The Webcam Wars: Microsoft Teams vs Zoom in 2022
2020 was the year of the webcam wars, but Microsoft Teams and Zoom in 2022 are still competing for market share of the video conferencing industry. Microsoft released Dynamic View, intended to be a feature that would make presentations more engaging to watch: speaker and presentation videos could be observed in parallel at the same size. Microsoft has been rolling out features to try and make video conferences seem less disjointed. Which is better for your organization? As a managed IT service provider trusted by San Diego businesses and organizations to handle all their IT needs, including remote communications, Excedeo has a front row seat to the “webcam wars” of 2022.
Security, Features, and Differences
Whether you are hosting a business assembly, a tutorial, or speaking to your customers, video conferencing continues to be the lifeblood of many companies in 2022. How to make a decision between using Microsoft Teams and Zoom depends on which service best suits the needs of your organization.
Teams is a workspace in Microsoft 365 designed so users would find it easy to have conversations, share files, host meetings, collaborate on documents, and generally work together. It’s available on any device, at any time. It mixes workplace chat, video conferences, and application integration. Microsoft is retiring Skype for Business as it pushes Teams as its primary video conferencing platform.
Zoom is a cloud-based platform with a spectrum of modern video conferencing tools. Organizers can manipulate the assembly by muting all mics, manage attendees’ presentation access, and more. They can also form breakout rooms for elements such as webinars or separate discussions.
- For conferencing features, both products have similarities. Both provide chat, audio, and video conferencing, as well as presentation screens, screen sharing, file sharing, and meeting recording.
- Differences include that Teams has a broader focus, while Zoom is video-centered. Teams also integrates with Microsoft 365 tools and apps. You can create channels for departments, initiatives, and the like. Zoom has a useful ‘hand-raising’ feature, signalling to hosts that participants have a question or remark without verbal interruption.
- Security is more important than ever with the changes in business structure owing to greater numbers of people working from home, potentially using personal assets such as home computers to do their work. Zoom has had security controversies with private information used for focused ads. Teams has for its part employed multi-factor authentication and encrypted data.
- Zoom has a simple, intuitive interface that requires little in the way of education or IT support to use, even on a larger scale. Teams has more utility in its interface, though this complexity makes it more difficult to onboard employees or customers.
Microsoft Teams or Zoom: Which is Best for Your Business?
Both of these collaboration platforms have beneficial features, and depending on the needs of your organization, both may be assets. Zoom’s free version has limited options; however, you can host up to 100 participants in a free Zoom meeting for up to 40 minutes, or a one-on-one video call indefinitely. Microsoft’s free version of Teams also allows you to host up to 100 team members, though video conferences can last up to an hour. Its Business Basic package is $5 per user per month, a third of what Zoom’s Pro plan costs. Zoom also has an Enterprise Plan (starting at 50 licenses) at $1000 a month, while Microsoft has a variety of premium plans for organizations of various sizes.
Excedeo can assist you in the implementation of either of these video conferencing solutions at your business. If you would like to set up a consultation to discuss video conferencing packages and which will offer the best utility and value for your organization, you can arrange a talk with us through our website.
Ready to elevate your business’s IT solutions? Contact Excedeo today.