Zoom for Government (GovCloud, FedRAMP) [Private Offer Only]
Carahsoft Technology Corp.External reviews
57 reviews
from
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
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.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
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.
Remote meetings have become seamless and cost-effective
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoom for meetings, collaboration, small conferences, and official purposes. If we have a meeting with people in remote areas or out of the city, I schedule the meeting and send them the link. My use is very typical, as I schedule meetings and conduct them by sending out Zoom links.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is easy to use and easy to navigate. I find it much better than Microsoft Teams, which I previously used in another organization. Zoom is user-friendly, straightforward, and easy to connect with. Transportation costs have reduced a lot because meetings that we used to have in person are now conducted over Zoom. In a cost-benefit analysis, using Zoom instead of in-person meetings is very beneficial for us.
What needs improvement?
The user interface is old-fashioned, especially when there are many participants and a lot of tiles appear. It could be more interactive and appealing for the audience. I would also suggest that Zoom improves data scanning before uploading an attachment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom since COVID, which means it has been more than three to four years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zoom is very stable. I haven't experienced outages or issues where meetings stop abruptly, unlike with Microsoft Teams, which has been seamless.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of Zoom as nine out of 10.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used Microsoft Teams, which was difficult to understand and had many bugs. I experienced frequent disconnections, issues with calls not connecting, and trouble entering rooms for meetings. This made it very inconvenient, and I avoid using Teams if possible.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not handled by me, as our IT department takes care of it. However, I have installed Zoom on a personal level on my laptop, and the process was very easy. I would rate it ten out of ten for ease of installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I find Zoom's pricing to be moderate, rating it a five on a scale of one to 10. While organizations might not have issues with the payment, Zoom could make its pricing more reasonable for individual users.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate other virtual meeting solutions before choosing Zoom.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate Zoom a nine. I deducted one point due to its outdated interface. While the transportation costs have been reduced significantly, the user interface could be improved. Other than that, Zoom is easy to use, stable, and provides significant cost-saving benefits by reducing the need for in-person meetings. I rate the overall solution a nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Intuitive interface streamlines scheduling and collaboration with reliable video and audio quality
What is our primary use case?
I use Zoom for all of my sales calls, whether they are intro calls or presenting and doing a demo. I also use it for screen sharing.
What is most valuable?
The best features of Zoom include its ease of use due to an intuitive interface, which makes it suitable for both personal and professional use. Features such as screen sharing and breakout rooms enhance meeting experiences, especially for large groups. The waiting room feature is beneficial for external participants. Additionally, Zoom often delivers reliable video and audio quality, even with many participants, and integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar. This allows me to add or update Zoom conference details easily, which improves scheduling efficiency.
What needs improvement?
There is potential for Zoom to integrate functionalities like Gong, offering sales insights and follow-up suggestions. This could include generating follow-up emails and providing sales insights to make Zoom a more comprehensive tool.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for many, many years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zoom is stable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past and at my current company, I have used Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. I prefer Zoom for its ease of use, screen sharing, and performance, which I find better than the other two.
What was our ROI?
In terms of ROI specific to my role, Zoom definitely saves time and makes my work more efficient.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not choose Zoom for my organization, but it was in use before I joined. In the past, I have tried Google Meet as well as Microsoft Teams.
What other advice do I have?
The advice I would give others using Zoom is to be aware of all its features and functionality related to its intuitive interface, like screen sharing and the ability to do breakout rooms. Before a call, always test it out, especially if you're screen sharing or have a large audience. Additionally, I rate the overall solution an eight.
Staying connected enhances team collaboration and customer communication
What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Zoom is customer calls and internal calls. When I speak to my customers, who are in different countries or the same country, we all jump on Zoom calls.
How has it helped my organization?
Zoom has positively impacted my organization by helping me stay in touch with my customers and my team, allowing us to quickly figure out things in a world where you can't really speak on the phone anymore.
I don't have any metrics, but everything that we were able to do because we are talking to our customers—that's our main job—having the tool of being able to communicate with them on a bi-weekly or monthly basis changes things.
What is most valuable?
The best features Zoom offers include beautification mode for when you look tired and want to look a little bit better, the blurring mode for the background, the ability to share your screen, and the option to choose a gallery view or a different view.
What needs improvement?
Zoom could be improved as the connectivity can be a little tricky sometimes, and it's not clear when people need to be let in or not. Sometimes there's an issue with changing links to meetings if someone is the organizer and then they're not anymore.
When I move from computer to computer, setting it up again is kind of annoying, but I can't say that it takes too long.
I think it's a good tool that gets the job done, but I believe there are a few different things that could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In my experience, Zoom is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Zoom's scalability is good since everyone can use it and share a link with their customers. I think it's pretty scalable for the whole company.
How are customer service and support?
I have never needed to use customer support, so I don't have anything to say about that.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not evaluate other options before choosing Zoom. We're using a few solutions, but I think Zoom is the best one.
What was our ROI?
I am not responsible for that, and I cannot share metrics regarding a return on investment with Zoom.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I also use Google Meet sometimes and Teams by Microsoft. I think Zoom is the better option.
What other advice do I have?
I don't want to add anything else about the features.
I don't want to add more about the needed improvements.
I do not have any additional thoughts about Zoom before we wrap up.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Zoom an eight.
Enables remote collaboration and interactive webinars with valuable features
What is our primary use case?
I have used Zoom for work and school, mostly for team meetings and online classes. It ranges from small meetings with three to four people to larger gatherings with up to one hundred participants.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is a very handy tool to give lectures online and to have meetings remotely. I find screen sharing, video options, providing remote access, chatting, raising hands, and interactive features during meetings to be extremely valuable. It supports hosting webinars with multiple attendees, and with good internet connectivity, I can have my camera and speaker on, collaborate on projects, and provide assistance to others.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes the free version is limited to forty-five minutes. For students, it would be beneficial to have access through the university for longer meetings. Additionally, links shared in the chat do not always work properly, which can be frustrating.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have had experience with Zoom for several years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zoom's performance is contingent on internet connectivity. If the internet is good, it functions well, but issues arise with poor connectivity.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I cannot definitively say whether stability issues are due to Zoom or poor internet quality, especially in larger meetings.
How are customer service and support?
I have not reached out to customer service to solve anything. When glitches occur, usually someone else is presenting, and they handle the reports.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Zoom is straightforward. You need to open an account, invite participants via email, provide a meeting ID, and share the meeting link with anyone joining.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a concern about the free version's forty-five-minute limit. For education use, having more affordable access through institutions would be beneficial.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have less experience with Teams but have used it for some meetings. It seems to lack remote access capabilities compared to Zoom.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Zoom for its ability to host webinars and collaborative tools. The experience may differ with corporate accounts that offer unlimited access. I would rate the overall solution a 9 out of 10.
Efficiently connects remote teams through seamless meetings
What is our primary use case?
We use Zoom for video conferencing, video calls, internal, and external meetings. It is a mix of internal team meetings and external client calls.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is easy to set up meetings, and the features work well. The audio and video quality is pretty good, depending on the internet connection. The screen-sharing feature works effectively, and I like how if someone else from our organization joins, we don't need to admit them via the waiting room; they just join automatically. It makes it easier to work with people remotely or in a hybrid setup.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes when I try to share my screen in a conference room, I have to click the share button more than once. This happens around fifty percent of the time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for five to seven years.
How are customer service and support?
I don't really use customer support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
At some point, we used WebEx. We switched from WebEx to Zoom for better technology and a better job with video quality streaming.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What was our ROI?
Zoom saves time because we can do more virtual meetings.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to just go for it. I like Zoom, but I believe everything could be improved. Anything could be improved, meaning no solution is perfect. I would rate Zoom an eight.
Efficient, helps manage networking calls, and offers breakout session capabilities
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Zoom for video networking calls. I frequently join Zoom calls, Google calls, and other platforms when needed. As a professional, I am often on different Zoom and Google calls.
What is most valuable?
Zoom is an excellent tool for networking where a number of people can join, each speaking to one another, and appearing on screen. It allows for video and audio switching, and meetings can be segmented into breakout rooms for smaller group interactions. These features significantly enhance its utility as a conferencing tool.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in Zoom, though I cannot pinpoint specifics. Issues such as stability, particularly when many people are involved, may arise due to bandwidth rather than Zoom itself. However, Zoom could benefit from enhancements to manage large participant volumes.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
When there is a large number of people in a call, the stability can become an issue, which might be attributed to either network or software. However, it's often tied to network bandwidth rather than Zoom's software.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Up to three hundred participants can join without significant issues. Larger numbers may require more specific examination regarding stability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use Google Meet, which is available for free.
How was the initial setup?
Zoom installation is straightforward, and even those unfamiliar with the software should not find it challenging to install.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I use the free version of Zoom and have not encountered significant issues in its use. I also use the free version of Google Meet.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I use both Zoom and Google Meet.
What other advice do I have?
Zoom performs well and does what users expect. It can be rated an eight out of ten. It fulfills its purpose efficiently without significant issues.
Helps increase productivity by allowing online collaboration through video calls
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to conduct online meetings and video calls.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution helps increase productivity by allowing online collaboration and conducting video calls.
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is its ability to blur the background. This feature allows me to take calls even if I'm not in an office setting. The solution's 'mute all' feature allows you to mute the other participants in a large webinar if you do not want everybody talking. Zoom has a security feature that allows only authorized participants to join the meeting.
What needs improvement?
The solution should include the integration of AI-based tools that could transcript or record the meetings.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Zoom for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Zoom is a pretty stable solution.
I rate the solution’s stability ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Pretty much everybody in our organization uses the solution once a few days.
I rate the solution’s scalability ten out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use the Google Meet tool. We decided to use Zoom because it is easier to set up and more intuitive.
How was the initial setup?
First-time users have to download an app on the machine, which takes time and adds to the time required for the setup. Setting up Zoom for the first time took three to four minutes.
On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup an eight out of ten.
What was our ROI?
The solution increases efficiency and productivity by allowing people to collaborate during the pandemic while working from home or during odd hours.
What other advice do I have?
I am using the latest version of Zoom. Zoom is deployed on the cloud, and we use the Google Workspace cloud provider.
Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.
showing 11 - 20