Zoom was in the right place at the right time. One of the pandemic’s technology platform success stories, this handy piece of video conferencing software helped keep families connected, brought classes online, and saved many businesses by allowing teams to meet remotely.
Now that many Zoom licenses are beginning to expire and organizations of all sizes are taking a hard look at their technology spend, it’s a good time to assess whether it makes sense to continue with Zoom, especially given how Google Meet is integrated into the comprehensive productivity and collaboration suite of Google Workspace. Let’s break down the differences.
Google Meet and Zoom have many similarities and great features. Both platforms offer high-quality video conferencing, screen sharing, recording, and virtual backgrounds. However, Google Meet is already part of the Workspace, the productivity and collaboration platform that many businesses are already using.
As you assess your organization’s cloud collaboration strategy, here are five areas to consider:
1. Integration with Google Workspace
Google Meet is fully integrated with Google Workspace, which includes tools like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. This means that you can easily collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations while on a Google Meet call; even launching Meet within your Google Docs windows for a streamlined experience. You can also share your screen to show your colleagues your work and get real-time feedback. Zoom, on the other hand, does not have quite the same level of integration with Google Workspace, which might make it more difficult to collaborate in real-time.
2. Cloud storage for recordings
Keeping records of meetings is important, especially in industries requiring a significant degree of regulatory compliance. If recording meetings is an important part of keeping records for your organization, Google Meet offers 15 GB to unlimited storage per user while Zoom provides 1 GB to unlimited storage per user on paid plans.
3. Livestream to YouTube
When you’re looking to reach a wide audience for a hybrid conference or an event, livestreaming may be a good way to go. Google Workspace makes it simple to livestream to Youtube. From a Google Meet call, you just select the channel you want to stream to, then click “Select an event” or “create a new event.” Zoom also provides live-streaming options for YouTube that require jumping through a few more hoops.
4. Join meetings directly from Google Calendar
With Meet, you can quickly and easily join a meeting without having to manually enter the meeting link or ID. You can also see all of your upcoming meetings in one place, making it easy to keep track of your schedule. Zoom offers similar functionality with a Workspace add-on.
5. Robust security and privacy features
Google Meet includes several security and privacy features that may make it a better choice for businesses that need to protect sensitive information. For example, Google Meet uses end-to-end encryption to ensure that your meetings are secure. It also allows the host to control who can join the meeting and when. In the past, Zoom has confronted several well-publicized security and privacy issues, which have caused some businesses to switch to alternative video conferencing platforms.
For a comprehensive look at your organization’s security posture, we recommend the Cloud Security Confidence Assessment.
A Zoom-to-Meet success story
Deciding on a conferencing solution that works seamlessly with your other productivity and collaboration tools is no simple task. Your dedicated SADA team stands ready to provide guidance on how to move to a new platform in a way that minimizes costs and disruptions to your business.
Case in point–In the mid-2010s, WeWork expanded rapidly and had to make technology decisions quickly to build out their offices. Given the selection of available products at the time, they implemented Zoom video conferencing for team calls, virtual business meetings, and to support dial-in users. Read our case study on why and how they transitioned 5,000+ users and 700+ locations to Google Meet in 16 days.
Making the right choice for your conferencing needs
While Zoom is an excellent video conferencing tool, Google Meet has several advantages that may make it a better choice for your business. With its integration with Google Workspace and features like real-time captions and translation, Google Meet is a powerful collaboration tool that can help your team stay connected and productive. With a strong focus on security and privacy, you can be confident that your meetings are safe.
Plus, there’s a whole lot more to Workspace than video conferencing. Learn more about this powerful set of productivity and collaboration tools by downloading our ebook, 7 steps to enterprise transformation with Google Workspace today.
