The major disruptions of the last two-and-a-half years are behind us, but they have left a lasting legacy in the way businesses and individuals connect, collaborate, and communicate.

During the months and years of lockdown, people become accustomed to online meetings and classes, and the new ways of working have proven to be effective and productive.

Many companies and most schools have returned to in-person models, while some still maintain a remote model. The majority, however, are opting for a hybrid approach that sees workers and students balancing in-person and remote working.

“Whatever choice you make, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. offers the features and functionality your team needs to stay safe, connected, and productive,” says Channel Norval, Zoom Program Manager at First Distribution. “What you choose for your next phase of work hinges on several factors unique to your business, your strategy, and your people.”

First Distribution recently signed the distribution rights for all Zoom products in South Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Island Territories.

Zoom caters to a large audience and various industry sectors including government, authorities, educational institutions, private sector, and public sector. FD clients benefit from that experience and scalability. Also, the Zoom portfolio matches the breadth of FD’s portfolio - something which our customers value.”

Dion Smith, Director, EMEA Channels at Zoom, comments: “We selected First Distribution because of its depth and scale across the markets it serves. The company’s partner relationships and experienced teams are able to support Zoom in enabling partners within the countries it serves, while its partner and customer passion aligns with our own culture.”

Zoom became a household name in 2020, giving companies, end customers, and educational institutions a much-needed lifeline that enabled them to continue operating when COVID-19 struck.

Today, the company offers four base licence structure types: Pro Licences; Business Licences; Enterprise Licences; and Education Licences. An add-on licence structure allows for Webinars, Large Meetings, CRC Licences, and Zoom Room Licences. The on-the-go worker benefits from the new Zoom Phone that allows them to make calls from their handheld device or migrate to it.

With security very much in the spotlight, Zoom has taken measures to give its customers the tools to keep their business-critical communications safe from attack.

End-to-end encryption, when enabled, ensures that communication between all meeting participants in a given meeting is encrypted using cryptographic keys known only to the devices of those participants. This ensures that no third party - including Zoom - has access to the meeting’s private keys.

In addition, Zoom offers a range of authentication methods such as SAML, OAuth, and/or Password, which can be individually enabled or disabled for an account. Users authenticating with username and password can also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) as an additional layer of security to sign in.

An organisation can also automatically add users to their account with managed domains. Once the managed domain application is approved, all existing and new users with the organisation’s email address domain will be added to that account.

First Distribution is making it simple for reseller partners to offer their end user customers Zoom solutions that fit their budgets and requirements.

Partners can sign up to become registered Zoom resellers by signing a contract and going through accreditation to become familiar with the product. FD will ensure all billing and queries will be completed quickly and seamlessly.

FD also has a designated support desk that can assist partners with troubleshooting or any issues that their end users will have.