Karnataka health department stops using Zoom for video calls

The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has abandoned using Zoom app for its daily video press conference

The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has abandoned using Zoom app for its daily video press conference (REUTERS)

The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has abandoned using Zoom app for its daily video press conference amid the Covid-19 lockdown since Monday, and has transitioned to Cisco Webex, an official said on Tuesday.

"Dear all, we will not use Zoom app for media briefing from Monday. We will be using Cisco Webex meeting," messaged a health official who shares Covid data with journalists everyday.

The development comes in the light of recent central government caution on using the Zoom app which is purported to be unsafe.

Incidentally, global software major Infosys also deployed Webex to conduct its virtual Q4 financial results press conference on Monday.

Meanwhile, Google Meet, part of G-Suite is witnessing more than 2 million new users everyday amid Covid lockdown, following millions working remotely from home.

G-Suite, a host of Google productivity apps comprising Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Meet and others enables teams to connect and collaborate remotely.

"Google Meet is built on Google Cloud's secure-by-design infrastructure to help protect user data and safeguard privacy," said Mark Johnston, Google Cloud, Asia Pacific, Head of Security, Networking and Collaboration Specialists.