Are you still unsure of which remote working communication tool is best for your business? In this article we will break down the benefits and features of Zoom and Microsoft Teams and offer some advice for which is best to choose.
How do you know which one will work best for your business? To get an idea, Zoom and Microsoft Teams offer many of the same benefits, but it is their differences that make one better than the other for your specific business needs. Luckily, you can test out each of their free versions to gain a better understanding!
Considering both as options for you is the best way to go. Afterall, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are both relatively new and rapidly developing, especially after a boost in remote work in recent months. Not only that, but the retiring of Skype for Business has pushed many in IT to reconsider where they are going from here.
An Overview of Zoom
Zoom is a global video communications provider that has a mission of making video communications frictionless. Zoom’s philosophy is to empower people to accomplish more whilst using Zoom. Their aim is to deliver happiness by valuing their customers, teammates, and themselves.
An Overview of Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a global virtual workspace with a mission of helping people and organizations achieve more whilst using Teams. Offers a Microsoft hub for teamwork: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, Power BI and Delve are all built into Microsoft Teams.
Similarities of Zoom and Teams
Both offer online meetings, chatting, calls, screen sharing, and file sharing, as well as virtual backgrounds. Additionally, both offer room systems, or huddle rooms, breaking down teams into smaller groups.
Differences of Zoom and Teams
When comparing companies, Microsoft has been around a lot longer than Zoom. Microsoft Teams is a one-stop-shop for anything Microsoft. The integration between Teams and Office 365 is easy and user friendly, allowing for effortless team collaboration. Additionally, Microsoft offers the ability to integrate other 3rd party apps into Teams, whereas Zoom is in partnership with Slack, offering a different set of technical integrations.
Zoom’s user interface experience is easy to follow and requires minimal or no IT training to use. Microsoft Teams has had feedback to enhance their interface to better suit their customers, but many would say they still prefer the Zoom interface.
The Takeaway
Overall, it looks like there might be no clear winner. Zoom is a great place to start if you are looking for something quick. Zoom is easy to use and gives many of the basic features needed to communicate with others. Calls last up to 40 minutes on the free version, which offer: video sharing, chat, and viewing all participants on screen.
On the other hand, we recommend using Microsoft Teams if you are already using Microsoft products. You can integrate Teams with your other Microsoft products, allowing for real-time collaboration. Even in the free version of Microsoft Teams, you can share Word, Excel, etc. documents with your team and synch the files with OneDrive or SharePoint. This can all be accessed through the same dashboard, along with calls, meetings, and chats via Teams.