Technician's Website
Technician's Website
Support Group Marcel Krenz
Support Group Marcel Krenz

zoom
  1. ZOOM
    5.1. Connection and Videoquality:
    Our test showed that the video and audio quality in Zoom conferences scale auto –
    matically to the bandwidth provided. At high bandwidth webcam pictures in 720p
    were streamed easily and the conference ran at very good audio quality. On low
    bandwidth the conference system scaled the video and audio quality to a level with
    the overall stream still without lag. The videoresolution changed to low and the au –
    dio quality dropped and became noisy. The system was tested using a Logitech HD
    C510 Webcam with 720p@30fps and a HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset. Network is –
    sues related to Zoom servers like lag or package loss could not be identified during
    our test.
    5.2. Functions:
    The Zoom service offers a large number of features during the conference. A chat,
    recording function, screen sharing, remote desktop, file sharing and the ability to
    cover up your video stream background. Furthermore there is a tool to present files
    and comment or note on them. The tool to comment and note on presented files
    worked more convenient in Zoom than in Cisco webex.
    5.3. Usability/Interface:
    Zoom’s user interface is less structured compared to those of other services. It
    was difficult to find some options without intense search. Zoom offers a layout
    manager to arrange the webcam streams and content presented to provide an indi –
    vidual structured meeting desktop. The warning/information on the meeting being
    recorded by the host is almost invisible to the participants being a very negative
    aspect in Zoom.
    5.4. Accessibility:
    Zoom Meetings can only be accessed using the desktop- app. The client must be installed
    on the PC locally and there is no access to meetings just with a browser. Invitations
    to a meeting are sent out with a link. Following the link the browser s tarts
    the desktop-app or takes to the download page of the app. The app is available for
    Windows and MACOS, IOs and Android (mobiles), on the download page browser
    plugins for firefox and chrome are featured, which have not been part of this test.
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    5.5. Pricing:
    Zoom is free of charge to use for up to 100 conference participants and a maximum
    meeting duration of 40 minutes. Duration of two client meetings is unlimited
    in time. With the purchase of a pro-license the conference system can be used
    time-unlimited together with up to 100 participants. The pro-license is available at
    € 13.99/month per moderator/host. That license model does include a 1GB cloud to
    store conference recordings. This might be the appropriate license model for re –
    search groups at our institute. Zoom does offer a € 18.99/month per moderator li –
    cense for conferences of up to 300 participants and LTI-integration to enable cou –
    pling to lecture platforms like Moodle or Blackboard. This license model is de –
    signed for educational institutions like universities and can be used to manage hole
    lectures.
    5.6. Data Protection:
    Zoom had to take a lot of critics recently on their data security. They passed personal
    data to partners like Facebook, users can be tracked with the help of the con –
    ference system and strangers could enter running meetings (zoombombing). Zoom
    conference should therefore only be used as private conference. Zoom now tried to
    improve their software with the Zoom 5.0 update. This update introduced AES 256
    BIT GCM encryption, a more central organized menu for security settings and a de –
    fault password setting for new started meetings. Different classes of meeting par –
    ticipants like admin, moderator and normal participants are issued separate passwords.
    However there are STILL major security issues in Zoom. Login data can be
    accessed through an exploit in the Windows-client, the new encryption allows Zoom
    still to look into the data flow and meeting administrators can still track partici –
    pants with the use of network information provided by Zoom. The feature of remote
    desktop connections, sometimes welcome, might impose additional risks and the
    (not)visibility of the recording warning count on the negative. With the wide use of
    conference and meeting services the potential of fraud like phishing grows and
    users have to be extra careful: https://www.it-daily.net/it-sicherheit/cyberdefence/
    23970-zoom-nutzer-verstaerkt-im-visier-von-phishing-angriffen
    5.7. Conclusion:
    Zoom is a conference service with a large number of advantages and disadvantages.
    It offers a stable connection with scaleable streaming quality adapt ing to
    the bandwidth available and a great number of useful functions that are well imple –
    mented. Zoom’s weakness however is the unstructured user interface, limitation of
    access to the desktop-app or the need to install plugins for browsers and the limi –
    tation to 40 minute per free meeting with more than two participants. Bigger meet –
    ings have to be organized with the use of a license for 13.99 €/month for one moderator.
    Additional features can be booked and many other plans are available from
    their webpage. We do not recommend Zoom as a conference service due to the
    major data security issues, missing low profile availability (standard browser and
    telephone) and complex high pricestructure.
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