Zoom is coming to smart displays from Amazon, Facebook, and Google.
The Zoom app will first arrive on Facebook’s Portal this September before expanding to Amazon’s Echo Show devices and Google’s Nest Hub Max some time in the late fall.
You can already use Zoom on a smartphone, tablet, and PC, but given how 42 percent of the US labor force is now working from home full-time, Zoom says it wanted to tap into another device in people’s homes—smart displays, which usually come with web cameras.
“With Zoom on your favorite smart display, you can connect with colleagues to work smarter together, using features like whiteboarding, content sharing, and co-annotation,” the company wrote in today’s announcement.
On the smart displays from Google and Amazon, Zoom will work with their respective voice assistants. So you'll be able to say “Alexa, join my Zoom meeting" or "Hey Google, join my next meeting" to access the app.
(Credit: Zoom)
Bringing the app to smart displays also gives users another way to turn their home into a virtual office environment, Zoom points out. (For power users, the company has also integrated Zoom into a $599 touch-screen monitor.)
“As a Zoom Meetings user, all you’ll need to do is log in to one of our supported smart displays and integrate your calendar, status, and meeting settings. You’ll have access to all the tools you need to personalize your home office experience,” the company added.
Facebook Portal device owners will have more options than just Zoom. The social network today announced that three other video-conferencing services are coming to its smart displays in September: BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, and Webex.
The apps will arrive on the Portal Mini, Portal, and Portal+ in September while Portal TV will receive support further down the line. The company says you’ll be able to download the video conferencing software to the devices.
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