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April 27, 2020updated 28 Apr 2020 10:39am

Q: Where the Hell is Zoom 5.0? A: It’s Coming, OKAY?

24 hours...

By CBR Staff Writer

Updated 10:30 BST, April 28, 2020. Zoom 5.0 is now generally available! Download the improved video conferencing tool here

Six days after Zoom proudly announced the release of version 5.0, replete with a host of sorely needed and eagerly awaited security updates, security conscious users in Europe may have noticed that the video conference software’s download page is still offering version 4.6.12.

The Zoom 5.0 release will feature encryption that’s upgraded to AES 256 from previous weak efforts; waiting room feature on by default; password protection on by default, plus password complexity requirements; and the ability for administrators to choose data centre region.

Yet despite an April 22 blog post, saying “Zoom Hits Milestone on 90-Day Security Plan, Releases Zoom 5.0” it actually hadn’t (released 5.0). Curiously, despite the proud announcement, for days afterwords no Zoom 5.0 was on offer for those keen to update on the download page.

See all Promised Zoom 5.0’s Updates Here

Chased by Computer Business Review on Monday 27 — with Zoom 5.0 still unavailable — the company said it would be coming soon.

Zoom said in a short emailed statement: “The roll out has begun globally, and the download centre will update in due course.

“It should be available in EMEA in the next 24 hours.”

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Quite why it chose to jump the gun with an announcement, without general availability of the latest iteration, remains anyone’s guess.

But the updates — which for the businesses still perfectly happy with the platform and its apparently concerted efforts to improve security and UX are vital — are coming soon; hold that thought.

Zoom has had to scramble to try and regain trust from users, after major banks, utilities, and public sector users banned staff from running the application following a flurry of worrying security reports — many involving user configuration issues, but others more severe. (Toms Guide has a handy round-up here.) Critics would argue that it may also want to actually start delivering releases when it announces their availability.

See also: Microsoft Teams Vulnerability Let Hackers “Take Over Entire Roster of Teams Accounts”

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