Published 2020-04-22 by TechNet New England
With remote and hybrid work becoming standard, choosing the right communication platform is a critical business decision. Microsoft Teams and Zoom are the two dominant options, and while both handle video meetings well, they serve different needs.
Microsoft Teams: The Integrated Workspace
Teams is more than a video calling app. It is a full collaboration platform built into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. If your business already uses Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Office apps, Teams ties everything together:
- Chat and channels: Persistent messaging organized by team and topic, replacing much of your internal email
- File sharing: Files shared in Teams are stored in SharePoint, making them accessible, versioned, and searchable
- Calendar integration: Meetings sync directly with Outlook calendars
- App integrations: Hundreds of third-party apps plug directly into Teams
- Phone system: With Microsoft Teams Phone, you can replace your traditional phone system entirely
Teams Strengths
- Included with most Microsoft 365 business plans at no extra cost
- Deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem
- Comprehensive security and compliance features
- Excellent for internal collaboration and ongoing team communication
Zoom: The Meeting Specialist
Zoom built its reputation on one thing: making video meetings work reliably. It excels at this core function:
- Meeting quality: Consistently reliable video and audio, even on slower connections
- Ease of use: Extremely simple for external participants who just need to join a meeting
- Webinars: Strong webinar features for large presentations and events
- Breakout rooms: Well-implemented breakout room feature for workshops and training
Zoom Strengths
- Lowest barrier to entry for external meeting participants
- Superior experience for large meetings and webinars
- Platform-agnostic: works the same regardless of what other tools you use
- Simple, focused interface
Our Recommendation
For most small businesses, especially those already using Microsoft 365, Teams is the better choice. The integration with your existing tools, the included cost with your Microsoft subscription, and the comprehensive feature set make it the more practical option.
Zoom makes sense if your business relies heavily on external meetings with clients or partners who are not on Microsoft 365, or if you regularly host large webinars and events.
Many businesses use both. Teams for internal collaboration and Zoom for external meetings. There is no rule that says you have to pick just one.
Need help setting up or optimizing Teams for your business? Contact us for a consultation.