Zoom Home Expands to Popular Smart Displays

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https://investors.zoom.us/news-releases/news-release-details…
“…announced that Zoom for Home is expanding to smart displays including Amazon Echo Show, Portal from Facebook, and Google Nest Hub Max, bringing Zoom to widely-used devices and broadening their capabilities to the work environment. Zoom on Portal is expected to be available publicly in September; Zoom on Echo Show and Zoom on Assistant-enabled Smart Displays, including Google Nest Hub Max are expected to be available by the end of the year.”

"As a part of Zoom for Home, Zoom Meeting users will be able to extend integrated calendar and HD video and audio for Zoom Meetings on these smart displays:

- Zoom on Portal - Available in September, Zoom on Portal will allow customers to use a device that blends into their home and brings one-touch join face-to-face communication and digital whiteboarding for all your Zoom Meetings. In addition, Portal’s Smart Camera automatically helps keep you in frame for immersive video calls with colleagues and family. Zoom on Portal will be available on Portal Mini, Portal and Portal+ with support for Portal TV in the future.

- Zoom on Amazon Echo Show - Alexa customers will soon be able to join Zoom video conferences from select Echo Show devices. With Zoom on Echo Show, customers will be able to access high-quality meeting experiences by simply saying, “Alexa, join my Zoom meeting.” And, if you’ve linked your calendar in the Alexa app, Alexa will automatically start your scheduled meeting entirely hands-free without you needing to know your meeting ID or passcode. Zoom will be rolling out to Amazon Echo Show devices in the U.S. later this year, beginning with Echo Show 8.

- Zoom on Google Nest Hub Max - Zoom on Google Nest Hub Max will extend the capabilities of native high-quality Zoom video meetings onto the device. Fully integrated with Google Calendar and Google Assistant, customers will be able to enjoy hands-free controls with commands such as “Hey Google, join my next meeting.” Zoom is scheduled to come to Assistant-enabled Smart Displays, including Nest Hub Max by the end of the year.

I’m a little confused about Portal. They don’t mention Facebook above though the Product Manager IS from Facebook:
“Together, Portal and Zoom create an immersive calling experience that can go from powering your workday to connecting you with family and friends, with one dedicated device,” said Micah Collins, Director of Portal Product Management at Facebook. “Portal’s big screen frees up your laptop so you can stay productive, while the AI-powered Smart Camera makes work and personal communication effortless by always keeping you in the frame.”
…On Amazon it shows that it is “By Facebook” and the product site is a subdomain of Facebook: https://portal.facebook.com/ca/features/smart-camera. I wonder if Zoom will just be an app option on there or if there will be a new “Portal for Zoom” appliance.

I would consider buying one, BUT I often share my laptop screen while using Zoom, so Zoom is going to have to add some seamless multi-device extension experience much like Apple does (start a call on one device and join from another as a second screen with near-zero friction).

I also wonder how much this is all directed at consumers vs enterprise.

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I’m a little confused about Portal.

To be more clear the news release should have said:
Zoom on Facebook Portal.

It is my understanding there is not a new Facebook Portal just for Zoom.

Zoom app has been integrated to run on the existing Facebook Portal, the Amazon Echo Show, and the Google Nest Hub Max. All of those devices have a microphone, a speaker, a camera, a display, and a network connection.

These are just additional devices to use for Zoom calls beyond your PC, laptop, tablet, mobile phone, or whatever other computing device you use for Zoom calls today.

ClydeJ

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While the Zoom Home dedicated screen appears to be targeted toward people who use Zoom as their primary method of communication for work, this appears to be a relatively inexpensive way to retain their “prosumer” customers which sounds great to me. If they can remain as a neutral outsider bridging Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple, they’ll have a much better chance at retaining all of those consumer accounts and maybe even grow it beyond the pandemic. The dedicated Zoom from Home display isn’t all that exciting, but this seems like a step in the right direction. The challenge will be to continue balancing the enterprise business with the prosumer business.

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“Zoom as their primary method of communication for work” or home? Maybe the highly debated 15$ subscription may have a way into the home users needs.

Curious, could you replace your landline with the Zoom Phone option, so those devises would replace the phone on the counter, seems like the phone on my desk is looking more like a relic.

Long ZM

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A little more from my reply to a post on a premium board…

"> I also wonder how much this is all directed at consumers vs enterprise.

Perhaps the name Zoom for Home gives a hint? 8-)"

Sort of. Zoom for Home is just their name for hardware integration intended to be used remotely. It could still be used by enterprise customers. That said, anything that also requires a personal social media account has to be intended for non-enterprise customers since it sounds like you only link it to one account (I’m sure you can switch but for an “always ready” device that is probably a pain).

The Google Nest solution is probably something businesses could deploy to employees without spending as much as the DTEN device. I know my work uses GSuite and we all have Google accounts so a device that can tie in to that would be really attractive.

BUT as I said in my original post, I need to be able to still add my computer screen for sharing. I will be watching to see if this feature is included or gets added.

For more information on Zoom for Home:
https://blog.zoom.us/zoom-for-home-empower-remote-workers/
…which also has a link to the original announcement in July:
http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/07/15/2062618…
"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.

Zoom for Home top features:

- 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.
- Zoom for Home Design - Ensures hardware is a purpose-built solution and is accessibly priced for a home office setup."

Note you can use a free account with this as that is the “Basic” plan bolded above.

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