Zoom introduces a virtual agent, IQ coach, co-working spaces, and more

Zoom’s official company event, Zoomtopia 2022, introduced a bunch of features for the online meeting platform including Zoom Spots, Zoom Email and Calendar, and a few additional AI-powered capabilities in the Contact Center.

To start, Zoom introduced a Beta version of Zoom Mail and Calendar client which integrates popular email services within Zoom, thus avoiding the need to exit the Zoom application. It also launched the Zoom-hosted email and calendar service within the Zoom app and stated that the emails are end-to-end encrypted between Zoom Mail users.

The company also unveiled Zoom Spots, a virtual space for video-enabled interactions within the Zoom app. The feature will launch in early 2023 alongside the Zoom Virtual Agent, an AI-powered chatbot. The chatbot will respond to customer queries, reduce the workload on human agents, and be integrated into Zoom’s contact center.

Expanding on the virtual capabilities of the platform, Zoom introduced an IQ Virtual Coach, which will supposedly provide users with a practice environment and real-time tips to rehearse their interviews, pitches, and other calls. The IQ Coach is a part of Zoom’s IQ for Sales feature and will be launching soon. Lastly, Zoom shared the integration of Zoom’s Team chat with the In-Meeting Chat, which the company claims is to prevent piles of information for users and give an always-on functionality.

You can read more about the features on Zoom's blog. Here are the insights from Zoom:

• Zoom Spots: Welcome to Zoom’s virtual co-working space! Coming in early 2023, Zoom Spots is a video-enabled persistent space, integrated within the Zoom platform, to help foster inclusive discussions, keep colleagues connected, and bring the fluid interactions of in-person work to distributed, hybrid teams throughout their day.
• Zoom Virtual Agent: Zoom Virtual Agent is an intelligent conversational AI and chatbot solution that uses natural language processing and machine learning to understand and quickly resolve issues for customers. Zoom Virtual Agent works around-the-clock on multiple support channels to deliver fast, personalized customer experiences, reduce call volumes to human agents, and drive significant operational efficiencies for businesses. Zoom Virtual Agent, available in early 2023, can be fully integrated with Zoom Contact Center and will also be offered as a standalone chatbot solution.
• Continuous Collaboration across Zoom One: Connected workstreams across Zoom One, the all-in-one communication and collaboration offering that brings together Team Chat, Phone, Whiteboard, Meetings, and more, are enabling individuals and teams to do their best work. Among these new capabilities is the integration between Team Chat and In-Meeting Chat, creating an always-on functionality so users can flow between Team Chat and Meetings to reduce silos, keep projects moving, and continue the conversation after meetings.
• Zoom IQ Virtual Coach: Coming soon as part of Zoom IQ for Sales, Zoom IQ Virtual Coach simulates a variety of selling situations to give sellers a practice environment to hone their pitch, obtain feedback, and receive real-time content tips during calls with prospects.

As for developers, Zoom mentioned the expansion of Zoom Apps across various platforms, like Zoom Rooms and Team Chat. Additionally, Zoom has bundled up Zoom Apps (only for select app developers) with Zoom’s paid plans labeled Essential Apps, which is coming soon. Moreover, developers will soon be able to earn from their apps on the Zoom App Marketplace and manage apps through the admin-authorized installed app option, which lets Zoom account admins pre-install apps at user, account, or group levels. More on these features is available here.