Zoom vs Zoom Workplace: Are they just the same thing?
The simple answer is not exactly. Zoom is a collaboration, communication, and productivity software company that produces a range of tools for the modern workplace. Although it may be best known for its video conferencing software, Zoom has come a long way in recent years.
Today, the company’s portfolio includes everything from contact center software to solutions for hosting virtual events, managing workspaces and meeting rooms, and more.
Zoom Workplace is essentially the AI-powered toolkit offered by Zoom that combines various solutions (like Zoom Meetings and Chat) into one bundle. It’s an upgraded version of Zoom One, the all-in-one collaboration solution intended to compete with offerings like Microsoft Teams.
Here’s everything you need to know about Zoom and Zoom Workplace.
Zoom vs Zoom Workplace: What is Zoom?
Zoom, previously known as Zoom Video Communications, is a communications technology company based in San Jose, California. As mentioned, the company initially rose to fame, offering users one of the most convenient and user-friendly video conferencing platforms.
Since officially launching its first product in 2013, Zoom has committed to constantly innovating and expanding its portfolio, similar to competitors like Google and Microsoft. Not only does it regularly upgrade its collaboration and communication tools with new features and security capabilities, but Zoom has also expanded into new areas.
Zoom Workplace is just one of the various solutions offered by Zoom. The company’s entire portfolio also includes technology for:
- Sales Teams: The Zoom Revenue Accelerator system combines Zoom Phone and Zoom Meetings with conversational intelligence and step-by-step guidance for sellers.
- Developers: Zoom’s Developer tools provide access to Video SDKs, APIs, and intelligent technologies developers can use to build their custom applications.
- Marketing: For marketing teams, Zoom offers access to Zoom Events (for virtual and hybrid event management), Zoom Sessions, and Zoom Webinars.
- Customer care: Zoom now has its collection of contact center solutions, workforce engagement tools, and virtual agent technologies for customer service.
Notably, Zoom also has its own partner portal, as well as dedicated solutions for companies leveraging communication technologies for specific industries, like education and healthcare.
Zoom vs Zoom Workplace: What is Zoom Workplace?
Zoom Workplace is the all-in-one communication and collaboration toolkit offered by Zoom. It replaces the “Zoom One” plan previously provided by the company and offers many of the same capabilities, such as Zoom Chat, Phone, Whiteboard, and Meetings.
Unlike Zoom One, however, Zoom Workplace is powered by the latest artificial intelligence technologies. It includes Zoom AI Companion, which is offered for free alongside all of the standard Zoom communication and productivity apps.
This helps to differentiate Zoom Workplace from solutions like Microsoft Teams, which offer access to the Microsoft Copilot assistant for an extra monthly fee per user.
According to the technology company, Zoom Workplace is intended to address modern businesses’ current collaboration, communication, and productivity needs. Many organizations are looking for opportunities to consolidate their cloud-based technologies into a single toolkit, minimizing costs, complexity, and IT tasks.
Zoom believes that the Zoom Workplace will give companies the ultimate ecosystem for hybrid work, and they can adapt it according to their specific needs.
What’s Included in Zoom Workplace?
Zoom defines Zoom Workplace as an AI-powered collaboration and communication platform designed to boost employee performance and engagement and enhance operations.
Notably, while Zoom Workplace includes all of the central communication, productivity, and space management solutions offered by Zoom (as well as some extras), it doesn’t include Zoom’s marketing, sales, or customer care tools. You’ll need to purchase those options separately, although they can be added to a Zoom Workplace plan.
The Features:
Zoom Workplace’s features include:
- Zoom Meetings: Zoom’s AI-powered meeting service supports video and audio conferencing, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, caption translations, and more.
- Zoom Chat: The comprehensive chat tool for instant messaging, one-on-one and team conversations, file sharing, and shared spaces.
- Zoom Phone: The cloud VoIP solution offered by Zoom offers a 99.999% uptime SLA, global phone coverage, enterprise-grade security, voicemail, and SMS.
- Mail and Calendar: Zoom’s integrated tools for email communication and calendar management are available on desktop and mobile.
- Scheduler: Zoom’s all-in-one scheduling app with bookable time slots, automated email and SMS reminders, and integrations to existing calendar apps.
- Zoom Docs: The all-in-one AI-powered collaborative workspace, similar to Google Docs, where people can share knowledge asynchronously and in real-time.
- Zoom Whiteboard: Zoom’s dedicated virtual whiteboard for creative work, brainstorming sessions, wireframing and more.
- Zoom Clips: The short video messaging capability from Zoom, intended for sharing knowledge, onboarding new users, and collaboration.
- Zoom Notes: Zoom’s collaborative note-taking application, which integrates with all of Zoom’s other productivity tools
- App Marketplace: A full marketplace with hundreds of apps for workplace management, collaboration, marketing, communication, analytics, and more.
- Zoom Rooms: The dedicated hybrid and in-person meeting management solution from Zoom, similar to Microsoft Teams Rooms.
- Workspace Reservation: A workplace management application for desk and meeting room booking and management.
- Digital signage: Integrated digital signage capabilities connected to Zoom’s workspace reservation and booking tools.
- Visitor Management: A comprehensive ecosystem where businesses can assign guest accounts to visitors and track the movement of guests.
- Workvivo: Zoom’s employee engagement solution, with activity feeds, livestreaming, social feeds, events, goals, shout-outs, and more.
Zoom vs Zoom Workplace: What’s Not Included in Workplace?
The exact functionality you’ll get from Zoom Workplace depends on your chosen pricing plan. Zoom offers a range of options, starting with a Basic free plan for beginners and premium options starting at $13.32 per user per month.
Notably, while all of the features above are offered in some Workplace plans, users can also choose to access the free version of Zoom Workplace and certain features through “add-ons.” For instance, Zoom Scheduler and Zoom Whiteboard are available as add-ons to the free plan.
There’s also a range of other add-ons to explore, such as:
- Zoom Large Meetings: From $50 monthly for meeting capacities of up to 1,000 people.
- Zoom Clips Plus: The advanced version of Zoom Clips for $6.99 monthly.
- Cloud storage: Cloud-based storage for recordings and content from $10 per month.
- Translated captions: Instantly AI-translated captions from $5 per month.
- Audio conferencing: Options to dial into meetings with phone numbers from $100 per month.
- Conference room scheduler: A comprehensive room scheduler enables standards-based SIP/H.323 video conferencing from $49 monthly.
- Zoom Phone Power Pack: $25 monthly for enhanced queue analytics and insights.
- Zoom Compliance Manager: Comprehensive compliance, archiving, legal hold, risk management, and data governance features. (Per-quote pricing).
- Zoom Revenue Accelerator: Zoom’s conversation intelligence solution for sales teams. (Per-quote pricing).
- Quality of service: Zoom QSS as a service. (Per-quote pricing).
- Zoom Mesh: Tools for high-quality webinars and events regardless of bandwidth. (Per-quote pricing).
- Customer Managed Key: Solutions for adding your own encryption keys to Zoom data.
Other Zoom Capabilities Not Included with Workplace
Alongside all of the add-ons that missing from specific Zoom Workplace plans as standard, you also won’t get access to Zoom Events, Webinars, and Sessions, Advanced Zoom Rooms capabilities, and Zoom’s contact center solutions.
Additionally, while Zoom Phone is included in some Workplace plans, such as the Zoom Business Plus and Enterprise plans (priced individually according to your needs), it can also be purchased separately. This approach to pricing ensures users can build the ideal Zoom ecosystem for their needs without buying unnecessary features.
Zoom vs Zoom Workplace: Are They the Same?
The various product packages and services offered by different communication and collaboration companies can initially be challenging to understand. Zoom Workplace isn’t the same as “Zoom,” but it includes many of Zoom’s features and tools.
In simple terms, Zoom offers a wide selection of collaboration, productivity, workplace management, marketing, and customer service tools. Zoom Workplace is just one package the company offers that combines a range of features into a single plan.
FAQs
Has Zoom Workplace Replaced Zoom?
Technically no. Zoom Workplace is an all-in-one collaboration, productivity, and communication tool plan offered by Zoom. It replaces the Zoom One plan, previously provided by the company, and offers many similar features but doesn’t include all of Zoom’s capabilities.
What Happened to the Zoom One Bundles?
The Zoom One bundles have been replaced by Zoom Workplace packages. They include most of the same capabilities and additional innovations, specifically in the AI landscape. Customers on Zoom One packages were automatically updated to Zoom Workplace in 2024.
Why Did Zoom Replace Zoom One?
According to Zoom, the company has been innovating over the years, introducing a range of new capabilities for meetings and communications. The new Zoom Workplace offering better represents Zoom’s comprehensive toolkit and focuses on delivering AI-powered capabilities.
