Zoom announces new feature to let users control meeting rooms from their smartphones

Zoom users can now control their meeting room experienced from their mobile devices, eliminating the need for users to touch the shared in-room controller. The video chat app has announced the general availability of new Zoom Rooms innovations that will help organisations safely re-enter the office and sustain an 'everywhere workforce'. "Pair your iOS or Android mobile client to a Zoom Room, easily join meetings on the Zoom Rooms directly from your client and your mobile client is automatically placed in companion mode during the meeting," the company said in an update late on Wednesday.

With the Zoom Rooms Controller app on your mobile, you'll have access to additional room controls, including the ability to start or join a meeting and full audio, video, and participant controls. With supported cameras, Zoom users can see how many people are in a room in real time on the Dashboard and on the Scheduling Display, to ensure social distancing mandates are met and meeting spaces aren't overcrowded. "As the world plans to safely reopen businesses, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and government entities, we are focused on innovating across our platform to support their needs," said Oded Gal, Chief Product Officer of Zoom. Zoom users can also monitor a room's environment and air quality. Neat Bar, a Zoom Rooms Appliance, includes an advanced set of capabilities called Neat Sense, which lets you monitor your meeting rooms for things like air quality, humidity, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds to keep occupants safe and healthy.

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People can now send a Zoom Rooms for Touch whiteboard to Zoom Chat or email. "If it's a personal Zoom Room, you can also send it to your chat groups. This helps streamline content sharing outside the meeting room, greatly improving cohesiveness in the new hybrid workforce," the company said.