President/CDS at Comcast Business
Real User
Easy to use for multi-person meetings, but an option to encrypt communications would be nice
Pros and Cons
  • "This video conferencing product is easy to use."
  • "The security needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use Zoom for having virtual multi-person meetings.

What is most valuable?

This video conferencing product is easy to use.

You can present your desktop during meetings.

What needs improvement?

The security needs to be improved.

The ability to encrypt communications would be nice.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zoom for a couple of years.

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.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Zoom is stable for the most part. Like any product, there can be issues with instability, but it is adequate for my needs.

How are customer service and support?

I have not been in contact with technical support.

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

I have used Google Meetings, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, Webex, and ON24. I also use Skype or Skype for Business, although I don't like either one.

These days, I mostly use Zoom. It is what I prefer when I need to have multi-person meetings for longer than 40 minutes. I would also say that it is a lot more stable than Webex and GoToMeeting.

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

The price is $149 USD yearly.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a seven 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
Associate Software Development Engineer at Publicis Sapient
Real User
Convenient solution with good user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the most valuable features is the user interface. With every new update, they introduce new useful features."
  • "Zoom definitely has to be more secure, but I can't think of any anything else to change."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case is for virtual meetings. Since this solution is cloud-based, it's always updated to the latest application version. 

What is most valuable?

One of the most valuable features is the user interface. With every new update, they introduce new useful features. 

What needs improvement?

Zoom definitely has to be more secure, but I can't think of any anything else to change. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Zoom for about two years now. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

I have never contacted technical support. I don't really ever take tech support. 

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

In my organization, we use Microsoft Teams for official meetings and other events. I have also used Google Meet and, briefly, Cisco WebEx, but I use Zoom the most. I used Cisco WebEx only three or four times because I felt that the other options were more convenient. 

How was the initial setup?

The installation is usually pretty straightforward. 

What about the implementation team?

I implemented this solution myself. 

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

I use the free version that is available, so I'm not sure what the licensing prices are. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom a 10 out of 10. I would recommend Zoom to others. I know a lot of people who use Zoom for personal purposes, and a lot of schools and universities have been using Zoom for virtual classes. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
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.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Public Sector Cloud Services Account Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
I'm pretty satisfied with the user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "I've never had to use tech support for it. It just works."
  • "My company uses the Zoom security setting that requires the host to admit users. The host often forgets to do that, so you sometimes have a lot of people sitting out there. It would be nice if Zoom made it obvious that somebody is in the waiting room."

What is our primary use case?

Most of my organization uses Zoom. I'm in sales and everyone in this department uses it. Tech and sales use a combination of Zoom and Teams. Occasionally, we might use something like a Cisco WebEx when the customer requires it. For example, we deal with federal government clients and intelligence agencies, and they have strict requirements for communications security.

What is most valuable?

I'm pretty satisfied with Zoom's user interface.

What needs improvement?

My company uses the Zoom security setting that requires the host to admit users. The host often forgets to do that, so you sometimes have a lot of people sitting out there. It would be nice if Zoom made it obvious that somebody is in the waiting room. Also, Zoom could add the ability to have multiple users share screens.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Zoom for at least two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Zoom does seem to use a fair amount of resources on your system. If you have other apps open, the audio can get really choppy sometimes if you try to do something else, like send an email. I did not notice this until just recently, so I don't know if this is something Zoom changed or if my system needs to be updated.

How are customer service and support?

I've never had to use tech support for it. It just works.

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

Before we started using Zoom, we were using WebEx. Quite honestly, I think the reason the company switched was purely political.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom nine out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Director at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Scalable, easy to book meeting, and simple to use
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found Zoom to have all the functions that I need. The solution is easy to use."
  • "Sometimes can get confused about which password setting or parameter setting to use. For example, if I want to issue a Zoom meeting to my team members or perhaps sometimes I want them to issue a Zoom directly when I receive the Zoom accounts from our IT department, I don't know how to enable or disable these features in the Zoom. I think it's a personal issue I have."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Zoom for virtual meetings. In my company we use Zoom and when we work from home. The physical meeting rooms are not used as much anymore. Additionally, we use Zoom for interviews for candidates.

What is most valuable?

I have found Zoom to have all the functions that I need. The solution is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes can get confused about which password setting or parameter is required to be set to use it. For example, if I want to issue a Zoom meeting to my team members or perhaps sometimes I want them to issue a Zoom directly when I receive the Zoom accounts from our IT department, I don't know how to enable or disable these features in the Zoom. I think it's a personal issue I have.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Zoom within the last 12 months.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Zoom has been scalable we have not had any issues.

We have approximately 20 Zoom accounts that can be used for employees to use. Our company is worldwide and we have approximately 8,000 employees and there is a potential for everyone to use Zoom.

In 2021 the frequency of use of Zoom was every week. However, in 2022, because we are quite slow in January, it has been deduced.

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

I have used Microsoft Teams previously.

I prefer to use Zoom because it was the first tool I used. When I compared Zoom to Webex or the GoToMeeting, I find Zoom is easier to book meetings, log in to, and start the meeting.

How was the initial setup?

The implementation can be difficult.

What about the implementation team?

We have our IT department that does the implementation of the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom an eight 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
Senior Manager-Collaboration (Presales) at syndrometech
Real User
It's easy to manage, it always works, and they're constantly adding new features to cater to the average user
Pros and Cons
  • "It always works, and they try to appeal to what the user wants. They added features like background music for those people who use Zoom for online church services. They try to make the solution more useful for the user. For example, I tried to sell WebEx to a church, but I also gave them Zoom for a trial. They were impressed with that because that was the feature they were looking for."
  • "Zoom will be cheaper if you want to have a general meeting, but if you want a real enterprise version, Cisco will be cheaper."

What is our primary use case?

We use Zoom in two or three ways. One is for regular meetings. Most of our meetings are done over Zoom because people work from home due to COVID. A cloud meeting is the best way to go. People can initiate a meeting and invite people for one hour or two hours at a specific time.

When people want to do that, they have to buy Zoom's cloud meetings and licenses. If you want to conduct a cloud-based event, Zoom has a solution for events, and you have to buy an event license from them. 

The third thing is Zoom rooms or Zoom video communications. Suppose you want to have a video conferencing device in your office, and you want to use that to connect via Zoom. You're in a boardroom where you have done the A/V integration. You can buy a Zoom room license and connect that solution to your Zoom meetings.

What is most valuable?

Mostly, we like Zoom meetings and Zoom rooms.

For how long have I used the solution?

We started using Zoom last year.

How are customer service and support?

Zoom has an email address. You write to them about any issues, and they respond.

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

Every solution has its special features because they're all competing with Zoom now. Zoom has started cornering the commercial market. WebEx was already in the enterprise market. Since the COVID outbreak, things have changed. Everybody's competing to update looks and features. I've been selling WebEx for a long time and Zoom also. I've used BlueJeans. All of the solutions are doing well, but Zoom's main benefit is that it's easy to manage.

Zoom is orienting itself to the commercial market. They are considering allowing users to start with a hundred participants per meeting, and then if you want to increase, you pay more. Webex allows a thousand participants to start. You can join from any video device. With WebEx, if you want to join from a video device, you have to buy additional licenses.

Most of our customers use Webex, but the government offices can't because of security issues. Banks also limit cloud applications to general meetings. Official meetings are on-prem only because they don't want to leak data on the cloud. Every major meeting must be recorded, so they won't do any cloud calling. If it is an urgent corporate meeting, they will not host it online. They only use Zoom or Webex for customer meetings or outside meetings.

Zoom costs less and offers more features if you're going for the lower versions. Zoom will be cheaper if you want to have a general meeting, but if you want a real enterprise version, Cisco will be cheaper.

How was the initial setup?

Everything is easy with Zoom. You don't need to do anything but order it and tell the admin for that organization, and they will give one ID. For the remaining IDs, the admin will add the rest of the users. It's the same for any service, be it WebEx, BlueJeans, etc. You'll get one ID assigned to the administrator, and they can assign the rest of IDs to anyone in the organization. If you have 10 licenses, one ID is configured for the administrator, and they distribute the rest. We give a training on how to do it. It's all cloud-based, so nothing needs to be implemented in the office or anything.

What was our ROI?

Any cloud-based service offers a lot of benefits for customers. They don't have to invest in any on-prem infrastructure and they can use it on the go. They can be in the office, at home, traveling, at a hotel, or wherever, and they can start a meeting. There is no investment or recurring costs aside from the annual licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom nine out of 10. It always works, and they try to appeal to what the user wants. They added features like background music for those people who use Zoom for online church services. They try to make the solution more useful for the user. For example, I tried to sell WebEx to a church, but I also gave them Zoom for a trial. They were impressed with that because that was the feature they were looking for. Zoom got most of these churches globally because of one feature.

It all depends on what the customer needs. Some people come along and say, "I want Zoom" just because they've heard of Zoom. However, it might not be a good fit when I tell them about the features. I speak to the customer, understand the requirements, and recommend they try this or that. Some people don't even need Zoom, but they ask for it. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Roni Wijaya - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President of It Operations at Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Compared to GoToMeeting Google Duo, Google Hangouts, and TeamViewer, I find that Zoom is generally more stable, easier to use and has more features
Pros and Cons
  • "Zoom is stable and easy to use."
  • "When a lot of people join a meeting it is not possible to shrink the pictures and show them on a single screen."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for video conferencing.

What is most valuable?

The video conferencing is very smooth and it is easy to share content.

Zoom is stable and easy to use.

What needs improvement?

When a lot of people join a meeting it is not possible to shrink the pictures and show them on a single screen. Instead, we have to scroll to another screen. It would be nice if we could resize the frame.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Zoom for two weeks.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Zoom is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable video conferencing product. We have 278 users and I have tried having 70 people in a single conference, which worked well.

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

In addition to Zoom, we also use Webex. I have found that sharing material is much easier in Zoom. In fact, we tried using Webex with our partner and they could not share material but with Zoom, they could do it.

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

There is a 40-minute time limit when you use the basic version, which is free. The limit is for meetings with three or more people.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have tried several solutions including Google Duo, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, and TeamViewer. I find that Zoom is generally more stable and easier to use than other solutions, and it also has more features.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to anybody who is considering this solution is to try the basic version for free. I highly recommend it.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Owner, Editor-In-Chief at planetill.com
Real User
Easy to use for people with no tech background
Pros and Cons
  • "I like Zoom's ease of use and how easy it is for non-tech people to interface with it. Other video conferencing solutions can be somewhat challenging for non-tech people, so you often end up waiting for people to connect."
  • "Security is something Zoom lacks. If you're trying to get proprietary buy-in and enterprise buy-in, security is the top priority. And even though the user interface is simple, every solution could use a tune-up in that department."

What is our primary use case?

Everyone in the company uses it, so it's about a few dozen. I use it for interviews and group discussions but very rarely for meetings because there are security issues on that level. So I don't share proprietary information on Zoom, but I use it frequently for normal discussion. Obviously, now that people are getting back to work, we're not using it as much, but it's still useful.

How has it helped my organization?

Zoom is more accessible for people without a lot of tech knowledge. So let's say you're setting up a Zoom call with your parents, and they don't have the hardware or other things you need on their computer. It's easy to Zoom with them over the phone rather than inviting them to a meeting and getting them to a place with a microphone and a screen. It's highly mobile and easy for them to join the conversation.

What is most valuable?

I like Zoom's ease of use and how easy it is for non-tech people to interface with it. Other video conferencing solutions can be somewhat challenging for non-tech people, so you often end up waiting for people to connect. Although Microsoft Teams is probably a better enterprise product overall, it's not as good for people who don't have that kind of tech history. Also, I've had some microphone issues and connection issues with Teams. 

What needs improvement?

Security is something Zoom lacks. If you're trying to get proprietary buy-in and enterprise buy-in, security is the top priority. And even though the user interface is simple, every solution could use a tune-up in that department. I found it easy, but those things are not difficult for me. Of course, I can't speak for older adults who might not have experience interfacing with these things. Maybe Zoom could be made easier for them. 

But again, when it comes to ease of use, Zoom is on the lower and higher-end, depending on how you look at it. We don't use Zoom for presentations, so I'm unsure if it already has this feature. But if Zoom could enable you to present directly, that's something that would add a lot of value. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using Zoom for over a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't had any issues. However, once you get beyond a certain number, it becomes very dependent on the admin to figure out who should be talking. The more people you have, the more difficult it will be to keep track. But I suppose that's a function of any meeting.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Zoom's scalability depends on whether people are following Robert's Rules of Order or how amenable your staff is to have those kinds of meetings. If they're not used to that kind of thing, then you have people speaking out of turn, so it depends on how good your moderator is. Generally speaking, though, the more people on a call, the more difficult it is to manage who's speaking or keep track of who is who. 

Hopefully, we won't be expanding our usage any time soon because that would mean things have gone south in terms of the pandemic. For now, our usage will remain steady, and I don't see it expanding to that extent. Even if you have customers across different markets, it won't be expanded on one end because the user base on the proprietary end won't increase.

How are customer service and support?

You really didn't need tech support for Zoom. Something terrible would have to happen before you called Zoom tech support. Even then, you have your internal IT team for stuff like this, but it's not a cumbersome app. People have security issues. They get hacked. I know of a few people who had their Zoom meetings interrupted with frat-boy antics, racist trolling, and all kinds of crazy things. We've never had those kinds of issues, but if your password gets out or something like that, you may have to call tech support and see if they can block some IP address. But we've never had to deal with that kind of issue.

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

People at this company use Skype and Webex fairly frequently, but Webex is more of an onsite on-prem thing. For example, Webex is used when you don't want to go upstairs to talk to your coworker or you can't fit that many people in a conference room. Webex is more appropriate for direct presentations. We don't use Zoom for that kind of thing. But Zoom is easier to use overall than Webex, Teams, and Skype.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Zoom is incredibly easy. Let's say you're told that you need to go to a Zoom conference that starts in five minutes. You can set yourself up in that time and not be late. With some of these other solutions, you're doing mic checks, interface checks, internet checks, etc. It's easy to set Zoom up right away.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom seven out of 10. Again, I would say seven because of ease of use, how widely available it is, and how easy it is to adapt. But I don't know how well it can work at the large enterprise level. For our normal usage, I think it's solid.

At the same time, I wouldn't present via Zoom unless I had an experienced presenter. You have to keep the audience's attention or use Webex so the presentation is onscreen. When using Teams or Webex, you're sharing screens, so it's a direct kind of thing. In Zoom, you have a camera, and you're presenting. In my experience, it's not a direct-to-screen presentation. It's more of the audience watching you present from a screen. So that requires a little bit more attention. If you're having a town hall or something along those lines, I would say Zoom is the way to go. On the other hand, if you're trying to do something that involves specifications and very minute details, use Teams or Webex.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Antonio Boj - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Solutions Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Ability to share content is great and I appreciated the high level of audio quality
Pros and Cons
  • "The ability to share content is a great feature."
  • "Extra security would be a good added feature."

What is our primary use case?

I use this solution for chat, video calls, meetings, basically for any interaction with people. I'm a network architect. 

What is most valuable?

Sharing content is a great feature. The audio quality was fantastic most of the time and I found it very user-friendly. 

What needs improvement?

Additional security would be welcome; an extra layer, whether it's an additional log-in requirement or something on the servers. There is always the possibility of meetings being hijacked or encryption going to China. It would also be helpful to have more control over who attends meetings. An additional feature I'd like to see would be a whiteboard which would be very productive for some of our meetings.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Zoom for many years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is pretty impressive, especially taking into account the huge growth of the user community.

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

We previously used Skype but switched to Zoom because of the features and better quality. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very simple, it was automatically installed on my laptop. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Zoom nine 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