What started as a pure-play video conferencing platform has evolved into a full-fledged unified communications experience, with new features regularly announced. Zoom now offers various capabilities, such as a digital whiteboard, an optional built-in contact center, the Zoom Phone, webinars, and much more. Zoom Apps take these capabilities even further by allowing users to connect with third-party apps and features accessible from an online marketplace.
What is Zoom’s App Marketplace?
The Zoom App marketplace is an online portal where users can download third-party integrations that extend Zoom’s functionalities. The company launched the feature at Zoomtopia 2018 and enhanced it further in 2021 by introducing Zoom Apps that directly embed third-party app UIs into Zoom meetings. This transforms the virtual meeting experience since users can avoid opening multiple windows to access different tools in the middle of a discussion.
Users can launch as many as 1500 more apps within the Zoom interface. In July 2022, Zoom announced that apps would now be available for its webinars and downloads from the app marketplace.
Key Features of Zoom’s App Marketplace
The Zoom app marketplace is a separate website, distinct from its primary online portal. It is available in the marketplace.zoom.us domain and can be accessed from all major web browsers. Its key features include:
Organization by categories
Zoom apps are categorized per 15+ categories, and some overlap may occur. Some of the top categories include analytics, collaboration, CRM, and games, while there are also industry-specific categories like HR, government, financial services, e-commerce, etc.
Highlighted Categories
At any given time, Zoom may choose to highlight specific apps that are new or of topical interest. These are available under the featured section of the Zoom app marketplace, which may include subsections like Conversational AI, Must Try, etc.
Different app types
Users can download and install three types of Zoom apps from the marketplace:
- Pure-play Apps that embed third-party UIs into Zoom meetings
- Third-party integrations that work with Zoom meetings, webinars, phone, and other services
- Bots designed for Zoom meetings and chat
Once you choose the type of app you want, users will filter marketplace search results accordingly.
Apps for different Zoom products
Currently, the Zoom app marketplace offers solutions for five of Zoom’sZoom’s products – Meetings, Webinars, Rooms, Phone, and Chat. Additional apps may be launched with time, such as apps for the Zoom Contact Center. Some apps may support multiple Zoom services. For example, Google workspace works with Zoom Meetings, Phone, and Chat.
Developer resources
The Zoom app marketplace also acts as a gateway to the developer platform. It is possible to sign into the developer platform, view documentation, read the developer blog section, and browse the community forum from the marketplace. Further, every app listing on the marketplace has its corresponding developer documentation indexed underneath it.
User roles
The Zoom app marketplace allows you to segregate app downloads according to your role – i.e., regular users or administrators. Apps for admins help perform IT-related tasks like provisioning user accounts, managing Zoom recordings, setting up webhooks, etc.
Admin apps are also relevant for cases involving sensitive data access, such as handling CRM data.
App cards
Application cards are how the Zoom app marketplace displays a listing. The card will contain the app name, the publisher’s name, a brief description of what the app does, and the Zoom product it supports. This makes it easier to navigate the marketplace and zero in on the right app or integration.
How to Use Zoom’s App Marketplace?
Zoom’s marketplace is simple to use:
- Visit the marketplace from your desktop.
- Before browsing and comparing your options, visit the categories list on the left side. Shortlist the categories you want to prioritize depending on most of your Zoom calls. You may want to install a few select apps before going “full-throttle.”
- If the categories available for you to choose from seem too overwhelming, apply the filters available to you right below the categories list. This will further help you narrow down your relevant options.
- Once you compare apps within a category, ensure you spend adequate time reading up on features and user reviews. Also, remember that all apps may not be free. Instead, while the integration may be free, they may require you to subscribe to the original product or sign up for freemium versions and trials. This can become important if you have frequent Zoom-enabled meetings that entail complex discussions and collaboration; users don’t want to discover caps on features or usage limits in the middle of a call.
- Be sure the app meets data security requirements and your organization’s requirements before you hit download.
Benefits of Zoom’s App Marketplace
As collaboration providers expand their ecosystems and strive for greater interoperability, application marketplaces are central to their value proposition. That is why the Zoom app marketplace offers the following benefits:
- Reduces effort duplication – Companies that need to integrate with a third-party tool can browse the marketplace before building their connectors.
- Engages new prospects – Those considering Zoom adoption can browse the marketplace to understand what Zoom can do.
- Mobilizes developers – Developers can use app SDKs to build new integrations and directly publish them on the Zoom app marketplace.
- Drives flexibility – A marketplace allows users to tailor their experience (with no development effort), turning Zoom into a more bespoke platform.
For this reason, Zoom launched a $100 million Apps Fund last year, further expanding its marketplace’s coverage.
No matter the frequency and nature of your work Zoom calls and meetings, users should make it a point to visit the Zoom apps marketplace. It has the potential to transform online and hybrid interactions into highly effective and engaging opportunities without requiring you to give up the comfort of your preferred work environment.
