Zoom wants to take on Google Docs and Microsoft Word with its own AI-powered platform
Zoom has revealed plans to launch its own word processing software as it aims to provide everything a business needs to work and collaborate.
The launch of Zoom Docs looks to address the specific challenges faced by employees who divide their time between home and the office, the videoconferencing giant has announced.
“Hybrid working is difficult enough, and the status quo in document creation and collaboration is no longer enough. Zoom is helping our customers by bringing the definition of a ‘document’ into 2023 – with powerful document authoring and collaboration capabilities, modern collaboration tools, and a next-gen workspace built from the ground up with AI at its core; Zoom Docs is that solution,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “Zoom Docs allows teams to work faster while minimizing silos and seamlessly integrating into the Zoom interface users already know and love.”
Zoom docs and AI
With the office software space already dominated by Microsoft Word and Google Docs, Zoom’s new offering turns to AI in an effort to capture users’ attention.
The company’s recently announced Zoom AI platform is the backbone of it all, allowing users to bring in content from their video calls and meetings, as well as the team chat, to easily start writing and collaborating on documents like a to-do list or closing report.
Zoom Docs offers a modular approach, allowing users to construct their work using content blocks for a truly customizable layout, with the addition of tables and bullet blocks that help create exactly the document needed.
Colleagues or contacts can be asked to collaborate through mentions, with comments and discussions allowing for multiple opinions and opportunities for feedback. When a document is ready, users can also ask the Zoom AI Companion to help edit or change the tone to make it more acceptable to a particular audience, and can quickly summarize or query the content to ensure that all important details are present. be present.
The company says this structure will also give users a faster way to gain insights, delegate tasks, and keep teams on track between meetings. And when they’re ready to be released, Zoom Docs can be easily shared in a meeting or team chat across the entire Zoom portfolio.
Zoom Docs will be released in early 2024, but the company has not provided a specific release window.