Understanding the Basics of Zoom

Zoom is a very powerful communication and collaboration platform that allows for a multitude of ways to interact with people. Using simple text with things such as email and chat to fully immersive modalities such as audio, video, and content sharing, Zoom can be as simple or as advanced as you want. We are going introduce the basics of Unified Communications/Collaboration as a Service (UCaaS) functionality and define the various modalities that can be used. We will be outlining the differences between collaboration (email, chat, file sharing, whiteboard, and so on) and real-time communication (audio, video, content sharing, phone, and so on). Then, you will learn how to download, install, and log in to Zoom. Next, we will explore the basic functions of Zoom and the overall interface, such as joining and creating meetings, setting up email and calendar, as well as creating contacts. Finally, we will explore how to invite participants, manage meeting settings, and use some of the advanced functions inside the Zoom client.

In this chapter, we’re going to cover the following main recipes:

• Downloading the Zoom client
• Logging in to Zoom
• Joining a Zoom meeting
• Setting up your email and calendar
• Creating contacts
• Setting up a Zoom meeting