X is apparently planning to enter the video conferencing arms race.
Last week, one of X’s employees, Chris Park, shared that the company had successfully held its first internal conference using a new video conferencing solution it had apparently been working on. Park promoted it as a viable alternative to Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and AWS Chime, and mentioned that the team’s initial feedback had been positive. X owner Elon Musk responded to Park’s post with the fire emoji in an abstract confirmation of the solution’s development.
As a result, Park outlined that X will likely develop new features for the service, such as the ability to pin speakers and improved notifications to indicate when people join or leave the conference.
Park said:
First conference meeting with some of my amazing teammates from @X and @XDevelopers. Already a really strong alternative to Google Hangouts, Zoom, AWS Chime and of course… Microsoft Teams.”
First conference meeting with some of my great @X And @XDeveloper teammates.
Already a really strong alternative to Google Hangouts, Zoom, AWS Chime and of course… Microsoft Teams
Minimal feedback that is likely to come:
– better visibility or notification when someone… pic.twitter.com/FJ252w6m4C— Chris Park (@chrisparkX) 23 August 2024
Techcrunch highlighted that P4mui, an app developer for X, has identified several other similarities with other conferencing tools. They revealed that users will soon be able to create new meetings directly from the iOS app, allowing users to either start meetings immediately or schedule them later.
It also appears that the product could allow hosts to create a one-time meeting code that participants must enter when joining.
There is currently no release or rollout date for the feature.
Wait, hadn’t X already introduced video conferencing?
Kind of. X users can live stream videos using the Spaces service, while the video calling feature was only added to the iOS app in October last year and then to the Android app in January. At the time, the feature was only limited to X Premium users. Users had to shell out $8 per month or $84 per year for a Premium subscription. However, all users at the time could still receive audio and video calls.
However, in February, X expanded its audio and video calling capabilities to all users. Users can access audio and video calling options on the DM Settings tab of the X platform and manage their calling preferences from the Settings page.
X continues to pursue its ambition to be an “everything app”
Park reiterated his intention to be the “jack of all trades app” in his X-post, signaling his intention to compete with Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex and Google Meet in the video conferencing space.
X faces a major challenge in catching up with the market leaders in video conferencing. These platforms offer advanced features and robust functionality, while X is starting from scratch with this solution.
To truly compete with these industry giants, X would likely need to make significant investments in technology and expertise, as well as invest time in fixing bugs and conducting thorough quality assurance testing. Moreover, the transformative impact of AI exemplified in tools like Microsoft’s Copilot, Zoom’s AI Companion, and Google’s Gemini could widen the gap even further. As X explores its own AI research, it could find it difficult to keep up with the rapid advances of its competitors.
A similar scenario is emerging with X’s entry into audio and video calling. Musk has been optimistic that his platform has the potential to challenge rivals like WhatsApp, and posted on the platform that he would get rid of his phone number. However, WhatsApp offers sophisticated features and comprehensive functionality, while X’s audio and video calling, while now available to all users, is currently limited in scope and only available on mobile devices.
Musk and his team point out that X could have an advantage over the competition: It could provide the only platform a given user might need, with audio and video calls and conferences, social media, business messaging, online payments and job postings.
Time will tell whether X’s reinvention will actually turn it into an indispensable “do-it-all app” that a select audience will appreciate, or whether it will be an app that can do everything but do nothing properly.
