In an effort to better compete against rivals like Slack and Microsoft Teams, Zoom is taking its first steps in revamping its messaging app by unveiling a name change and some new features.
Instead of being called Zoom Chat, the messaging platform will now be called as Zoom Team Chat (opens in new tab). A relatively minor change, but one that should reflect the company’s revised design philosophy for the app moving forward. Rather than just being known for its video call app, Zoom wants to play a more important role in hybrid work environments with Team Chat leading the charge as its collaborative hub.
As such, the upcoming set of features will focus on fostering collaboration between colleagues across a channel. And all the features are set to launch by the end of September, according to Zoom.
New features
So far, six new features have been revealed with the first being an in-meeting text chat for video calls. Hosts can turn this option on and allow people to share meeting notes, important information, or hyperlinks throughout a call. Users will also be able to schedule a Zoom Meeting directly from either the channel or private chat. Currently, you need to open the Zoom desktop or mobile app to schedule a meeting. It streamlines that process.
For particularly busy days, two new tools are available to help organize your workflow. The Reminders feature will allow you to flag a message for Team Chat to notify you of its availability at a “more convenient time,” ensuring you don’t miss anything. And if you get a spontaneous meeting invitation, you can send a quick decline message telling the other person that you’re too busy right now and will call later.
Team Chat will support further integration with third-party apps, although the full suite is unknown. According to a Zoom representative, ServiceNow will be one of the third-party apps. This will come in the form of a virtual assistant that will help you troubleshoot any problems you may encounter in Team Chat or contact a service agent, instead.
And the last update is Progressive Web App support (PWA). Basically, this means you can access Zoom Team Chat from a web browser instead of the standalone app. This is particularly useful if you need to access your team’s channel at work but don’t have access to your computer or have limited space on your mobile device.
Zoom also confirms that more is coming. In the announcement, the company announced that it holds a Zoomtopia 2022 event from November 8th to 9th (opens in new tab) where an additional round of features will be unveiled along with other product updates. Registration for the event is currently open and it’s free to join.
Intense competition
Competition is heating up among work messaging platforms as they strive to be king of the hill. Slack, for example, is working on implementing something new automation features to help people do more with less. Workflows on the platform will become more shareable as users can send hyperlinks that appear as interactive windows. And Slack will have a new branching tool to optimize requests for days off.
Microsoft, on the other hand, seems to be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at its Teams app. Almost every day, there is news about some upcoming Teams feature like ability to share GIFs o adding music holder to phone calls, which drew criticism. But there are more welcome changes like new notifications letting you know if you’ve been added to a group chat.
While these are the big three, there are alternatives for video calls that you can try. We recommend checking out TechRadar’s best Zoom alternatives list for 2022which has been updated.