Zoom vs Teams: the best video conferencing tool for your business
Video conferencing has been all about Zoom versus Teams this year, but which platform is right for your business? Both platforms jumped into the ring during the enforced remote working at the hands of Covid-19, but which is better? Will one rule supreme? Does one platform suit your business more than the other? Let’s find out!
Zoom
The Pros of Zoom
One of the best things about Zoom is its ability to support large groups of people without compromising on quality. Different plans can support different amounts of people, for example, the Pro Plan can host up to 100 attendees with a 24-hour meeting duration limit, which is plenty for most businesses! When it comes to webinars, Zoom can host up to 10,000 delegates at a time. You may not need this capacity right now but the option for growth and scalability is there.
Zoom can also stream a webinar or meeting to Facebook, meaning your virtual events can be easy to access, all while helping to build your social media presence. Another great feature of Zoom is the ability to record meetings and webinars. If streaming isn’t for you, there is the option to record the session and then send to attendees, or those who were unable to attend, afterwards.
The Cons of Zoom
Despite those features, Zoom does have its drawbacks. One major downfall being ‘Zoombombing’. While no platform is completely safe from attempted breaches, during the Covid-19 lockdown reports of ‘Zoombombing’ have risen. This is where individuals take advantage of public Zoom meetings and either spam the chat function with inappropriate messages, or share their screens, taking over the call with unsolicited content. However, there are some easy ways to protect yourself against this:
• Make sure your meeting is private
• Use a password login for each call
• Don’t post your meeting links or logins online
• Make sure you have up to date anti-virus software installed.
The free plan is a great option for those without large video conferencing needs, or who just want to give Zoom a try, however it can be quite limited. The free plan allows for up to 100 attendees but has a time limit of 40 minutes. While this will be perfectly fine for a lot of businesses, others who need longer meetings might want to look into the paid plans as it can be a hassle to set up new meetings every time the clock runs out! However, during the pandemic Zoom has been automatically extending some meetings to help businesses and families keep in touch. While this is helpful it shouldn’t be relied on as a long-term solution.
Make it your own
No one can deny the popularity of virtual backgrounds on video calls, from tropical beaches to branded banners, there’s something for everyone and every occasion. We’ve gathered a few of our favourites below:
Home office
Pretend your actually in ‘The Office’ with this TV set background.
Source: Pocket-Lint
Zoom like you meme it
The viral ‘this is fine’ meme can add some humour to your 9am board meeting.
Source: Cnet
The force is strong with this background
Transport yourself to a galaxy far, far away and recreate your favourite film at home!
Source: Good Housekeeping
Teams
The Pros of Teams
Microsoft Teams is great for integrating with other platforms. As a Microsoft product, it integrates seamlessly with the Office 365 package as well as other platforms including HubSpot, Trello, and Google Drive. Being able to use Teams as a centralised hub for all these programmes can be great for productivity and bolstering team spirit.
Teams can host up to 10,000 in a call or chat making it perfect for larger organisations. Sharing content is also possible through Teams, with additional features such as note taking and meeting recording options which can then be shared with attendees. As with Zoom, Teams also has different plans to support different business needs, more information on this can be found here.
Another benefit of Teams is its industry specific features. Teams has options specifically for healthcare organisations including:
• Virtual patient visits
• Coordinated patient care
• Administration processes
There is also an option for the education sector which features:
• Secure online classrooms
• Remote learning tools
• Virtual gradebooks
The Cons of Teams
While Teams’ many features can be an asset, some have said that finding apps and files within the platform can be confusing. Tech Mag reported that users were finding the structure confusing and attempts to organise files were causing errors and file breaks. Another thing that might hinder the use of Teams is the lack of a browser option. To host or join a meeting an app is required. While this won’t be a problem for some users, others may have issues with file space or digital clutter. If you’re using multiple devices this could become a bit of a pain!
The Results
If you’re simply looking for a video conferencing tool, Zoom is probably your best bet. With multiple plans that can be upgraded when needed there’s something for everyone. Zoom also has great quality as well as options for streaming and hosting webinars. As well these serious features to help you get down to business, Zoom can also be used for a relaxed team catch up or Friday afternoon quiz, so get your backgrounds at the ready and have some fun!
However, if you’re looking for a more integrated system for more than just video conferencing, Teams could be the one, especially for larger organisations. Its ability to collate lots of programmes into one space and aid collaboration is a winning solution!
Here at Probado, we began using the free plan on Zoom but for us the 40-minute time limit wasn’t enough. As we were already familiar with the Office365 package, we decided to give Teams a try and found this worked better for us and our needs. Our team is currently investigating how we can best deliver Teams’ video content for those that use Thin Clients in a Terminal Services environment, we’ll be sure to update you with our findings.
