Sr.Manager at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
There are no restrictions on the number of users, and it's very fast compared to other solutions
Pros and Cons
  • "There are no restrictions on the number of participants in a single meeting, That is the beauty of Zoom, and it is also very fast compared to others."
  • "I would say that Zoom should support more platforms. I think it has some limitations. It should be supported on all platforms."

What is our primary use case?

I'm using Zoom for virtual meetings. 

How has it helped my organization?

I would say that Zoom should support more platforms. I think it has some limitations. It should be supported on all platforms.

What is most valuable?

There are no restrictions on the number of participants in a single meeting, That is the beauty of Zoom, and it is also very fast compared to others.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Zoom for maybe a year or two.

Buyer's Guide
Zoom
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Zoom. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Zoom is very fast and reliable. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We are using Webex sometimes to talk to our clients. We are using Webex.0

How was the initial setup?

Zoom is very easy to install. It only takes about five minutes.  

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom eight out 10. I would definitely recommend it 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Visiting lecturer at a university with 51-200 employees
Real User
Great file and screen sharing capabilities but needs to offer longer meetings on the personal version
Pros and Cons
  • "The whiteboard capabilities are great."
  • "They should remove any restriction of time."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution for meetings and calls. 

What is most valuable?

In Zoom, I don't have a preference for any of the features. If you know the application well, then you can use all the features. I'm using most of the features, including file sharing and sharing screens. 

The possibility for chat is very handy sometimes. The chat is very useful due to the fact that sometimes you have to run formulas and those kinds of things and to pronounce it is not enough. You have to write it down so that the person or people can see exactly what the formula is.

The whiteboard capabilities are great.

What needs improvement?

I use Zoom not so much for business, due to the fact that the problem with Zoom is the restriction that you have where there are only 45 minutes allowed for a conference, and then you had to log out and start a new meeting. 

They should remove any restriction of time. Sometimes the time that you planned for the meeting is not enough. Sometimes it goes more than an hour, an hour and 10 minutes. 

That said, they may have already fixed this issue.

When you start the Zoom meeting, at first, it didn't start directly, the meeting. It'd go to the web browser, then it asks you to open the zoom application. After it opens, then you can start. That it's a little bit too much of a problem for beginners. It would be easier and more user-friendly if you can go directly to the meeting without the hassle of starting up and waiting. It could just be a bit more user-friendly. 

The problem originally was that when Zoom started, they had most of the market. The problem that they had, is that with the COVID pandemic, a lot of people started using conferencing solutions and you had a paid version and a free version. The paid version had more features than the free version. That was confusing for people. They said, “okay, why do I have to pay for certain features?” A lot of people I know looked for free versions and there were other free versions. For example, I use Whereby also, and Whereby does all the things that Zoom can do.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

How are customer service and support?

I know a lot of IT, and therefore, most of the things that come up I can fix and if I can't fix it directly, I go and I look on the internet for solutions. If I run into a problem, I'm not the first person that has run into the problem. I look for a solution myself. Most of the time I get the solution. I don't deal with technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I use Zoom, MS Teams, and Google Meet. 

I also use Whereby, which is free to use.

I used MS Teams first, then Zoom. I use MS Teams due to the fact that I have a Microsoft account and a Microsoft company account. I started using Zoom when a lot of people started using Zoom. Using MS Teams is more difficult than using Zoom. 

How was the initial setup?

I am tech-savvy. I'm not afraid to use applications and I can understand the logic behind the application. That said, I know that non-tech-savvy people had problems with starting up the Zoom meeting. The typical user doesn't understand the logic that's behind it. When you start it on the web, it's supposed to work directly on the web and not go to the application that is on your desktop and launch that. That is something that I can understand, however, it is not logical for people who are not accustomed to using IT so much.

All that is to say that, for me, the initial setup is not complex, however, I'm not an average user. I work daily with 10 or 12 applications. I switch from one to another. For me, it's not difficult. For non-technical people, it might be.

The deployment is fast and only takes a few minutes. It's maybe ten minutes or less.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm using a personal account, which is free. To use a company account, I have to go to the administration and fix that they pay the year account. I don't want to go through all of these procedures and all the hassle. That's the reason I use a personal account.

What other advice do I have?

I'm using Zoom on occasion. It depends on what the person I will have a conference with wants to use. I am flexible. I use various solutions. I pick the one that is better for the other side.

I tend to use the most up-to-date version of the solution.

I'd advise users to use the solution as it's a good product. In the beginning, it scared me off because as there were a lot of rumors about privacy. For a few months, I didn't use it until I knew that they had fixed that problem. Now security is fine.

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Zoom
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Zoom. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Cloud & Virtualization Solutions Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good network utilization, easy to use, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very easy to use. The utilization of the network is very good."
  • "If Zoom added the feature of Zoom Phone so that I can use it as a phone, it would be much better."

What is our primary use case?

I am using it for virtual meetings. I have its latest version.

What is most valuable?

It is very easy to use. The utilization of the network is very good.

What needs improvement?

I have had some performance issues in GPU lately.

If Zoom added the feature of Zoom Phone so that I can use it as a phone, it would be much better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable, but lately, I have had some performance issues in GPU.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy. It is a very small application.

What about the implementation team?

I did it myself.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Zoom depending on the circumstances of the customers, such as their current subscription and so on. For example, if you have a Microsoft subscription, then why not use Teams? 

I would rate Zoom an eight out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Service Delivery Lead at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable, straightforward installation, and free to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very stable."
  • "Zoom could improve by having more tools."

What is our primary use case?

I use Zoom for virtual meetings.

What needs improvement?

Zoom could improve by having more tools.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zoom for a few years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable.

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed to contact the technical support of Zoom.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was straightforward and only took a few minutes to do on my laptop.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Zoom is free to use.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Zoom an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Network Security, Information Security at University of Central Missouri
Real User
Good for remote meetings, user friendly, and flexible
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very user friendly and flexible."
  • "The privacy settings need to be more apparent, otherwise anyone can wander into meeting rooms and disrupt them."

What is our primary use case?

We have primarily been using the solution for remote meetings during COVID-19 quarantine. We use it for online classes.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very user friendly and flexible.

What needs improvement?

There is something called Zoom bombing. Users can misuse the product if other users don't enable privacy settings on their meetings. What happened recently was there were 200-300 participants with the host being unaware. The host had not enabled the proper privacy or security settings before initiating the meeting, so unauthenticated users were able to jump on and participate without actually being part of any group. The privacy settings need to be more apparent, otherwise anyone can wander into meeting rooms and disrupt them.

First-time users should get a mandatory walk-through or some sort of mandatory training before installing or using the software. It would help protect them and help them understand how to use the product effectively before jumping into their first meeting.

For how long have I used the solution?

I'm a student; I've been using the solution since the beginning of COVID-19 when quarantining and social distancing began. It's been around three months.

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

I'm just a Zoom user. I'm a student and I've been using it for my classes at University.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Systems Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Video access is a great feature that improves communication
Pros and Cons
  • "The product has video access which is a great feature."
  • "Troubleshooting can be complicated."

What is our primary use case?

I've been using this solution for meetings, both within the company and externally with our customers. 

What is most valuable?

I like that Zoom provides video access, which I believe provides for better communication and a more relaxed situation. I know some people don't like it, but I do. I'm not a power user but it suits my requirements and does what I need. 

What needs improvement?

Troubleshooting on Zoom can be complicated. You can get a message: "I can't find your camera." It worked yesterday but it doesn't work today. The problem is that the camera is not available in Windows. It requires Windows troubleshooting skills. Zoom uses what Windows offers and Windows fails to offer the camera. The same holds for audio. If you switch to a different headphone in the middle of a meeting, Zoom can't find it because it's a Windows problem. It usually requires canceling the call, fixing the problem and calling again. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is quite scalable, I can invite up to 50 people onto a call and I can invite 100 people if I have that kind of license. 

How was the initial setup?

I find the initial setup a little awkward. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing costs depend on the number of people per call and the length of calls. There is a standard license for 50 participants that we use. Above that number, you need a special license.

What other advice do I have?

I find Zoom easier to use and easier to troubleshoot than Microsoft Teams so I would recommend it. 

I rate Zoom eight out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Solution Architect & Presales Lead at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
User-friendly, easy to access, and has a nice user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "You don't need to be technical in order to use it."
  • "Zoom should improve aspects of its security."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for virtual meetings.

What is most valuable?

You just need the internet to access it. 

As a user, you can just download it. People can send the link and a person can download it very easily. It offers very easy access.

It's user-friendly. You don't need to be technical in order to use it. 

The user interface is very friendly.

Everything is plugged right into your browser. It's nice and simple.

The solution is very stable.

What needs improvement?

I've found the scalability to be okay, however, at the same time, it's somewhat limited. 

The dashboard is a bit limited, however, it meets our day-to-day requirements.

Zoom should improve aspects of its security.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for the last three years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You can only really have 100 users at a time. That said, for us, it's not an issue. It can scale to meet our needs. We wouldn't go beyond that threshold. 

In our company, everyone uses the product, including management. 

I'm not sure if there are plans to increase usage. That would be based on a decision made by corporate.

How are customer service and support?

I've never directly dealt with Zoom technical support. We have our own internal IT team. If we run into problems with anything, we turn to them. Therefore, I can't speak to how helpful Zoom is if customers have issues. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have also used Cisco WebEx. We used it about three years ago. My understanding is that WebEx is a bit more secure than Zoom.

How was the initial setup?

The product does not require any installation. It automatically just plugs in, actually. You click on a link and you can start using it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not sure about the licensing. Our technical team handles these aspects. I can't speak to the exact costs as I don't buy it myself. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm just an end-user.

We are using the latest version of the solution. It's cloud-based and therefore always updated.

I'd recommend the solution to others.

I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Multiplatform, offers screen sharing capabilities, good sound and video quality
Pros and Cons
  • "The screen sharing capability is useful for teaching."
  • "Zoom is not a good product for webinars."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use Zoom for virtual meetings. Some of the meetings are only with two people, meeting one-on-one for teaching.

What is most valuable?

The screen sharing capability is useful for teaching.

What needs improvement?

Zoom is not a good product for webinars. In a webinar, you have a presenter and maybe a co-presenter, with a lot of people listening, perhaps sending questions. Zoom is more for real meetings where everyone has to contribute something, and more than one person is sharing their screen.

Setting up the single sign-on took a little bit more time. It's a really nice feature to have because people can't remember passwords, so they tend to be too simple.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Zoom for the past year and a half.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable platform.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Zoom is a scalable product. For the client that I am administering Zoom for, we have a few hundred users and everyone in the organization can make a Zoom account.

How are customer service and support?

I have not been in contact with technical support from Zoom.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In addition to Zoom, I am currently using Microsoft Teams. I have used Webex in the past but I don't really like it. I have never personally hosted a meeting using Webex, but I have been an attendee. My impression is that Webex is more suitable for webinars.

The image and sound quality are better on Zoom than on Microsoft Teams.

These are different products for different environments and different occasions.

How was the initial setup?

Zoom is easy to install and set up. It takes maybe five minutes to complete.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is some basic functionality that's free but if you want to host longer meetings and have more participants, then there is a licensing fee. In fact, the costs of this could be cheaper.

The license for Zoom is something that people will be willing to pay as long as it remains superior to products like Microsoft Teams, in terms of audio and visual quality.

What other advice do I have?

My brother is a big fan of Linux, and I got him to use a Zoom version that was built for Linux. 

One thing to keep in mind is that Zoom costs money and if somebody already has a Microsoft Teams account, the only reason for them to use Zoom is the improved quality of service. As long as the quality difference is big enough, we will continue to use Zoom. Microsoft tends to get better over time and if Microsoft Teams becomes good enough, it will be difficult for Zoom to keep its place in the market.

Overall, Zoom is a good product and I recommend it for video conferencing. That is what it's made for. The fact that it's a standalone product has certain benefits. For example, Microsoft Teams is integrated with everything from Microsoft. It works well for those use cases but sometimes, you just don't want that. I expect that Zoom will eventually integrate more with other products from Microsoft but I actually hope that they don't. They would be recreating something that is already there.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user