclosed in a public setting is crucial, as is thinking through who will learn about a meeting and how that information will be distributed.

Zoom meetings now have password access enabled by default. This indicates that attendees must enter their Meeting ID and password in order to join the meeting.

Participants can join a meeting without a password by using the meeting website, though.

Waiting rooms

As a virtual holding space, the Waiting Room feature blocks attendees from joining a meeting until you accept them and grant them access. Zoom meetings have this setting turned on by default.

Lock meeting

Even if they have the Meeting ID and password, new users cannot join a locked meeting once it has begun.

 Screen Share controls

Hosts can limit rights using the control panel to stop players from randomly seizing control of the screen. Both before and during the meeting, this can be changed.

Moderation and managing participants

Zoom has several moderating options, such as the ability for hosts to silence users, turn off file transfer, stop group or private chat, and disable participants’ videos.

Advice for Parents

Learn about app settings and walk your kid through the security precautions: support.zoom.us/Settings-Controls

Don’t share links on social media, use secure privacy settings, and urge your youngster to only share meeting links with friends. Use a different password for each Zoom conference, as a top tip.

Remind your child that meetings can be videotaped; now is a good time to talk about what information is appropriate for online sharing and what information is not.

Your child has to be aware that they can come chat to you if they come across something improper or unpleasant online.

FAQS

Do I need to download Zoom to attend a meeting?

It should be noted that while downloading Zoom is not necessary before registering, not doing so will give you access to only some of its features.

Can I install Zoom on my laptop?

The Zoom mobile apps for iOS and Android, as well as the Zoom desktop client for macOS, Windows, Linux, and Chrome PWA, are all available for download from the Download Center.

Is Zoom Free?

With our Basic plan, you can hold meetings for up to 40 minutes without cost and an unlimited number of times. Up to 49 participant films can be shown simultaneously on the screen with Gallery View, one of our most used features.

How do I join a Zoom meeting for the first time?

Google Chrome

Open the Chrome browser.

Go to join.zoom.us.

Enter your meeting ID provided by the host/organizer.

Click Join. If this is your first time joining from Google Chrome, you will be asked to open the Zoom desktop client to join the meeting.

Do I need to install Zoom on my phone to join a meeting?

Before you can attend a meeting, you must first install the Zoom software on your Android device, if you haven’t already. Typically, participants can join a Zoom conference by: by use of the Meeting URL. by use of the Meeting ID.

Can you join Zoom without the app on your phone?

In order to register for and log in to Zoom if you’re avoiding the app, visit the website. As soon as that is finished, you ought to be able to click “Host a Meeting” or “Join a Meeting” at the top of the Zoom website.

How do I set up a Zoom meeting on my laptop?

Here are some simple guidelines for setting up your initial encounter.

Sign in to your Zoom web portal.

Click Meetings.

Click Schedule a Meeting.

Choose the date and time for your meeting.

(Optional) Select any other settings you would like to use.

Click Save.