Microsoft Teams vs Zoom – Which is the best videoconferencing tool?
Since the beginning of the lockdown, the number of video conferences you’ve attended has likely gone through the roof.
A technology that was once, many moons ago, dismissed as being too clunky and unnecessary has become the essential solution for team communication, both for business collaboration and for social team building. Many who were hesitant to turn their camera on have finally been converted to the benefits of videoconferencing. But in the rush to adopt a videoconferencing solution, some organisations have failed to thoroughly research some of the potential security flaws of the solutions they use.
Has the Zoom bubble already burst?
It has come to light in the past few weeks that Zoom, one of the most popular tools adopted by businesses, is not as great as it initially appeared. Though you may be able to change your video background to your favourite after-work pub, there’s nothing funny about the serious security issues that have arisen.
The main issues appeared to be lack of end-to-end encryption on calls and the ability for hackers to join calls uninvited, a security flaw in the installer, calls being routed via China, and a user data leak.
Zoom has since rectified many of these issues but for many, the damage has already been done.
Many large organisations and institutions such as Google, NASA and the United States Senate have banned the use of Zoom.
What are the alternatives to Zoom?
Microsoft Teams is being recommended by many as an alternative to Zoom.
Microsoft has set out its commitment to privacy and security for Teams users clearly on its website, stating:
“As a leader in security, Microsoft processes more than 8 trillion security signals every day and uses them to proactively protect you from security threats. In Teams, we encrypt data in transit and at rest, storing your data in our secure network of data centres and using Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) for video, audio, and desktop sharing.”
Teams is Microsoft’s replacement for Skype for Business and is a collaborative platform with video conferencing as well instant messaging, document sharing and a wealth of additional functionality and integrations to drive team efficiency and productivity.
The platform has been around since 2016 but has recently seen a massive increase in users due to the upcoming retirement of Skype for Business, integration with Office 365 and the need driven by Covid-19.
Microsoft Teams alongside Office 365 is an ideal solution for businesses wanting to replicate the office environment – employees can continue to collaborate, share and communicate and use the same Microsoft tools they’ve become used to, with the added benefit of being able to access everything centrally from the cloud.
As a Microsoft Gold Partner, we can help businesses setup the solution or migrate from Skype for Business. We know that incorporating a new solution into your IT setup can feel overwhelming. Our team are here to help guide you through the process and make it as seamless as possible. Get in touch today.