The popular video-conferencing platform Zoom is gearing towards rolling out new features. Now people would be able to set meeting templates, personal avatars, space for Q&A, etc.
Meeting templates
Meeting templates would make it easier to adjust settings for different types of meetings. Users can create, save and choose from the custom meeting templates. It would help with automatically applying the right settings according to their requirements while hosting the meeting.
There are meeting templates for large meetings with features like recording and automated captions, seminars for corporate meetings, and K-12 with polls and quizzes features.
Zoom avatars
Users can customize virtual characters or avatars for their Zoom accounts. These avatars can be used during meetings. They have been introduced to the collection of filters. The avatars would mimic the movement and facial expressions of the users.
Zoom wrote in a blog post, “With numerous personalisation combinations, you can display the ‘virtual you’ in a way that is original and fun! Avatars mirror your movements and facial expressions, allowing you to present yourself dynamically without needing to be on video and providing a more engaging alternative to static profile pictures to inject more fun and energy into your meetings.”
The feature is available in beta currently to all Zoom users. Later on, as the beta progresses more hairstyles, facial features and other customization options would be added.
Q&A in meetings
The Q&A feature that was available for webinars till now is being introduced to meetings as well. This feature would allow the host to have a designated place to view and answer questions. The hosts and co-hosts can view, answer or dismiss questions from the Q&A pop-out.
Hosts would have the option to allow everybody to view all the questions or only those that have been answered. Q&A is available for meetings in Zoom One Enterprise Plus, Zoom One Enterprise, Zoom One Business Plus, and Zoom One Business accounts.
Threaded messages and reactions
Threaded messages and reactions are also being introduced for in-meeting chats to enhance the chat experience. The feature would allow people to create message threads and consolidate emoji reactions as well. It would simply make it easier to organize messages and know the messages, in particular, being responded to by participants.