The recent news of Zoom video conferencing setting its foot on Amazon Echo Show, Facebook Portal, and Google Nest Hub Max smart displays have taken the market by storm.
Reports say that it’s all set to happen this fall, and Zoom shall no longer stay limited to only computers and smartphones. This step owes its inception to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which witnessed a skyrocketing growth in the use of the app.
More people started to use Zoom video conferencing apps for online classes, staying connected, and much more.
Zoom’s Advent
Zoom shall announce its advent on Facebook Portal in September, while in Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub Max devices in the coming months. Soon, almost every smart display is set to have a specifically designed Zoom app that one can access by clicking the option on the screen.
People shall be only a tap away from joining a meeting, allowing ease of access. There are no preset voice commands yet to help the same, however, Zoom claims to be working on it.
Zoom Chief Product officer Oded Gal said in a statement, “We’re excited to bring Zoom to these popular devices. It’s more apparent than ever that people are looking for easy-to-use displays for their video communications needs, both professionally and personally.”
Zoom’s User Base Only Keeps Growing
Zoom’s user base skyrocketed due to the onset of the pandemic, which is when Zoom decided to work on the Zoom for Home project. The project encompasses a massive smart display built by the said company.
It’s 27-inch in size that allows for high-end smart Zoom video conferencing. It has three wide-angled cameras connected to the embedded Zoom software, along with whiteboard and screen sharing features.
Costing around $600, it is a humongous step taken by Zoom to hone its user base. However, even though Zoom is coming to other smart displays, there is no voice assistant to support the same.
Not including a voice assistant or basic Alexa and Google Assistant commands for its platform on other smart displays can be a drawback, since voice is the major selling point of these smart devices.
Microsoft and Google Aren’t Far Behind
Tech giants are leaving no stone unturned to revamp their video conferencing platforms during this pandemic. Microsoft recently enlivened its Teams app, while Google introduced the voice match feature in household contacts to make contacts more accessible.
However, Zoom’s new partners are not making an exclusive deal about Zoom video conferencing. Google did mention that it might incorporate Zoom video conferencing to its smart displays, but the blogpost was majorly focused on Google Meet and Google Duo services.
Whereas Facebook too, combined the Zoom video conferencing integration news with the revelation of similar collaborations with BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, and Webex.
Two Wars Together
Humankind is at war with the virus, whereas tech giants are at a voice-war with each other, bringing about fantastic new developments. The only difference being that the latter is hugely beneficial to mankind!
