Article posted on July 25, 2019

Zoom recently released Zoom Phone, a modern cloud phone system that can make and receive calls directly from Zoom. With the release of Zoom Phone, Zoom has unified all your business communications with video, voice, and messaging on a single platform. Zoom innovated the traditional voice experience by delivering an adaptive solution that scales for customers in SMB to enterprise organizations. Zoom Phone is a way to deliver on the promise to bring you a frictionless communications experience. At Buzzfire, our goal is to enable Zoom customers to work how, where, and when they choose. Here are some of most frequently asked questions from our customers about Zoom Phone:

1. Am I able to use an existing phone number with Zoom Phone or will I need to be assigned a new phone number?

Zoom Phone supports Local Number Portability (LNP) which allows customers to migrate their  existing numbers to Zoom. Optionally, customers may also choose to have Zoom provision new local phone numbers. (International numbers are not yet available, but they are on our roadmap.)

2. Can you make an emergency (911) call and does it support Enhanced E911 services?

Yes, Zoom Phone supports emergency calling within the United States and Canada. Where required by law, we also support  E911 to provide location information to the public safety answering point (PSAP). Location information can be assigned at the account, branch office, and individual user level.

3. Does Zoom Phone support conference calling? If so, with how many people?

Yes, Zoom Phone supports three-way ad hoc conference calls. You can easily add or merge a third party to any existing phone call on demand. For larger audio conferencing requirements, you can still use what you already get today out of the box with Zoom Meetings. We encourage you to use video to host your conference calls with Zoom.

4. How robust is the Zoom voicemail system? Will messages be transcribed or can they be captured to an audio file and emailed to an associated account?

Voicemail is accessible from the Phone tab in the mobile and desktop Zoom applications. Zoom offers visual voicemail and automatic transcription so you don’t have to listen to the recording if you prefer to read it instead. Voicemail notifications can be delivered to your email client with the transcription and audio attachment. End users have the ability to customize their notification preferences.

5. How does Zoom Phone work with Zoom Rooms?

You can assign a Zoom Phone calling plan and phone number to a Zoom Room if you would like to make an outbound call from your conference room. Please keep in mind that your Zoom Rooms must be up-to-date with the latest version of Zoom software.

6. Can I move my toll-free (800) numbers to Zoom Phone?

Yes, Zoom Phone supports the porting of your existing toll-free numbers or we can provide you with new toll-free phone numbers (including 800, 866, 877, and 888 numbers).

7. Does Zoom Phone support softphones and legacy desktop phones?

We support Windows/MacOS for desktop and iOS/Android for mobile devices. It’s the same app you use for Zoom Meetings and Chat. We also support a number of traditional Polycom, Yealink and Cisco telephone devices. Here is a complete list of supported devices.

8. What calling plans are offered for Zoom Phone?

Zoom Phone is an add-on to your current Zoom Meetings services. Below is a list of the calling plans available:

• Metered Calling: All external PSTN calls are charged on a per minute basis
• Unlimited US and Canada Calling: Unlimited calling to destinations within the United States and Canada, international calls are charged at a metered rate.

Both Metered and Unlimited PSTN calling plans include unlimited extension-to-extension calling. For more information, call Buzzfire at 877-289-9347.

9. Using Zoom Phone when calling out, is there the ability to show up on caller ID as our company name?

Yes, Zoom Phone supports the ability to customize the Caller ID (phone number) presented to the person you are trying to reach. Users may select their own personal DID, a company main number, or even another user’s phone number if that privilege has been appropriately delegated.

10. What security is available today with Zoom Phone?

Zoom Phone’s HD voice is protected with end-to-end encryption. Zoom Phone uses SRTP to encrypt the voice media streams and our SIP signaling uses TLS 1.2 authentication.

If you’d like to learn more about Zoom Phone, use the contact form at the right of our webpage.

Zoom Phone: Your Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions