Zoom is adding new features to its Events, Webinar and Meetings tools in a bid to help enterprise marketers and salespeople better engage with customers and employees using its videoconferencing platform.

What's in the Zoom Events and Webinar updates

Zoom first announced its events platform, OnZoom, back in 2020, offering users the ability to create and host live events and webinars for up to 50,000 attendees, depending on a company's Zoom license.

Later this month, Zoom Events users will be getting a virtual backstage environment-think of it as a virtual green room-. This feature allows panelists, speakers, and production staff to stay behind the scenes while viewing the live event feed, chat with each other, answer attendees' questions, and practice their presentations. 

Zoom Webinar users are also getting two new features. Sessions can now be branded, with hosts able to customize the in-webinar experience by adding a wallpaper behind the video tiles, set a common virtual background for all panelists, and provide name tags for each panelist. In-webinar reactions can now be posted to the bottom-right corner of the main webinar window also.

Launching Zoom IQ for Sales

The new Zoom IQ for Sales tool is a "conversation intelligence add-on" for Zoom Meetings that turns customer interactions into actionable insights for salespeople.

By automating next steps, risk assessments and adding quick search functionality, Zoom says it can boost sales productivity during and after meetings with clients.

IQ for Sales integrates with Salesforce, various email calendar platforms, and Zoom Meetings to consolidate workstreams, and provide an aggregated view of conversations.

Zoom IQ for Sales is immediately available as an add-on for Zoom Meetings customers, with support for Zoom Phone coming soon.

Dave Michels, founder and principal analyst at TalkingPointz said these improvements are another example of Zoom continuing to meet the expanding needs of its customers.

"The Zoom platform is poised to make an impact on reimagining the customer experience, by expanding it to include the entire customer journey, from marketing to sales to ongoing support," he said.

Chief product officer at Zoom, Oded Gal, said the new additions mark "further steps in Zoom's journey to establish new heights for customer experiences and flexible collaboration across the workforce."