Teams, Zoom, or Webex?
I’ve been watching with interest the sharp rise in uptake of video conferencing apps during CV-19 lockdown. So far, they've done a great job in meeting the rising demands of our need to communicate and video conference with one another.
At Chess we use M365, so the Teams app is the natural choice to keep our people in touch and connected, but it may not be the right choice for you. I’ve drawn up a comparison table to look at Zoom, Team and Webex in more depth.
Security Opinion
Security has been a hot topic over recent weeks, especially for the Zoom platform, which has possibly seen the highest uptake and scrutiny of any on the market. Few products don’t have security issues of one sort or another, but what’s important is the skills, resources, and response times when issues are discovered.
Zoom may well turn out to be a victim of its own success as hackers target this popular video conference tool and find the security gaps in the system. Headline news attention has put Zoom in the spotlight adding further pressure to its relatively young security infrastructure.
Cisco Webex has a strong heritage which makes them well placed to offer security-specific solutions to any issues they may face. They already provide networking tools to many nations critical national infrastructure (CNI) so if a security fault was to be found, the response Cisco can provide is likely to be quicker and much more specialised than a platform like Zoom.
Teams runs within the whole ecosystem of M365 so it gets regular updates, integrations, and security patches. Microsoft has an army of security specialists and coders who are working hard to get all the products to a 'secure' standard.
So what does all that mean?
If you want a simple video conferencing app then Zoom is a good choice but watch out on security. If you want something with a longer pedigree, basic team working functionality, then maybe Webex. If you use Microsoft Office apps and want to drive collaboration for a dispersed workforce, more peace of mind on security, then Teams may be for you. One thing for sure is that whichever you decide on, it’s likely to be a firm feature in the schedules of everyday life, be it for business or pleasure.
As with any tech product, it's a good idea to speak to your IT provider to get their advice on what best suits your business.
Speak to a Specialist
You can fill out the form and one of our product specialists will contact you shortly with more information.
About the author
Stephen Dracup
Stephen is an experienced telecoms & IT professional with over 35 years industry experience. After graduating from the University of Manchester, Stephen started his career with Lister and Co PLC working for them for 12 years, rising to the position of Head of IT.
Stephen then set up Hoodpoint Communications, specialising in providing ICT, Data and Voice communications and business phone systems. The business was sold to Chess in 2005.
Stephen stayed on at Chess, rising to the role of Group Managing Director in 2012. He became Chief Operating Officer in 2020 and runs the operational teams day to day as well as Marketing and Commercial. He is also closely involved in Chess M&A activity.