BT will offer a managed Zoom service to its business customers after becoming the first global communications service provider to secure a carrier agreement with the company.
Originally an enterprise application, Zoom acquired rapid popularity among consumers during lockdown as a way of keeping in touch with family and friends.
The ability to add multiple users and other features gave it an advantage over traditional voice calling applications and the term ‘Zoom’ has become everyday language both as a verb and a noun.
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BT Zoom
This popularity and familiarity meant that the service was the default option in many organisations when a videoconferencing tool was needed. However, the use of Zoom was largely ad-hoc and beyond the control of the IT department – many of whom lamented some of the apparent vulnerabilities that widespread use of the application had exposed.
BT’s managed deployment integrates Zoom into the wider voice network and includes monitoring tools and security features such as encryption and ID protection. This protects users and data while also ensures an optimal experience for the workplace. Meanwhile, user adoption programmes educate staff on best practices and potential threats.
“Our new managed service allows global enterprises, typically with complex network and IT infrastructure, to consume Zoom Meetings in a simple, consistent and secure way with optimised experiences for their people around the world,” said Andrew small, director of Global portfolio at BT.
Other collaboration services such as Microsoft Teams have also been widely adopted during the pandemic, with Gartner predicting that end-user spending on cloud-based conferencing services will reach nearly $5 billion by 2020 – an increase from $3.3 billion in 2019.
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