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Zoom has been in the limelight as one of the torchbearers of the "new" remote work model since the pandemic. We use "new" even though remote work has been an element of some workplaces for a long time.
However, when COVID-19 forced the mass move to work from home, video conferencing and meeting tools like Zoom's brought remote working to an entirely new level. The company was never shy about promoting this kind of work and — obviously — its own tools to support it.
Zoom and In Office Work
However, Zoom was recently in the headlines — and not for its software. In an interview published in Fortune, Zoom’s chief people officer, Matthew Saxon, explained why Zoom decided to pull people living within 50 km of a Zoom office back to the workplace for at least two days per week.
He went on to explain that many of Zoom’s products and solutions are “only designed for in-office work.” It is worth remembering that last year at Zoomtopia the company explained it wanted workers back in the office to understand what hybrid work was really like.
“We had to put ourselves into your shoes,” chief executive Eric Yuan said at the conference. “By doing this, we have dialed into the challenges you are facing.”During the same conference, the company announced the still unreleased Docs, which it promoted as a collaborative workspace powered by AI. The momentum continued earlier this year with the launch of Zoom Workplace, which integrated all of Zoom's well-known communication and collaboration tools, such as video meetings, team chat, and phone services, along with newer collaboration features.
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Introducing Zoom Workflow Automation
Earlier this month, Zoom introduced yet another feature, Workflow Automation, in beta. The no-code tool makes it possible for people with no technical experience to create complex workflows within Workplace and third-party applications.
With Workflow Automation, workers can automate various tasks within Zoom Team Chat, including automatically scheduling Zoom Meetings. It also integrates with third-party apps, enabling actions such as creating documents in Google Drive, adding calendar events in Microsoft Outlook or generating Jira tickets — all from within Team Chat.
Automation is user-friendly and includes pre-built templates that can be customized to fit specific needs. Designing workflows from scratch is also easy. Users can select from a list of available steps and drag and drop them into the sequence as needed.
Workflow Automation will soon extend throughout Zoom Workplace, allowing for the creation of workflows in other Zoom products.
While the recent comments by Saxon about the development of products for use in physical offices indicates that Zoom, when considering remote work, is talking about hybrid workplaces, the steady flow of releases in the last few years demonstrates the degree in which Zoom has shifted itself firmly in the enterprise collaboration space.
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Playing Catch Up With Slack, Microsoft Teams
Zoom's change or “adaptation,” has been clear from its ongoing release of enterprise collaboration tools that enable work onsite, remotely or in hybrid models, said Boa Tran. Zoom has made a concerted effort to expand beyond the videoconferencing capabilities it is synonymous with by steadily adding other tools including chat, whiteboard, note-taking and room booking.
The addition of Automation helps Zoom come more in line with established collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, Tran continued. More than an automation tool, however, Workplace indicates a change in strategy, he said. By focusing on the building of a unified collaboration center, Zoom aims to capture more of the corporate market. This is underscored by first concentrating on text chat processes coupled with ideas to extend automations across the whole Workplace app.
Furthermore, Tran said, the choice to include workflow automation responds to consumers' need for solutions that are more integrated and efficient seen as whole. “As both Microsoft Teams and Slack have capabilities similar to those of Zoom, the company's continuous development into these domains shows its will to remain relevant and creative in the face of fierce competition."
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Zoom Workflow Automation: More Than a Tool, a Strategic Shift
Premier Staff CEO and founder Daniel Meursing also sees Zoom's introduction of the Workflow Automation feature as a significant step in its transformation from a video conferencing platform to a comprehensive enterprise collaboration solution. He uses three points to explain his position:
1. All-in-one workspaces
The move aligns Zoom with the broader industry trend of creating all-in-one workspaces that streamline various aspects of business operations, he said.
“Zoom is no longer just about video calls. The addition of chat, whiteboard, note-taking and room-booking tools in its Workplace product demonstrates a clear intention to become a one-stop-shop for business collaboration," Meursing said.
2. No-Code Automation
The drag-and-drop, no-code interface for creating automations is particularly noteworthy in this respect. The approach democratizes workflow optimization, allowing team members at all levels to contribute to efficiency improvements.
3. Competitive Positioning
By introducing these features, Zoom is positioning itself more directly against established enterprise collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams. This move could reshape the competitive landscape in the collaboration software market.
Meursing also raises Zoom's AI efforts as part of a broader trend in the business world — the move towards integrated, AI-enhanced collaboration platforms. In the near future, he suggests Zoom may bring new AI functionality including:
- AI-Driven Insights: Collaboration platforms could offer predictive analytics, helping teams anticipate issues before they arise.
- Enhanced Virtual Experiences: As virtual and hybrid events become more common, tools like Zoom may incorporate more immersive technologies to bridge the gap between in-person and remote collaboration.
- Customizable Ecosystems: Businesses may be able to create highly tailored collaboration environments.
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About That Return to Office ...
Zoom's decision to push for a greater return to office, while surprising, is not without precedent among tech vendors. However, Mentalyc CEO Maria Szandrach doesn't view it as a death knell for remote work.
“I believe it's important to see this as an evolution rather than an end .... it highlights the need for versatility in our working environments," she said. "Companies are learning that a hybrid approach can cater to a variety of needs and preferences, ensuring both productivity and satisfaction. Remote work is not coming to an end; it’s simply adapting and growing. And as it does, we’ll keep finding new ways to make it work for us and our unique needs.”