---
type: entity
title: Zoom
tags: [web-conferencing, software, saas, video-conferencing, communication]
related: [web-conferencing, dfnconf-pexip, jitsi-meet, bigbluebutton, universitatsrechenzentrum-urz, zoom-privacy-policy, gdpr-compliance, web-conferencing-troubleshooting, shibboleth, opsi, digitale-lehre]
created: 2026-07-01
updated: 2026-07-01
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz_datenschutz.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz_probleme_bei_webkonferenzen.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz_zoom.md"]
---

# Zoom

**Zoom** is a web and video conferencing service provided by **Zoom Video Communications, Inc.** (based in the USA). It is provided to the **Universität Greifswald** community via a campus license and is used for synchronous communication, teaching, online meetings, webinars, virtual events, and large-scale meetings.

## Access and Eligibility

### User Eligibility
- **Eligible Users**: Employees, students, and lecturers of the university.
- **Exclusions**: 
    - Employees of [[universitatsmedizin]] must use the separate UMG Zoom license.
    - Providers of Hochschulsport (university sports) courses are not covered by the campus license.
- **Usage**: Its use is voluntary for students and staff.

### Authentication and Account Management
- **Authentication**: Meeting hosts must authenticate via [[shibboleth]] at `uni-greifswald-de.zoom.us`. Participants can join meetings without registration.
- **Account Management Note**: Users who previously created standalone/personal Zoom accounts using their university email address cannot merge them with the Shibboleth-based campus account. To regain access to the campus license and resolve login conflicts, they must log into the standalone account and change the email address to a private/non-university one.

## Technical Implementation

### Access Methods
- **Zoom App / Desktop Client**: The primary method for joining meetings using a Meeting ID. The **Zoom Desktop Client** is mandatory for screen sharing and advanced features.
- **Browser Version**: Available for users who cannot or do not wish to install the application, providing basic/limited functionality.

### Capabilities and Features
- **Meeting Capacity**: Supports up to **500 participants** for standard meetings.
- **Webinars**: Specialized licenses for events exceeding 500 participants are managed by the [[digitale-lehre]] team.
- **Key Features**:
    - **Breakout Rooms**: For small group work.
    - **Whiteboard**: Collaborative note-taking (supports tablets for handwriting).
    - **Polls**: Interactive questions and gathering participant feedback during meetings.
    - **Virtual Backgrounds**: For neutral, professional, or custom backgrounds.
    - **Host-less Meetings**: Option to allow participants to join before the host or continue after the host leaves.

## Support Model

There is a strict division of support responsibilities:
- **Software/Application Support**: Provided exclusively by the external **Zoom Help Center** (Zoom Video Communications Inc.).
- **Infrastructure Support**: The [[universitatsrechenzentrum-urz]] supports technical issues regarding the use of Zoom within the university infrastructure, specifically if the issue is related to [[opsi]]-managed devices or general campus network connectivity.
- **Troubleshooting**: For troubleshooting connection issues related to Zoom or other conferencing tools, see [[web-conferencing-troubleshooting]].

## Data Protection and Privacy Configuration

To align the US-based service with EU law and ensure data sovereignty and privacy, the university implements the following configurations:

### Compliance and Residency
- **Data Residency**: Traffic and all university videoconferences are routed exclusively through **European data centers**.
- **Compliance**: A **Custom Data Processing Agreement** is in place to meet GDPR requirements.

### Privacy Settings
- **Feature Deactivation**: Privacy-invasive features, specifically **Attention Tracking** (Aufmerksamkeitsüberwachung), are disabled.
- **Data Minimization**: The service is configured to transfer and store the minimum amount of data necessary.

### Data Handling
- **Processing**: The service processes user details, meeting metadata (such as IPs and hardware), and optional recordings.
- **Recordings**: The use of recordings requires transparent prior notification and explicit user consent.
- **Retention**: Meeting reports for registered users are stored for up to one month.

For detailed information on how data is handled, see [[zoom-privacy-policy]].

## Comparison with other URZ services

Compared to other provided tools, Zoom offers significantly higher scalability than:
- [[jitsi-meet]] (35 participants)
- [[dfnconf-pexip]] (23 participants)
- [[bigbluebutton]] (225 participants)