Zoom Government (F,S,L,E) (Higher Ed, K-12) [Private Offer Only]
Carahsoft Technology Corp.External reviews
63 reviews
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AI-powered tools enhance meeting efficiency with reliable performance
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
There is nothing particularly special to name, but it doesn't have any bugs or delays in meetings. In my opinion, these are the most helpful features of Zoom.
I use Zoom AI commands and AI tools sometimes. They can summarize the meeting for me. I found the AI feature very helpful.
What needs improvement?
I think there are aspects that need to be developed. While I haven't identified specific areas for improvement yet, I believe it could add many new AI features, which is why I wouldn't give it 10 out of 10.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with or using Zoom for around five or six years. I started using Zoom during the Corona pandemic.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
It wasn't difficult to set up Zoom initially.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't faced any issues in the last four or five months while using Zoom.
How are customer service and support?
I did not ever contact Zoom's technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I tried Microsoft Teams many times, but I feel more comfortable with Zoom.
I haven't extensively tried other platforms, but my preference for Zoom is somewhat emotional. I simply feel more comfortable with Zoom than using Google Classroom. It's not related to specific features existing or not existing.
How was the initial setup?
It wasn't difficult to set up Zoom initially.
What other advice do I have?
I was doing research on Moodle and EduWave.
Regarding software, I use Office 365, Windows, Linux, and Zoom for meetings.
I use a platform called Stati Fitch for learning tools.
My team uses Notion for communication with team members and students.
I use both the cloud-based version of Zoom and the application on my device, though I prefer the desktop version more.
My email contains 'Seif' (S E I F).
I work as a business development specialist in an education company.
I would rate Zoom nine out of 10 on a scale from one to ten.
Video collaboration thrives with accessible and feature-rich tool
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoom primarily for video conferencing. We have been using it as our main internal communication tool for our video conferencing needs.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is a popular solution and was one of the first to introduce video collaboration. It provides the usual benefits of collaboration. It is a tool that is specially tailored for video conferencing, offering most of the necessary features for this purpose. Additionally, Zoom is available for free for up to forty minutes.
What needs improvement?
Zoom could improve its security. I heard they had a breach the last time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for two years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There have been no stability issues or downtimes. Everything has been good.
How are customer service and support?
I never had any reason to contact Zoom's technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
It was not difficult at all to configure Zoom initially or to start a conference.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zoom offers a free version for up to forty minutes.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Zoom at nine out of ten, as nothing's perfect. I would rate the overall solution nine out of ten.
Utilizing versatile features for efficient personal and work meetings
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoom for work because we do not have an account in my company, but sometimes we receive a link to join meetings. For personal use, I support technical issues that spread in breakout rooms and I have many meetings using virtual centers. Our team works every day in this virtual center, which represents the same concept as a local center that receives people, and we host all the meetings on the same Zoom account, distributed in the breakout rooms. This has been my main use of Zoom, at least in the last five years.
What is most valuable?
Zoom offers a number of interesting and valuable features. One of the most interesting is the ability to share only audio and provide ambient music without sharing a screen. The breakout room feature is much more developed than other solutions, allowing users to stay in the same meeting and move to different rooms and back to the main room. The sharing features are great for projecting people who should be in focus. Another valuable feature is the virtual entrance, which uses a username and password recognized by the Zoom system, showing the person's full name and ID. Additionally, the use of video and a good fixed background improves visibility compared to other applications. These features differentiate Zoom from others.
What needs improvement?
Zoom could improve by providing a timer or chronometer for activities, like a five-minute countdown. Integration with WhatsApp, allowing users to schedule something in WhatsApp and automatically generate a link to enter, would be valuable. Having an API or a virtual instance inside WhatsApp would be beneficial. Additionally, an easier way to update the application would be helpful, as people often get stuck without knowing why. It would be good to receive notifications informing them why it is not possible to open the meeting.
For how long have I used the solution?
At least ten years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
I have not experienced any significant deployment issues. The setup was fairly easy and manageable, whether on a computer or a mobile device.
How are customer service and support?
Zoom provides more pages and information for consultation than direct support. I haven't hired support that allows me to speak exclusively with someone, so I'm not able to answer specifically about that part.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was fairly easy. We have dealt with some situations requiring installation, but it was not difficult. There may be some confusion when registering, but it is a necessary step and cannot be much easier than it already is.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zoom is more expensive than others. It depends on the situation, as sometimes you look for Zoom for small companies and compare it to Teams for large companies. My experience with some companies looking to use Zoom shows the price is not so bad.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have experience using Google Meet and Hangouts for personal meetings, though not as much. I also use Teams and Zoom extensively.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Zoom ten out of ten. I personally use Zoom more for personal reasons and helping people than for my company's use. My company uses Microsoft solutions, especially Teams, for my job meetings. I use Meeting, Google Meet, Zoom, and other solutions if requested by a company or for personal matters. I am involved with a nonprofit organization where I use Zoom frequently, hence my extensive experience.
Using various features enhances user engagement while call duration improvements are needed
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoom for pretty much everything, including school activities, meetings, and other general purposes.
What is most valuable?
Some of the valuable features of Zoom include screen sharing, background blurring, hand raising, and in-chat messaging.
What needs improvement?
One area for improvement would be the length of the free calls.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Zoom for about a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Zoom could be improved. I would rate its stability as a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have used Zoom for just smaller meetings.
How are customer service and support?
I don't deal with their customer support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Zoom is straightforward.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I barely use Google Meets, Hangouts, WebEx, or any of those.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Zoom to others because everyone knows and uses it. Overall, I would rate Zoom a seven out of ten because it is convenient for its widespread use and has useful features.
Effective meetings and team coordination through seamless video calls and recording features
What is our primary use case?
I mainly use Zoom for client communication and team management. I do not use it on a daily basis, but rather for team meetings, which occur more than once every two weeks. I primarily use it for video calls and meetings.
What is most valuable?
The recording feature in Zoom is particularly helpful for cases where some team members miss a meeting. The ability to create different rooms is useful for team building and building management.
What needs improvement?
Zoom could improve its security measures. A friend faced an issue where it was easy to crack the code. Additionally, it would be beneficial if file sharing was improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for nearly four years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Deploying Zoom did not take a lot of time. I am not quite sure about the exact time, but it was within an hour.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the initial setup of Zoom a nine out of ten. It was easy to integrate, although there was sometimes difficulty in sharing information or links. Otherwise, the setup was quite easy.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Zoom ten out of ten. Zoom is a very reliable solution.
AI summary keeps meetings productive and responsive support aids seamless communication
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Zoom for business and church meetings, and family gatherings. It is also used for small group meetings with family members.
What is most valuable?
The feature I really like is the summary provided by AI. It allows me to catch up with what has been discussed if I join a few minutes after others have already started, which is a very good feature.
What needs improvement?
So far, Zoom is excellent, but if there was a way to retain links for documents that are shared in the chat after a meeting, it would be very helpful. Additionally, the ability to do live changes to documents during meetings would be beneficial.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for the past three to four years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When talking to clients who are in areas with poor networks, it becomes quite a problem. Also, when we have meetings with larger numbers than planned, like exceeding from one hundred to three hundred to four hundred attendees, there are challenges. It would be ideal if there was an automatic scaling option where you could pay for increased capacity as needed.
How are customer service and support?
I have not had any problems with Zoom support. If there's an issue, I reach out to their support, and they respond quickly without major problems.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Teams in the past. The main difference is that Teams allows for easy live documentation and editing, sharing of documents, and those changes can be made easily.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward and not difficult.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Given that Zoom is now almost an ubiquitous product, the pricing should be reduced. Additionally, if auto-scaling was included, users could pay an extra for increased capacity when required.
What other advice do I have?
Everyone I know uses Zoom. When others are not connected, I encourage them to download and use it. I give Zoom a nine out of ten because some additional features would be helpful.
Ensures smooth operations and reliable group communication
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Zoom for business meetings.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is very smooth whether in one-on-one meetings or group calls with more than one hundred people. The application consistently functions without glitches. Compared to Microsoft Teams, Zoom provides smoother operation. The audio on Teams sometimes fails, requiring reconnections. Zoom offers breakout rooms which are a beneficial feature. AI plugins for meeting minutes and summarization are valuable additions to Zoom's features.
What needs improvement?
Some features like the summarization feature and minutes of the meeting are not available by default and might require an extra cost. A timer feature could also be beneficial, allowing users to keep track of meeting durations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for more than five years, starting from the pandemic.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zoom consistently operates smoothly without any glitches, providing a reliable experience in both one-on-one and group meetings.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have used Zoom for meetings with a few hundred to a thousand people, and it has always been smooth.
How are customer service and support?
On the rare occasions when I had issues, they were resolved in a few hours, indicating a good overall experience.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
What other advice do I have?
Zoom doesn't experience the issues that Microsoft Teams does with audio. I give Zoom a rating of ten out of ten.
Ease of integration and transcription feature improve communication, but call duration and noise management present challenges
What is our primary use case?
We use Zoom internally with our team within our company and with other customers. I often use it for international calling, which proves to be very good and useful.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is free for a single user, making it accessible without needing to pay for anything. This is different from Microsoft Teams, which requires an invitation for use by non-paying members. Many times when someone asks us to have a meeting, they invite through Zoom or Meet, because it's free. I use Zoom's transcription capability because we often have meetings with people from different countries who speak in various accents. Although this transcription feature in Zoom is good, it's not as good as Microsoft Teams' transcription.
What needs improvement?
I do not like Zoom as much as Microsoft Teams. I am not sure what is better about Zoom. Google Meet offers a unique feature where the camera centralizes my face on the screen, which Zoom does not have. Also, Zoom has a 40-minute limit for free calls, which I find limiting. Additionally, when we have more than 25 participants, the connection tends to be noisy. Microsoft Teams handles noise differently since it automatically reduces it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom since the beginning of its release.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Zoom can manage up to 200 invited participants in a meeting. However, most participants should close their camera and microphone, as the connection becomes noisy in large meetings. This is different from Microsoft Teams, which automatically removes noise.
How are customer service and support?
I have never used Zoom's support. There is a wealth of information available on the internet because many users have asked for support and the solutions are published online. These solutions are easy to find on Google.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Zoom is easy. You can install Zoom with just one click, although the service is limited to 40 minutes of free usage.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Zoom is free for individual users, which is a significant benefit compared to Microsoft Teams, which is a paid service.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Microsoft Teams and Google Meet are other solutions I have used. Microsoft Teams is a complete platform, while Google Meet offers specific camera features not available in Zoom.
What other advice do I have?
Zoom is easier to integrate with websites such as those on Wix. It is more popular in various marketplaces, unlike Microsoft Teams, which is a paid service. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate Zoom a seven.
Handles various meeting types seamlessly with valuable features like AI note-taking and privacy options
What is our primary use case?
I have used Zoom for teaching at one of the universities, delivering lectures with breakout sessions, team meetings, and various other meetings with both small and large groups.
What is most valuable?
I like that Zoom can handle breakouts. The new AI features that take notes and give me action items are useful. The blurred background ability is handy to ensure privacy. Zoom has become a straightforward solution and is valuable for various meeting types.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes when I set up a meeting, the security codes are not always consistent, especially when integrating Zoom with scheduling tools like Calendly. It would be helpful if this process were simpler. There are moments when I'm placed in a waiting room unexpectedly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Zoom since around 2018, prior to the COVID pandemic.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the stability at eight. It's generally good, but I can occasionally get an unstable connection message. It does take up a lot of computer bandwidth, which can slow down performance, especially when I'm sharing screens.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Zoom is scalable and can handle both small and large meetings.
How are customer service and support?
I have never reached out directly to their support but have used online resources and community support for troubleshooting.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I used Google Meet but Zoom has become more commonplace. It seems easier for people to use Zoom without question.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Zoom is straightforward though it's been a long time since I did it.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Zoom an eight out of ten. It's good and fulfills the necessary requirements. I can't think of any additional needs for it at the moment.
Flexibility and clarity have improved remote meeting experiences
What is our primary use case?
We used to use Zoom at our company, but we've since switched over. I do still utilize it when other people set up a meeting using it. We don't actively use it anymore in my company; we use Teams. However, I still use it for calls, and I likely have a call today as well with it.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is easy to use. It has definitely been made easier to use because you can just click the link and not have to worry about having it set up previously on your computer. The clarity seems to be good for both picture and sound. Additionally, Zoom integrates well with Outlook, allowing smooth meeting scheduling and participation.
What needs improvement?
In the past, there were some sound connectivity issues where I would get sound and no picture, and then picture and no sound. I think maybe it was the integration with my laptop settings. Other people in my company had that issue as well. Perhaps a software update improved this over time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Zoom probably since COVID, when it became more popular, and I was working at home at that time. So, I've had five or six years of experience with it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of Zoom as an eight. There were some sound connectivity issues in the past, but they seemed to resolve over time with updates.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have been in meetings with our entire company, which includes about one hundred and thirty people. It seems to be adequate for handling larger meetings and doesn't seem to have problems. Usually, the meetings I participate in are just a couple of people, and I haven't had any issues. Scalability is good.
How are customer service and support?
I've never had to reach out to Zoom's technical support or customer service because I've never had a reason.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used to use Zoom at our company, but we have since switched over to Teams.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Zoom is easy. It has definitely been made easier than it used to be.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I am looking for software programs like Scion and Count for my work.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Zoom to others because it's easy and serves its intended purpose well. It seems that efforts have been made to improve the product. Initially, during COVID, we had a couple of times where people who were not invited hacked into meetings. We had setup settings where the meeting owner had to let everyone in, which improved security. I rate the overall solution as a 9.
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