Why Find Zoom Alternatives for Online Video Meetings?
Since the pandemic started, small and medium-sized business owners everywhere began looking for ways to enhance communications. Keeping staff, clients, and other contacts efficiently connected became critical for operational sustainability. Therefore, online video meetings rose as a primary form of communication.
COVID-19 boosted demand for video conferencing software and video chat applications in 2020, which saw a record 62 million downloads in March last year. Zoom quickly took the lead among other competitors such as Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. In fact, it was the most downloaded video conferencing app globally in February and March 2020.
But, as companies start to return to a “new normal” and Zoom continues to solve its widely known security concerns, business owners begin to realize video calls alone are not enough to cover all of their communications and collaboration needs.
Corporate users and independent professionals are in the middle of Zoom’s declining reputation. While Zoom manages its highly publicized mistakes and works with its compliance officer to build in better controls, some consumers are left to wait in the hope that the platform will rise to the challenge. In contrast, some others opt for alternatives that may be less popular but far more reliable.
Managers who think ahead are now starting to research the market for more comprehensive Zoom alternatives that go beyond online video meeting features, capable of seamlessly integrating remote staff, in-house personnel, and multiple locations.
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Other Features to Look for in a Zoom Alternative
Top unified business communications systems offer a myriad of features, besides powerful online video meetings. For an affordable monthly fee, you could completely replace Zoom with enterprise-class communication services to make your business as efficient as any large company.
Here is a comprehensive list of features a leading communications partner could offer, on top of first-class audio, video, and video conferencing:
- SMS text messaging
- Voicemail to email
- Call routing
- Call queuing
- Self-service account management
- Auto-attendant
- Fax to email
- Call routing
- Dial-by-name directory
- Address book
- Hold music
- Audio Conferencing
If your business requires even more solutions, a superior Zoom alternative service could allow you to add a live receptionist, IP phone connection, more global phone numbers, international dialing, and call recording capabilities.
As you can see, there’s so much more beyond online video meeting tools. You can easily integrate these features to take your business communications to the next level.
How to find an Online Video Meeting Provider
If you’re looking to integrate more communications solutions into your business, it is not only about replacing Zoom with just another web conferencing platform. You want a provider that can give you a solid online video meeting platform plus all of the features explored above.
It is essential to consider specific criteria to partner with the best supplier to make your web conferences better.
Customer service support
A top-notch provider will offer 24/7 customer service support from qualified staff should any issues arise.
Suppose you choose a unified communications leader in the market. In that case, you will likely receive not only straightforward implementation instructions but a user-friendly control panel to manage your account, even if you don’t have any IT or telecommunications background.
However, there are times when you just need an extra hand or even personalized advice to implement your product in the best way possible. Sometimes you just need to have peace of mind and ensure communications continuity with the help of an expert.
This is where customer service reps come to save the day, not only as a standard benefit for your fee but as an intelligent approach to get the best out of your online video meetings and additional services.
Guaranteed security
What are the best ways to switch video meeting platforms while ensuring your company’s information and staff are protected? As mentioned above, companies frequently search for Zoom alternatives due to security concerns. Trustworthiness in video meeting solutions has received a lot of attention lately, so this is an important question.
Make sure you verify this virtual security items checklist while doing your research:
- End-to-end encryption starting at AES 256 bit. Your video and audio conferences should be protected using enterprise-grade code.
- Granular privacy
- Privacy policies to comprehensively explain how and where they use your personal information, ensuring no data ends up on Facebook or any other social media platforms
- Detailed explanations about how your meetings are protected and locked, making sure only you and your invited participants are in the session, without the fear of intrusion or “hijacking” of video cameras (following the laws and regulations of your country).
- Some premium online video meeting solutions may add an extra layer of security to your sessions with HIPAA compliance. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) required the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop regulations protecting the privacy and security of certain health information.” This security standard is beneficial not only for healthcare-related business owners but to every company overall.
Ease of use
Before switching to any other online video meeting platform, consider if the suppliers you have on your list offer the following:
- Browser-based web conferencing, which doesn’t require any downloads or setups from you or any other called participants
- Collaborating capabilities through features like screen sharing and document sharing to make meetings much more productive and efficient
- Customizing meeting URLs and session branding
- Compatibility with multiple devices, including microphones, speakers, and cameras
- Inviting participants in just one step
Your preferred provider should ideally give you options to scale as you grow by adding more online video meeting features as your business requires them. For instance, you could include live video streaming, HiFi video transcription, audio and video recording, and an online whiteboard.
More than Video Meetings: Seamless Collaboration
After reviewing this guide to finding Zoom alternatives and improving your online video meeting experience, you are probably aware you need a complete service to guarantee seamless collaboration in the post-pandemic world.
You need platform adaptability and flexibility to guarantee it’s available on every device, anywhere in the world you and your teammates may be. Integrating on-the-go secure video conferences, instant messaging, shared screens, email, text, fax, voice, and shared documents may seem impossible right now if you are only relying on Zoom.
Today’s work-from-anywhere companies and independent professionals demand easy-to-use cloud-based services to enable remote meetings and video communications in just one click. This solution ideally would save them from the Zoom hassles they already know, among them: endless text meeting invitations, complex URLs, password requirements, and potential security issues.
Phone.com develops mobile-first communications solutions to help businesses become agile. You can remain both productive and connected, regardless of your location or preferred device, with enterprise-grade omnichannel solutions. Get premium service in video conferencing and all other unified communications areas without complex deployments, the hassle of long-term contracts, or excessively high pricing. Sign up now.