Zoom plans to support live transcription in 30 languages

Other enhancements include the planned extension of end-to-end encryption to Zoom Phone, which will provide better security to users during one-on-one phone calls that occur via the Zoom client

Zoom shared several new enhancements that it plans to bring to its platform at the Zoomtopia 2021 conference on Monday, including expanded translation, transcription and Whiteboard experience.

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Earlier this year, the video communications firm had announced that it is working towards making automatic closed captioning (or live transcription) available to all users later this year. Zoom is now working on extending its automatic closed captioning feature to 30 languages, as well as adding live translation to 12 languages in the next year, it noted in a blog post.

“This expansion of our transcription and translation features will help to overcome the language barrier that can prevent dynamic communication and collaboration,” the California-based company said.

The announcement comes after Zoom acquired German machine learning translation solutions firm Kites, which can offer real-time translations to users during meetings.

The video conferencing platform currently provides a Whiteboard feature to help users during meetings. Later this year, it plans to bring an enhanced Whiteboard (in beta) that will “enable seamless, asynchronous collaboration across a wide range of devices”. Essentially, users will be able to access Whiteboard on the web and even in Zoom apps.

Zoom also said it is teaming up with Facebook to offer its video teleconferencing software as well as build a whiteboard integration for Oculus Horizons Workrooms, the virtual reality (VR) space for teams to connect and collaborate. It will enable Zoom users to access and annotate a whiteboard within a VR environment.

Other enhancements include the planned extension of end-to-end encryption to Zoom Phone, which will provide better security to users during one-on-one phone calls that occur via the Zoom client. Further, the company plans to introduce widgets to help users get a glance at their meeting schedule, or send a quick chat, among others.