What you need to know
X is testing a new video conferencing tool to compete with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. The tool will have many features, such as pinning the main speaker or participants, notifying them when they leave a meeting, etc. It is not yet clear when the tool will be released to the public.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most organizations adopted hybrid work and work-from-home approaches to curb the further spread of the virus. As a result, video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom became essential to facilitate effective and efficient communication within organizations.
Since then, most organizations have adopted remote working as part of a broader plan to reduce operational costs. And coincidentally, it seems that X (formerly Twitter) has joined the fray. TechCrunch reports that X is testing a new video conferencing tool that could rival major players in the space.
First 𝕏 conference meeting with awesome @X and @XDevelopers teammates. A powerful alternative to Google Hangouts, Zoom, AWS Chime and of course Microsoft Teams. 🤠 Probably minimal feedback:- Better visibility or notifications when someone joins the meeting… pic.twitter.com/FJ252w6m4CAugust 23, 2024
X employee Chris Park revealed that the company has started testing the video conferencing tool on social media platforms. Park touted the tool as “already a powerful alternative to Google Hangouts, Zoom, AWS Chime, and of course Microsoft Teams.” Initial feedback from users who have had early access to the tool seems to be quite positive. The tool is expected to ship with the features highlighted below:
We’ve improved the visuals and notifications when someone leaves or joins. We’ve added the ability to pin main speakers and participants, so you don’t have to go back and forth on the main panel and see their awesome face (or yours) over and over again.
X owner Elon Musk responded to Park’s X post with a fire emoji, suggesting that the tool may be in development and waiting to be widely adopted. Users also took the opportunity to mention the platform’s Spaces feature.
“I wish x spaces were this cool. Too bad x spaces doesn’t have live chat or landscape group video. But it’s one of x’s underrated features.”
Park responded to the comment, saying that these changes will be implemented in Spaces soon. According to app researcher Nian Owiji, X’s new video conferencing tool will allow hosts to create a unique code for each meeting, which participants can then use to join.
BREAKING: Each X conference has a unique code that you can share with others to join. pic.twitter.com/ZSOYb40QjHAugust 23, 2024
Because of this, it remains unclear when Company X plans to ship this video conferencing tool to the general public. Details are still scarce on whether Company X’s Spaces functionality, or some elements of it, will be integrated into the video conferencing tool, but that could be a possibility.
Earlier this month, Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald J. Trump were interviewed on X’s audio live streaming feature, Spaces, to discuss a whole range of topics, including politics. However, the interview got off to a shaky start with users reporting issues such as error messages, no audio, and blocked access to the live stream with music on hold.
Musk quickly shifted the blame to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyber attack, and the interview was delayed by more than 40 minutes.