Zoom releases a host of new features and updates, including video voicemail and workspace reservation

Zoom has announced several new updates to Zoom Meetings, Chat and Phone, to create more focused and customisable meeting experiences.

"We have many exciting updates and new features we're releasing this month to streamline the flow of meetings," says Zoom head of UCaaS, Heidi Elmore.

"The updates provide additional ways to catch up with co-workers, reduce friction in the hybrid work experience, and enhance user security and privacy."

The new features include video voicemail for Zoom Phone, the ability to reserve an in-office workspace easily, and numerous security and privacy updates, such as the ability to share cloud recordings with specific external stakeholders.

Some of the new features include:

Zoom Meetings

"We've released features to help you create more focused meeting experiences," says Elmore.

Schedule meetings with Focus Mode
Hosts can now schedule a meeting with Focus Mode to start automatically, providing fewer distractions to all meeting participants.

Save custom Gallery View order
Meeting hosts can save the customised Gallery View order for subsequent meetings. The customised gallery order is saved to each unique meeting ID, which allows the host to load the saved customised order to avoid manually changing the order for each meeting. This feature is also available in Zoom Video Webinars.

GIF send enhancement
When selecting a GIF from the GIPHY search panel, the GIF will be displayed in the message compose box. Additional text can be added before sending the GIF.

View your missed meeting calls
When contacts attempt to call via meet-with-video, and you are unavailable, these missed meeting calls will be centrally located so that you can quickly check what you missed. You can also jump to the chat or channel or start a video call based on the missed meeting call.

Save videos sent through Zoom Chat to your mobile device
Videos sent through Zoom Chat can now be saved locally to mobile devices, enabling users to share and leverage video assets more easily.

Zoom Phone

Elmore says in this release, they're providing additional ways to connect and enhance communications with other Zoom users, as well as international customers and stakeholders.

"We're providing a more personable alternative to standard voicemail with the ability to greet your callers with video greetings and let them leave you rich context with video messages for colleagues, right into their voicemail inbox," she says.

Workspace Reservation
Providing a safe and frictionless on-site experience is critical with the rise of hybrid work, where employees can work from the home and the office. Releasing in public beta later this month, Zoom says Workspace Reservation enables users to easily book spaces using an interactive map, whether they are on-site or remote, creating a seamless experience for all employees.

Local-only screen share support for Mac and Windows
"Our local-only screen share feature, which allows an in-room user to read notes that are not visible to other participants in the meeting, has previously only been available on Zoom Rooms Appliances," says Elmore.

"We've now added support for Mac and Windows to local-only screen share, allowing those users to make screen sharing visible only to that room when using an HDMI connection."

Zoom for Home

Zoom for Home now supports the use of the Apple iPad, providing users with a flexible, space-saving device for their remote or on-site workspaces.

Neat Frame
Neat Frame is an all-in-one 15.6-inch touch-screen video device for your Zoom hybrid work needs. Its portrait-oriented form factor takes up little room while enabling an optimal layout of people and content with less wasted screen space. Neat Frame automatically frames and tracks people and offers excellent sound while removing unwanted background noises.

Amazon Fire TV Omni Series
The Amazon Fire TV Omni Series is the first native smart TV to include access to zoom services. Users download the Zoom app and connect a USB webcam; 1080p is recommended.

Zoom Events

"Events of any kind require a ton of flexibility, and in this update, we're providing Zoom Events users with the increased flexibility they need to adjust their events on the fly," says Elmore.

Enhanced notification settings for Summit and Conference
In Summit and Conference, event hosts will now have the ability to decide which event notifications they would like to send out to attendees and speakers to create the best experience. Hosts will also have the ability to control most notification emails that go out to attendees, or even disable them entirely.

Registration question editing
The details and content of an event can often change without notice, and hosts might need to collect more information from attendees than they originally had planned, requiring changes to their registration questions. Event hosts can now edit registration questions once the event is published in Conference and Summit to provide them with additional flexibility. Hosts will still receive the answers from their previously edited questions and new answers.

Zoom Apps

Elmore says Zoom is constantly expanding its Zoom Apps offering to provide more enhanced collaboration and connection opportunities. In this release, it's giving its customers more flexibility in how they leverage this solution.

Pre-approved app notification
To streamline the use of Zoom Apps, apps awaiting pre-approval by account admins will now notify users of their new status and availability for installation as soon as they are pre-approved. This notification will only appear for users or user groups for which the app has been pre-approved.

Support for Zoom Apps in Breakout Rooms
Zoom Apps can now be accessed in Breakout Rooms, giving users the ability to use their favourite workplace apps and interactive games while in breakout spaces.

Privacy and security updates
"As part of our ongoing effort to enhance the security and privacy of users, we've provided two new updates to enhance security for Zoom Meetings and Zoom Video Webinars customers," says Elmore.

Increased privacy options for Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar integrations
The new update to the Zoom desktop client prevents Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar from showing any meeting details obtained through the respective calendar integrations for the host or anyone with scheduling privileges for calendar events marked as Private.