The past several years have taught government about the importance of collaborative, virtual technology that allows employees to engage and excel from anywhere. It should be seamless and secure, available across one communications platform. It should allow employees to meet face-to-face despite long distances.
Collaborative technology should make it easy for colleagues to work on projects simultaneously, with reliable HD video and audio. And agencies should be able to tailor virtual meetings and conferences to specific agency needs, among other opportunities.
Alongside strategic partners like Presidio Federal, Zoom for Government has provided organizations with the cloud-based tools they need. But today, as federal employees begin transitioning to more combinations of on-site/off-site work — creating more collaborative challenges and security vulnerabilities — the value of Zoom’s solutions is even clearer.
Phone Calls Made Easy
As a complement to its webinars, virtual meetings, and chat features, Zoom for Government’s offerings include Zoom Phone, which provides a full portfolio of call-handling options and even allows users to send SMS messages directly from an agency phone number.
The technology, which can integrate with an agency’s existing carrier, is “simple to use, super intuitive [and] easy to just figure it out,” said Claire Hoffmann, a Zoom Phone specialist.
She explained that it’s a “next-generation, modern business-telephone system solution,” one that lets users “connect with their colleagues, suppliers, community — effectively anyone — via a universally acceptable, regular telephone number.”
The experience is the same whether someone uses Zoom Phone at work, home or on their personal mobile device. And elevating a conversation from a phone call and to a Zoom video meeting is easy — just click on the “Meet” button.
Zoom Phone for government devices
Serious Security
But all this engagement comes at a potential cost: security. That’s especially true with a hybrid workforce that spends a few days in-office and a few days at home and frequently transitions between official and personal devices.
Cybersecurity must be at the core of any virtual communications platform. So, to ensure the safety of its wireless collaboration tools, Zoom for Government is certified at the FedRAMP Moderate level and authorized by the Department of Defense, among other security recognitions. The platform offers in-meeting security controls, real-time data encryption, and other safeguards.
Bad actors don’t access sensitive information with Zoom for Government — and agencies don’t become victims of expensive ransomware attacks.
Questions to Ask
As 2024 approaches, agencies must think carefully about the virtual communication technology they choose. What factors are most important? What options will keep agencies safe?
Below are some questions for federal agencies to consider.
- How scalable is the collaborative platform?
- Is the technology secure and certified, and by who?
- Do the virtual tools work together seamlessly?
- Are the tools inclusive, intuitive, and accessible for all users?
- Is the technology simple to administer?
- Does the platform easily integrate with agencies’ existing technology?
- How forward-thinking is the platform provider?
- Is the platform available to outside entities that support an agency’s mission?
Organizations suddenly needed virtual collaboration tools when in-person meetings and hallway conversations became impossible several years ago. The agencies that teamed up with Zoom for Government and strategic partners such as Presidio Federal added real value to their operations. Wireless collaboration became innovative, easy, effective, and secure. And now, as federal employees begin spending more time in-office, Zoom for Government helps agencies once again accommodate an evolving world.
