Microsoft Teams or Zoom: How to Choose?

Both Microsoft Teams and Zoom are capable of online meetings, chats, calls, screen sharing, and file sharing but the question is which one is right for your organization’s needs?

If your organization already uses Microsoft Office 365, then adopting Teams would be a breeze. Teams integrates seamlessly with all your familiar Office 365 apps like calendar, SharePoint, and OneDrive. However, if you don’t use Microsoft Office 365 then Zoom might be a logical choice for your needs.

Below are some of the key differences between Microsoft Teams and Zoom that will help you decide the right fit for your organization.

Break Out Rooms: Zoom already had the capability to break into smaller groups in a more personal setting, while Teams has recently introduced this feature. This has been especially useful for remote learning during the pandemic. This allows teachers to have their students break into smaller groups to collaborate on school work.

Free vs Paid: Microsoft Teams and Zoom are both free to use with limitations, while the premium version provides more advanced features. The free version of Teams shines in its ability to allow for unrestricted time when video conferencing. In contrast, you are only allowed 40 minutes per video chat in the free version of Zoom.

External Conferencing: Perhaps what makes the free version of Teams stand out is the ability to invite people outside of your organization to a video conference or live event. There is no need to tell your attendees to pay for a subscription to Zoom when the free version of Teams does this already. They just need to have the invitation or meeting link to join, even if they are not part of your organization.

Security Features: If you’re new to Zoom, it’s been known to have some security flaws. Zoom has been plagued with what’s been called, ‘Zoom-bombing’ Where an uninvited guest can eavesdrop on a video conversation. Lately, Zoom has stepped up their security and this hasn’t been as much of an issue. Teams, on the other hand, haven’t had this problem and is backed by at least two security certifications.

In summary, both platforms have pros and cons, depending on what suits best to your business needs. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, should you need help or assistance in setting up and troubleshooting these channels.

Need help choosing the right video conferencing tool for your organization? Contact us today at (509) 433-7606.

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