Zoom Video Communications, Inc. on Thursday announced Zoom for Home, a new category of software experiences and hardware devices to support remote work use cases. At a time when employers are grappling with what the new normal of work will look like, Zoom for Home elevates employee experiences to connect remotely and be productive, the company said in a statement.
The future of knowledge work will be a hybrid of virtual and in-person experience. In a recent study by IBM, 81% of respondents—up from 75% in April—indicated they want to continue working remotely at least some of the time. More than half—61%—would like this to become their primary way of working. Major corporations around the globe have already indicated that they do not foresee a return to pre-COVID ways of working. Additionally, according to a recent study by Morning Consult, almost half of adults who are able to work remotely believe that virtual meetings are at least as effective as in-person meetings. Zoom for Home meets the needs of the present shelter-in-place and the new normal of hybrid workforces, the company said.
Zoom for Home - DTEN ME, is the first ever Zoom for Home device. Zoom partnered with DTEN to create an immersive workspace. Features for the all-in-one 27-inch device include: three built-in wide-angle cameras for high-resolution video; an 8-microphone array for crystal-clear audio in meetings and phone calls; and, an ultra-responsive touch display for interactive screen sharing, whiteboarding, annotating, and ideation, the company said. Set up is simple: Zoom for Home - DTEN ME works right out of the box and seamlessly connects for anyone with a Zoom Meeting license.
Zoom for Home is also compatible with all Zoom Rooms Appliances, including other hardware solutions from Neat and Poly, allowing users to select the hardware they need to create the perfect work-from-home communications experience across spaces such as living rooms and mounted displays.
Some of the top features include: Enhances the Zoom Experience - Log in to a Zoom for Home compatible device with a Zoom user account to create immersive office experiences without additional licenses (Zoom for Home is available with all Zoom Meeting licenses, including Basic.); Always Ready - Easily start ad-hoc or scheduled meetings, take and receive phone calls, and virtually collaborate with content sharing and annotation; Personalization - Syncs with the user’s calendar, status, meeting settings and phone for an integrated video-first unified communications experience; Flexible Management Options - Zoom for Home devices can be set up to be IT-managed remotely through the Admin Portal or self-managed by the end-user.
“After experiencing remote work ourselves for the past several months, it was clear that we needed to innovate a new category dedicated to remote workers,” said Eric S. Yuan, Zoom CEO, adding, “I’m so proud of the team for continuing to think outside the box and prove why Zoom is the best unified communications platform that can meet the needs of all types of users.”