Zoom is about to get a lot more useful and powerful
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A tsunami of new features on Zoom is planned, which will expand certain services and make some existing ones more user-friendly to, ideally, promote better communication.
Two weeks before this announcement, Zoom rolled out a new set of features for the Team chat tool while referring to more. We thought the second round would have been revealed at the Zoomtopia event on November 8, but it looks like the company has decided to do it now. Given the sheer number of features (opens in new tab) in this update it will be nearly impossible to give everyone their time in the spotlight, so we’re only going to focus on the biggest changes. At the time of writing, it is unknown when anything in this wave will make its way to users.
Most of the features go to: Zoom onea service platform that “a variety of” [company] tools” in one package. From Zoom Meetings there will be a new designation for Sign Language Interpretation. A host can select multiple meeting participants to speak through a sign language interpreter for those who need it. In turn, people can choose which of the interpreters they want to watch.
Apple CarPlay is now supported on Zoom, allowing people to jump to meetings or view their schedule for the day via the CallKit controls while driving. However, we strongly recommend that you do not check your itinerary halfway through the journey; please wait until you are parked.
Regarding phone calls, Zoom Phone has new ways to manage audio files through an extensive asset library. This is a centralized hub where hosts can upload and share audio files “including greetings, music on hold, [and] questions,” said Zoom. Group administrators can set up an emergency call system by assigning numbers to remote teams or third-party systems. In addition, they can new survival tool (opens in new tab) to provide basic telephone functionality during an outage.
And the latest major update to Zoom One is Zoom Whiteboard Plus. The basic version of the tool allows participants to draw on a digital whiteboard to share ideas. Whiteboard Plus adds three new features: tables to organize a team’s thoughts, mind map for creating flowcharts for further organization, and @mentions to tag people outside the meeting.
Changes in quality of life
The more minor changes are aimed at changes in quality of life. Zoom Rooms in particular will have a different user interface. It will include “bigger fonts, sharper colors and a better layout” to make certain aspects, such as the meeting schedule, more visible. Views in a meeting room are being redesigned to have a better layout so that notifications and the chat window in the meeting don’t block the view.
Originally exclusive to the desktop app, Workspace Reservation will make its way to iOS and Android devices. This tool allows you to book on-site work resources and spaces. It looks like all of the original desktop tools will be on mobile, including personalized AI location suggestions and user questionnaires.
When you look at everything, it’s hard to imagine what will be revealed on the Zoomtopia event (opens in new tab). This avalanche of features already feels like one big event, so it’ll be interesting to see what Zoom hides in its proverbial sleeve.
We should also mention a disturbing trend of recent Zoom users being targeted by malicious websites. Be sure to come and have a look TechRadar’s recent coverage of these malware campaigns so you can stay safe.