Last fall, Zoom experienced a significant worldwide outage on the first day of classes for Case Western Reserve University. Although this turned out to be a rare event, University Technology ([U]Tech) would like to remind faculty that it is always good to have a backup plan when relying on technology for teaching.
Zoom is the recommended primary video conferencing platform at Case Western Reserve University because it provides a combination of robust features and ease of use. However, should Zoom ever become unavailable again, Google Meet is the recommended alternative application.
Google Meet, part of CWRU’s G Suite offering, is easy to use. [U]Tech has published a quick start guide, including recommendations on how to prepare for a quick switch to Google Meet in case of a Zoom outage. During the fall, Google added many “Zoom-like” features to Meet. Review the updated feature comparison chart for details. With a little preparation, it will take a few minutes to implement a videoconferencing backup plan.
For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the [U]Tech Service Desk at help@case.edu or 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.