Video conferencing apps facilitate the new normal
As schools and workplaces become digitalised, the world is becoming increasingly dependent on video conferencing technology.
Long Term Flexible Working
Many companies, including large-scale multinationals, have announced an extended future of flexible working. Employers have removed the pressure of returning to the office as we continue to live in uncertain times and prospects of further lockdowns.
Thus, the new workplace is heavily reliant on video conferencing technology. Working from home used to be an occasional luxury, something many employers used in their benefit packs to seduce new recruits. However, now it is hard to remember a time where working from home was not a widely accepted way of life. With everything from large-scale board meetings to one-to-one staff training shifting to digital, it is clear that video conferencing will be playing a huge role in the future of working life.
Digitalisation of Schools
The class of 2020 will forever remember their final year of school as end-of-year exams and graduations took on a new appearance. Even for what is arguably the most tech-savvy generation, the total shift to digital schooling was something of a shock. Students, teachers and parents became hugely dependent on video conferencing as we entered a totally new age of teaching.
Teachers had to overcome the obstacle of teaching via technology and students were forced to motivate without the physical support of teachers and classmates. Schools are adopting different coping methods as they adjust to the new normal: partial attendance, year-group bubbles and masked lessons. Additionally, the boom of edtech means that video conferencing is set to play a huge part in the future of education.
Zoom Video Conferencing
Zoom was one of the clear winners of the coronavirus pandemic. As restrictions were implemented worldwide, social, academic and corporate worlds were forced to their computer screens - even medicine lectures.
Luckily, Zoom saved the day, quickly becoming a household name. The video conference app allowed a nearly seamless transition to digital. Now, the app has a user base of more than 300 million worldwide users, daily.
Has Zoom Got Competition?
Zoom is not the only video conferencing app. With an ever-increasing reliance on this type of technology, there are many companies in the market including Whereby, Google Meet, Join.me and Slack. However, Zoom is widely accepted as one of the best options available.
Not only does it offer a very high level of video and audio quality, Zoom is constantly revamping the app in order to stay ahead of the competition. They offer specific plans for business and educational purposes, as well as what is recognised as one of the best quality free access in video conferencing for small group calls. They also support file sharing, images, links and text messages.
Most recently, they have launched end-to-end encryption. This means that Zoom users, both free and paid, can secure their meetings meaning that only the participants of the conversation can access its content.
