The Pros and Cons of Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom

Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom 

When addressing the question of Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom, there are a few different contexts you must keep in mind. These all have to do with one organizational profile and what they are looking to get from each platform.

Conferencing 

If conferencing software is your primary goal, then both platforms have quite good conferencing features. Microsoft Teams does not work with a dial-in number out of the box and requires an IT professional to set up and an additional license. 

It also does not do large “live” webinar events and requires an additional license and configuration. Zoom does both large conferencing and has dial-in features out of the box. If you need to expand your max webinar limit, it is a simple license upgrade that does not require an IT professional.  

Collaboration 

If collaboration is your primary use for the software, Microsoft Teams has advanced tools to aid in this process. Zoom does not really contain any of these advanced collaboration features, and therefore, cannot be recommended as a suitable software. Along with direct and group messaging, Microsoft Teams has dedicated containers with additional channels that allow for the effective organization of communication and collaboration. 

Microsoft Teams is also part of the Microsoft 365 Cloud Productivity Stack and takes full advantage of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online. It can directly integrate with OneDrive and SharePoint online as well. The integrations don’t stop there! Microsoft Teams can integrate with many different applications to provide single-application expertise to end-users. Imagine having all your work in one application!

Security 

Let’s talk about the security of both platforms, as there has been a lot of news coverage around this topic – Zoom specifically. While there were some issues with Zoom security, most of these came to light during the heavy adoption period in March 2020 as countries shutdown for COVID-19. Zoom quickly moved to enhance its security features and was transparent about its efforts. At no time did Zoom have any egregious security issues, and much of this was overblown as sensationalism. 

Every application has security holes, whether discovered or not. It is essential to understand that both products are mature enterprise applications that have many resources dedicated to maintaining their security. Microsoft alone employs a team of over 3500, plus security professionals, alongside advanced AI systems to monitor and maintain the integrity of its product.  

Final Thoughts 

If your organization is looking for a simple web conferencing tool, isn’t on Microsoft 365, or wants to avoid extra cost and complexity, Zoom is the right choice for you. If your organization is on Microsoft 365 and is looking to increase communication, collaboration, and efficiency, then Microsoft Teams is the top choice. Some organizations will elect to choose both platforms because of the added cost and complexity of setting up all the extra conferencing features on Teams.

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