Video conferencing is a technology that allows users in different locations to hold real-time face-to-face meetings at little to no cost.
Zoom Video Communications, an American San Jose, California-based company, started as Zoom provides video telephony and online chat service through cloud-based peer-to-peer platform. This platform is used for video communications (meetings), messaging (chat), conference rooms for video meetings (rooms), virtual events (events) and contact centres (contact centres).
Yuan, a former Cisco engineer founded it in 2011, and launched its software in 2013. In 2012, Zoom launched a beta version with conferencing holding capability of up to 15 people. Stanford was its first customer. Later, it launched version 1, increasing its hosting capacity up to 25 participants. It expanded its user base to 4 lac by May, 2013.
In 2017, Zoom started holding its annual user conference. It also tied up with Facebook to integrate Zoom to AR, integration with Slack and Workplace, and took baby steps to AI speech recognition programme.
In July 2020, Zoom announced its first hardware-as-a-service product. It bundled its video conferencing software with third party hardware. It ran on ServiceNow platform. It commenced with Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phone offering in the USA. The hardware can be acquired against a fixed monthly cost. In 2020, zoom announced Zoom Home — products for home use. It was a collaboration between Zoom and DTEN.
Zoom Webinar facilitates an event round the clock, round the globe.
Zoom allows work from home ( WFH) and avoiding physical meetings. Individuals meet and work productively face-to-face when meeting in person is not practical.
Zoom is used for video conferencing, audio conferencing, webinars, meeting recordings and live chat.
Zoom is the most popular cloud-based video conferencing platform that is used by companies having 500 employees and more or fewer. It is the second most popular application for companies with 500 plus employees after Skype for Business. Half the Fortune 500 companies are using Zoom. The most widely used apps are Zoom Meetings and Zoom Rooms.
Technology
Most video conferencing is transmitted by over a high-speed broadband internet connection, the technology of which is similar to VoIP — voice over internet protocol. However, at times, LAN or ISDN connections are used.
The visual information is exchanged using webcams or digital video. Audio content may be distributed via computer or the telephone system.
The five best video conferencing platforms are Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Whereby and WebEx Meetings.
Zoom uses Android and Ionic frameworks — Android Studio, Visual Studio, Android SDK, Apple Code, iOS SDK. Swift and Objective C are used for iOS backend, while Kotlin and Jawa are used for Android applications.
Web Conferencing
Apart from video conferencing, there is audio conferencing and web conferencing. Web conferencing is used for presentation for online course, online training and distance learning.
Web conferencing could be webcast, webinar and web meeting. Most web conferencing platforms use WebRio technology, an open source technology supported by majority of web browsers. It leverages APIs to deliver real-time communications (RTC).
Zoom Meeting
Zoom Meeting is the foundation of Zoom. It refers to video conferencing meetings. It allows remote and co-located attendees. There is frictionless communication. A person does not require a zoom account to attend Zoom Meeting. You can meet clients or can conduct interviews with remote candidates virtually.
In other words, Zoom Meeting is simply a meeting hosted using Zoom. Attendees can join the meeting in person (via webcam, a video conferencing camera, or via phone).
This meeting can be attended in company’s conference room by pairing Zoom Meeting with Meeting Owl Pro to create an inclusive meeting experience.
Zoom Room
One has to set up physical hardware to allow companies to initiate Zoom Meetings from conference rooms. These are software-defined video conferencing systems room. It allows to schedule, launch and run Zoom Meeting with the push of a button. Additional subscription is charged. It is suitable for large companies.
For zoom meetings, a computer has to sync and run Zoom meetings. Tablets are used by attendees to launch Zoom Meetings. The hardware of mike, camera and speaker is necessary. HDTV monitors display remote meeting partners. You require HDMI cable to share computer screens on the TV display and internet cable to hardwire the connection.
Initiation
Choose the right plan for the team. Zoom free is for solo workers or one or two individuals. Its duration is 40 minutes, Zoom Pro is best option where at least one member is working remotely. Hosts have personal meeting IDs. Recording of a meeting in cloud is possible. Business can brand its meetings Zoom Enterprise is suitable for Business with 100 plus employees. There is unlimited cloud storage. Zoom Business is suitable for SMEs. Zoom Rooms is another plan.
After choosing the plan, download Zoom, Sync it to your calendar. Schedule a Zoom Meeting. Choose between New Meeting or Schedule Meeting. Edit the details of the meeting. In the Meeting itself, mike can be turned on or off. The same is true for video. You can invite other participants and chat with them. Record the meeting and share the screen.
Private Zoom Meeting
Zoom bombing occurs when an uninvited individual gains access to Zoom Meeting. The intent is to disrupt the meeting. It could be prevented by making use of privacy settings.
Zoom Phone
The company is in talk with the regulators and will announce its introduction when it is ready. It is a cloud phone service. Users will be able to make calls to any of their internet-enabled devices.
Cross-Platform Integration
With Zoom plugin, users of Microsoft Teams will be able to join a Zoom Meeting.
Other Uses
In India, Zoom is being used by anganwadis to deliver education, and hospitals to provide health care. Banks use it for their KYC process. Zoom records can become evidence for sexual harassment. In pandemic, the company made available Zoom to over 3000 schools absolutely free.
DTEN
It partners with Zoom for hardware equipment. There are other partners — Logitech, Poly, Creston. Zoom specialises in software.
Issues
There are security issues. There are privacy issues. The encryption is from Zoom end-point to Zoom end-point ( Zoom servers and clients). Zoom was investigated by SEC. Kiosk Mode allows visitors to check in with a receptionist virtually on a Kiosk, with no physical contact.
Zoom, invites ethical hackers to find flaws and report them so that they can improve their offerings. The hackers are rewarded for their work. There is constant engagement with CIOs and CSOs from companies across the industries and provide solutions. There is third-party certification and audit.
In Asia Pacific region, a large chunk of subscribers are from India.
Skype Video Conferencing
Another video conferencing app is Skype. However, Zoom offers far more robust business features than those of Skype. Zoom Meetings can be held for up to 1000 people, whereas Skype limits it to 100 people. Skype is basic, whereas Zoom has advanced features. Skype does not support end-to-end encryption. Skype calls are free. Users pay only for premium features. There is no language translation service in skype. Sound quality is dependent on bandwidth. There are background noises.
Skype to Skype is free, but from skype to cells or landline costs in the US $3 a month.
MS has retired Skype on January 31, 2022.
Other video meeting apps are Slack, open source Big Blue Button with whiteboard, Blue Jeans, Whereby, Go ToMeeting, CISCO WebEx which is industry standard service, Google Meet and Blackboard Collaborate, a product of choice for educators.