The What: HoverCam has redesigned its Flex 11 software to fully integrate with Zoom.
The What Else: HoverCam’s redesigned Flex 11 document camera software now incorporates Zoom’s familiar interface. With this integration, teachers no longer have to run HoverCam’s Flex 11 document camera software and Zoom as separate applications. They can schedule and launch meetings quickly right from Flex 11. This capability eliminates the black screen that previously appeared when switching between Zoom and the document camera software. In addition, teachers can now see students on the call as they work in Flex 11. They can access Zoom’s spotlight and screen sharing features as well as the Flex 11 features they know and love, including virtual whiteboarding, annotation, camera control, split-screen viewing, and recording with annotations.
Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming
Furthermore, HoverCam’s software allows teachers to use their webcam to keep students engaged with their face and eyes while simultaneously displaying the HoverCam camera image, or any lesson material on the computer screen such as websites, slides, whiteboards, videos, or PDF documents.
“We recognized some teachers were confused using their document camera, with Zoom requiring settings changes that interrupted their lesson and were a distraction to students,” said Bayley Pierson, HoverCam’s marketing director. “By integrating Zoom, we’re standing by our commitment to transform the teaching and learning experience—whether it’s in a classroom, remotely, or blended learning—by engineering simple, smart solutions. With Zoom capabilities built into Flex 11, teachers don’t have to spend valuable time wrestling with technology and can get back to creating an engaging, successful lesson. We recognize some users have security concerns and may not feel comfortable using third-party video conferencing programs, so we’ve made it easy to disable Zoom functionality within the software settings.”
The Bottom Line: HoverCam is already compatible with popular remote conferencing programs including Skype, Google Hangouts, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Now, teachers can initiate and schedule Zoom calls directly from HoverCam’s free, comprehensive document camera software. This integration eliminates any complexity, errors, and time wasted opening and switching between the two applications, delivering an intuitive workflow for teachers and an engaging, productive learning experience for students.
