Zoom adds third-party apps to video calls

Zoom became indispensable during the pandemic, and now the company wants to ensure it stays that way when things return to some sense of normalcy. To that end, it’s adding third-party integrations, allowing you to use apps like Asana and Dropbox Spaces while in a Zoom call. As of today’s launch, there are more than 50 plugins you can add to your client, including games like Heads Up. Once you install the latest version of Zoom, a “Discover” tab under the new Apps side panel will allow you to see what’s available.

You can expand and collapse the panel as needed during a call to access the functionality of an app. As one example, the Asana plugin allows you to create, edit and assign tasks without leaving Zoom. Another way to see what’s available is through the Zoom Marketplace. If you use Zoom for work and you’re part of an organization, your admin can limit what you can install.

Zoom sees third-party integrations as a way to become a platform instead of a single-use app. Much like its new Events hub, which the company made widely available today, the idea here is to keep the service growing so it can continue on the trajectory it established during the pandemic.