Zoom has released a raft of updates and new features to help businesses return to their offices safely.

The new functionality is predominately focused on ensuring that employees can use Zoom Rooms in a safe way – both in the current hybrid model as we battle COVID and also as we look towards the post-pandemic workplace.

New features include the ability to count the number of people in a room in real-time; air quality monitoring; and virtual receptionists.

Oded Gal, Chief Product Officer at Zoom, said:

“People are at the heart of every organization and keeping them safe, connected, and productive is a top priority”

“As the world plans to safely reopen business, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and government entities, we are focused on innovating across our platform to support their needs.

A full list of the updates can be found below:

  1. Pair a Zoom Room with your mobile device and you’ll have access to all room controls, including the ability to start or join a meeting and full audio, video, and participant controls. This removes the need to touch in-room controllers
  2. View real-time people count data to see how many people are in a Zoom Room (with supported cameras) to ensure social distancing rules are followed.
  3. Monitor a room’s environment and air quality with Neat Bar Pro. This will monitor variables such as air quality, humidity, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds.
  4. Virtual receptionist and kiosk mode to provide a contactless entry experience for guests. This works by customising the “start meeting” button on a Zoom Rooms for Touch device and connecting visitors with a receptionist. Zoom Rooms Kiosk Mode is available on all Zoom Rooms for Touch devices.
  5. Control shared desktop from Zoom Rooms for Touch, meaning users can control, right from their device, the desktop of the person currently sharing their laptop screen, streamlining collaboration.
  6. Save whiteboard to chat, allowing users of a Zoom Rooms for Touch whiteboard to send them via group chats or email, streamlining content sharing outside of meetings.

Craig Durr, Senior Analyst with Wainhouse Research, said that the new features continue Zoom’s mantra of providing simple and reliable collaboration tools.

Oded Gal

Oded Gal

“Clearly, the office workspace continues to change. In fact, more than 80 percent of employees working remote say they’d like to continue to work remotely at least 50% or more once they do return to the office,” he said.

“But, to accomplish this, employees have to have a healthy, safe and secure conference room experience that meets the needs of today’s emerging hybrid workforce. Zoom is well positioned to provide this.”

The latest updates come at time when a lot employees are still working remotely. But it is generally accepted that, even when the pandemic is over, a hybrid working model will be adopted by many.

A survey of 12,000 conducted recently by Boston Consulting Group found that 60 per cent of employees want more flexibility in terms of where and when they work. Zoom said it’s innovating to meet the needs of its customers today and planning ahead for their future needs.

 

 



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