Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) introduced additional features to its portal to support work from home or remote work options. The company will allow third party video conferencing apps such as Webex, BlueJeans, Zoom Video Communications Inc (NASDAQ:ZM), and GoToMeeting. It is to attract a wider enterprise audience to its portal despite losing its exclusivity.
Users can create a new account
Now the portal users can create a free account through Facebook’s ECP (Enterprise Communications Platform) – Workplace. Facebook’s main target is to extend support to the third party video conferencing services and improve appeal to a large chunk of enterprise audience.
Facebook could gain several million users by opening its portal to the popular video conferencing apps – Cisco and Zoom. The social media giant previously supported enterprise users for in-house video conferencing services like Workplace Live and Workplace Rooms with its Portal.
Workplace adds best-in-breed features
Facebook’s exclusivity reduced its appeal to the portal. According to a JD Power survey in April 2020, almost half of the users use multiple platforms over a week. A Product Manager at Facebook, Micah Collins, said the company is expanding the workplace as a collaboration center. The workplace is renovated with a host of new features. It will also support several best-in-breed features catering to the needs of vivid customers.
Facebook’s portal improves appeal to remote workers to satisfy their need for video conferencing by providing a separate screen while freeing up the computer for other chores. It will also add AI enhancements to audio and video to improve video conferencing experience through the portal.
AI-enabled camera in the portal tracks the position of a user for a better video feed. It eliminates users’ anxiety, who are thinking about whether I am in the right lighting and right field of view. Portal devices are programmed to transmit the AI-enhanced audio and video to third party video conferencing operators.
In 2018, Facebook introduced Portal devices and promoted them as video calling devices for connecting with family and friends. The company clocked higher sales with the onset of coronavirus pandemic. It is not just for chatting with friends and family but also for remote work.
Zoom expands to a myriad of devices by the end of this year. Google Nest Hub Max and Amazon Echo Show will also support Zoom besides Facebook Portal. Built-in touch screens and high-quality directional microphones support video conferencing.
