Zoom became a household name in 2020, swiftly growing into a globally used technology, straddling both the corporate world and personal use. Expanding far beyond traditional video conferencing software, Zoom has embraced all aspects of collaboration in recent times.
The return to the office has presented a variety of complex challenges for all departments. The length of time that employees were out of the office now means that coordinating staff and attendance has become increasingly difficult. Businesses must now pitch the office as an environment that will help and support employees with the way that they work, whilst also ensuring their safety. Zoom has designed a range of features and capabilities to support offices in their transition to a hybrid workplace.
Returning to the Office with Zoom
Virtual Receptionist
Using the Zoom platform, multiple receptionists can greet and assist newcomers. Anyone walking up to the screen can simply press a button and instantly get access to a remote receptionist. For those desiring a zero-touch element, third-party applications can be set up that activate when someone stands in front of the sensor.
Digital Signage
In order to build confidence in employees during their return to the office, communication is key. Zoom can provide clear data to employees to assist a range of experiences. Zoom’s digital signage, built into the Zoom Rooms experience, can determine useful information such as office desk availability. Such information can help employees determine where they can work each day if they don’t have a dedicated office space. Data can also be used to communicate which Zoom Rooms are occupied.
In-People Room Counting
Zoom can also be set up to display a visual that communicates with users the number of people using a Zoom Room at any one time. Flags can also be implemented, notifying when thresholds for capacity are being approached. Such steps give users greater confidence in using the office.
Voice Commands for Zoom Rooms
Zoom Rooms support zero-touch technology, allowing users to use devices without contact. With employees often hesitant about touching too much-shared equipment, voice commands offer a no-contact alternative. With a range of capabilities, including Siri and Alexa, Zoom can launch and display information instantly, without any contact.
Personal Zoom Room Device Pairing
Zoom works compatibly with a range of devices to create a personal experience. Dedicated confined spaces for individuals to work with a sense of safety can help boost confidence
Smart Gallery
When multiple people are using a Zoom Room, remote meeting attendees may struggle to see all participants clearly from the single-camera traditionally found in meeting rooms. To make the situation as accessible as possible for all attendees, regardless of their location, Smart Gallery can display multiple video feeds from a single room.
Zoom Rooms Enhanced Dashboard Reporting
For employers looking to take a closer look at their environment, Zoom can offer a range of data, such as air quality and CO2 levels. This data can be aggregated and used to ensure employees are getting the best possible experience from their office.
Zoom and Microsoft
With employees now working in a hybrid environment, ensuring that communication and collaboration are high is essential. With too many incompatible apps and platforms in the mix, businesses run the risk of providing a bumpy, unpleasant user experience. Zoom and Microsoft Teams proliferated the market in recent times, with both technologies flooding the corporate world. Rather than shy away from one another, the two collaboration platforms are embracing one another’s existence and enabling integration.
Typically consumers who opt for both platforms do so by choosing Zoom for their voice and video requirements, whilst also adopting Microsoft Teams to cater to their wider Microsoft productivity ecosystem. Zoom supports Microsoft Teams with native integration into the platform, with the Zoom client launched from within the Microsoft Teams app
Whether businesses have a Zoom Room or a Microsoft Teams Room set up, Zoom and Microsoft worked together to deliver an experience that allows users to seamlessly transition between the two platforms to launch meetings.
Zoom also has native integration with Microsoft Outlook, providing users with a fully accessible experience that allows the entire workforce to schedule meetings and tailor meeting requirements.
Zoom – The End-to-End Unified Communications Platform
For organisations looking to enhance their office and ensure that employees feel confident in their return, Zoom provides the next logical step. As an end-to-end unified experience, Zoom can deliver everything a business needs, from just a single platform. It also offers flexibility and the ability to collaborate with other services a business needs to be more productive, with security, privacy and compliance at its core.
No matter what an organisation’s hybrid environment looks like, be it 10% or 90% of the time working in the office, businesses must make provisions and prepare for the challenges that will be encountered. Even organisations that do not offer hybrid working must take into account remote workers, as video conferencing overtakes traditional face-to-face meetings. Without being in the immediate vicinity of customers, organisations must ensure that they have a smooth experience to come across as professional as possible.
How Can We Help?
Mobliciti can work with your organisation to understand your needs in migrating to a hybrid environment. As a key partner for Zoom, we can assist you to ensure that collaboration within the organisation is optimised. Get in touch to find out more.
