In today’s webinar hosted by Zoom’s CEO Eric S. Yuan, we provided an update on our progress since our last executive webinar on July 1, which recapped all the enhancements made during our 90-day security plan. Going forward, we plan to host these webinars every month to update you on the latest security and product enhancements. 

Eric said that Zoom has resumed innovating features across products and that we’ll continue to prioritize security and privacy in everything we do. He also announced some new platform updates and product offerings, including Zoom Hardware as a Service and Zoom for Home.

Our CPO Oded Gal joined Eric on the webinar to review recent and upcoming security updates, as well as other key updates to the Zoom platform. CTO Brendan Ittelson also joined for the Q&A session.

Zoom Hardware as a Service

We recently introduced Hardware as a Service (HaaS), which provides a one-stop shop for Zoom software, hardware, and professional services. Organizations can choose from a variety of Zoom Phone and Zoom Rooms solutions from leading hardware manufacturers using a budget-friendly subscription service, so you can outfit employees with our innovative solutions and scale them as you grow at a low monthly price. HaaS is currently available in the U.S.; get more details about the program in our blog post.

Zoom for Home

We also recently introduced Zoom for Home, which combines Zoom software with compatible hardware to upgrade your home office experience and empower remote workers. Some of the benefits:

• Enhanced Zoom experience: Log in to a compatible device with your user account and create an instant office experience
• Personalized for the user: Sync your calendar, status, meeting settings, and phone across devices for an integrated, video-first communications experience
• Flexible management options: Zoom for Home devices can be set up to be IT-managed remotely through the admin portal or self-managed through user settings

Product updates

Zoom Meetings and Webinars 

We added Singapore as a data center option over the weekend. In the near future, we plan to add features that will allow alternative hosts to get recording links, will provide more Waiting Room options on the web, will separate passcode settings for webinars and meetings, and will add a web phone verification. We also expect to kick off our limited end-to-end encryption beta July 31.

Zoom Phone

The latest Zoom Phone release includes call park, busy lamp field, recording transcripts, shared line groups, IP phone transfer to voicemail, and IP phone contacts. Check out the release notes for additional information. 

We’re also working to add the ability to transfer a call to a delegator’s meeting, provide hotkey support, give Zoom Phone users a call quality indicator, and combine phone search results.

Security plans 

• Zoom Meetings & Webinars: Hosts will be able to unmute all with pre-approved consent, and there will be Passcode and Waiting Room options on the top of all schedulers that we support. We’ll also provide improved Waiting Room notifications.
• Zoom Team Chat: Admins can remove the ability for external contacts to add new users to a chat channel or group chat and more tightly manage posting permissions. 
• Zoom Rooms: New host options to control users renaming themselves, who can screen share, and allow internal employees to admit external employees from the Waiting Room.

Q&A

What did we learn from the 90-day plan and the security crisis?

Eric said he is extremely thankful for the feedback we’ve received from our customers on Zoom’s security. He added that it’s important to him to embed privacy and security in our company DNA, and we’ve been hiring security experts and leveraging their feedback to develop the most secure and frictionless platform available. 

Can you provide more information about Zoom’s accessibility features?

We want to make sure that Zoom is accessible for everyone. We added the Accessibility tab under Settings in the Zoom Meeting client highlighting some of these features on Zoom’s platform. For more information on our accessibility features, please visit zoom.us/accessibility.

Is it possible to use multiple cameras during a meeting, or do I need an additional login?

Under the “Screen Share” feature there is an “Advanced” tab with the option to share a second camera. You do not need another login to share a second camera. 

Can you share any progress on Zoom’s end-to-end encryption project?

Eric said that development of Zoom’s end-to-end encryption offering is progressing, and we are looking to kick off our limited beta program for our end-to-end encryption offering at the end of July.

Can you clarify the difference between Zoom Phone and a regular phone?

Oded explained that Zoom Phone provides so many more capabilities than traditional phone service. Zoom Phone harnesses our reliable and global video architecture to also support phone service in the cloud, so customers can leverage the Zoom network to reliably call any number in the PSTN world from anywhere. Additionally, Zoom’s single unified communications platform allows you to use all of Zoom’s services however you need. Whether you want to elevate a phone call to a Zoom video meeting, integrate Zoom Phone into your desk phone, or run Zoom’s software natively on your home office device, Zoom offers a simplified but powerful communications experience.

What role will Zoom play when we all go back to the office?

Zoom will continue to play a key role in connecting teams and enabling collaboration between remote workers and in-office workers. We’ve learned during this time that you can work from anywhere without losing productivity or sacrificing privacy and security, and Zoom will help build a consistent collaboration and communication experience no matter where people choose to work.  

Thank you!

Thanks for attending this week’s session, and thank you to everyone who submitted questions! We truly appreciate your support on our journey to make Zoom the world’s most secure enterprise communications platform.

If you missed this week’s session, you can watch the recording here:

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