Accessing Zoom

Here’s what you get:

💻 1. Work from anywhere

A softphone runs on your computer or mobile app, so you can take calls wherever you have internet. Whether you're at home, traveling, or in the office, your business number stays with you.

💰 2. Lower costs

No need to buy, maintain, or replace physical desk phones. You also reduce departmental costs since everything runs through the cloud.

🔄 3. Easy setup & scaling

Adding a new user is quick—just assign a license in Zoom. No wiring, no hardware installation. This makes scaling your team much easier.

📱 4. Seamless device switching

You can move between your laptop, smartphone, or tablet without dropping calls. This is especially useful for hybrid work setups.

🧩 5. Built-in integrations

Zoom softphones integrate directly with:

• Meetings & video calls
• Team chat
• Voicemail & call recording
  Everything lives in one platform instead of juggling multiple tools.

🔒 6. Security & reliability

Zoom Phone uses encrypted connections and benefits from Zoom’s global cloud infrastructure, helping ensure stable and secure communications.

📊 7. Advanced features

Softphones typically include:

• Call forwarding & routing
• Voicemail transcription
• Auto attendants (virtual receptionists)
• Analytics & call reporting

These features are often more advanced than what traditional phones offer.

⚡ 8. Faster updates

New features roll out automatically—no need to upgrade hardware or firmware manually.

💸 1. Higher upfront and ongoing costs

You’ll need to:

• Purchase the hardware
• Maintain and possibly replace devices
• Manage inventory
• All purchases will come from departmental funding

🧑‍💻 2. Less flexibility

Hardphones are tied to a physical location. Unlike softphones:

• You can’t easily take calls on the go
• Remote work becomes less seamless

⚙️ 3. Setup and management overhead

Even though Zoom supports provisioning, you still have:

• Device setup
• Firmware updates
• Network configuration (VLANs, PoE, etc.)

🔄 4. Limited integration compared to softphones

Hardphones don’t integrate as deeply with:

• Chat
• Video meetings
• Screen sharing

They’re primarily voice-first devices.

🪫 5. Less future-proof

Communication trends are moving toward app-based, unified platforms. Investing heavily in hardware can limit agility long-term.

Using Zoom Phone as a softphone provides:

• Flexibility to work from campus or remotely
• Easier call management and voicemail access
• Faster onboarding without physical hardware
• Consistent experience across devices
• Reduced reliance on physical and legacy phone hardware, minimizing maintenance, replacement cycles, and on‑site dependencies
• Improved resilience and continuity during device refreshes, office moves, or space changes—users can sign in and make calls from any TAMUSA‑issued device
• Supports the university’s future technology direction, aligning with cloud‑first, mobile‑friendly, and scalable services
• Lower long‑term operational overhead, as fewer physical phones and on‑premises components require support

Logging into Zoom:

There are two ways to log in and access your Zoom account, the web portal and the Zoom application

      1. To login to TAMU-SA's Zoom portal, navigate to https://tamusa.zoom.us/

     2. From here, you will click the Sign-In button.

     3. It will then take you to the Jagwire sign-in page. Log in with your Jaguar account credentials.

     4. After logging in, you will be brought to your dashboard. From here you can manage scheduled meetings, view recordings, and change settings. Please note: your layout may look slightly different from what is pictured here.

     5. To log in to the Zoom application, navigate to and open the Zoom app on your device.

     6. Once the Zoom app opens, select Sign In.

     7. When the next sign-in window appears, select SSO.

     8. On the Sign in with SSO page, type in “tamusa” and the extension on the right should say “.zoom.us”

     9. Once you continue, it might prompt you to log in to Jagwire if you are not already signed into the web portal.

    10. Next, it will open your web browser and prompt you to open Zoom. Select Open.

    11. The Zoom app will now be launched. You will be brought to the dashboard. Here you can also manage meetings, access the calendar, join meetings, and change settings.

Once you are logged into Zoom, it is good to know how to schedule your meetings with the appropriate settings and configurations. Listed below are some links that include step-by-step instructions on how to do so.

• Zoom Best Practices
• Zoom Confluence
• Zoom Support

To enable Auto-start Zoom Workplace:

1. Sign in to the Zoom Desktop app.
2. Click your profile picture, then click Settings.
3. Click General.
4. Under Zoom Workplace App, toggle on  Auto-start Zoom Workplace.
5. (Optional) Click the Start silently check box.

Zoom Phone is TAMUSA’s cloud‑based phone system that allows you to make and receive calls using the Zoom Workplace app on your computer or mobile device—no physical desk phone required.

To use Zoom Phone, you will need:

• A TAMUSA Zoom account with Zoom Phone enabled
• The Zoom Workplace desktop app (Windows or macOS) or Zoom mobile app (iOS/Android)
• TAMUSA SSO login
• To launch Zoom Workplace on Windows: use the Windows Search bar (Start menu) and type Zoom Workplace — the app is pre‑installed on all TAMUSA‑issued devices

Once your account is enabled, the Phone tab will appear in your Zoom app.

Making a Call

Using the Zoom Workplace app, you can place calls in several ways:

• Dial a number using the on‑screen keypad
• Search for a colleague by name or extension
• Click‑to‑dial from saved contacts

All calling is handled directly in the Zoom app—no additional software is required .

Receiving a Call

Incoming calls appear as notifications in the Zoom app.

Depending on your status, you can:

• Answer the call
• Decline the call (routes to voicemail)
• Send the call to voicemail

If you are already on a call, Zoom Phone provides options to manage multiple calls .

Voicemail

Zoom Phone voicemail is built into the Zoom app:

• Voicemails appear in the Voicemail tab
• Messages can include audio and transcription
• Voicemail is synced across desktop and mobile devices

Users can listen to, manage, and delete voicemail messages directly from Zoom .

Call History

Your Call History tab shows:

• Incoming, outgoing, and missed calls
• Call details and timestamps
• Visibility across desktop and mobile

Call history helps users quickly return missed calls or review recent activity .

Transferring & Managing Calls

During an active call, Zoom Phone provides built‑in controls to:

• Place a call on hold
• Transfer calls to another person or extension
• Add additional callers

These controls are available directly within the Zoom app’s call interface .

Official Zoom Training (Recommended)

Zoom provides free, on‑demand training and short videos covering Zoom Phone basics:

• Zoom Learning Center: Home page - Zoom Learning Center
• Zoom Phone “Show Me” Videos: "Show Me" Videos - Zoom Learning Center

• ITS Open Forums: Hosted periodically for campus users
  • Request Training here: ITSPMO@tamusa.edu
• Recorded Sessions: Shared following live trainings