Zoho One, a suite of 50 applications available for $37 a month, is getting a new user interface that integrates the business software buffet into one platform.
Instead of using Zoho One's applications individually--75,000 customers on average use 22 applications--Zoho is pulling them into one interface leveraging context, data and AI.
The new interface sets up Zoho One to be more of a platform for businesses. Zoho Evangelist Raju Vegesna said the new interface makes it clear to customers that they "are not licensing apps with Zoho One. They are licensing peace of mind."
According to Vegesna, who provided a demo of the new Zoho One interface, users can pull in application functionality and features on one screen without worrying about switching software.
"What if we can take all of these applications and make them behave like a single application, where the context becomes the king?" said Vegesna. "Of course, these are not restricted to Zoho applications. Users can bring in any third-party applications in here, because we also support single sign-on. You can plug in a third-party application and make it behave like a first-party application."
Indeed, the unification of experience, integration and intelligence does get Zoho One closer to Zoho's business operating system vision. From here, Zoho can continue to add intelligence to Zoho One.
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Here's what you need to know.
Zoho One UX
Apps in Zoho One are grouped into Spaces across the top toolbar including Personal, which includes apps unique to the user such as productivity software, Organization, which has company-wide communication, and Department, functions such as HR, Marketing and Finance.
Spaces can be customized with automated actions and workflows.
Zoho also is aiming to provide the user access to everything you need to know on one screen. UX features include:
- Action Panel, which surfaces upcoming meetings, unread messages and emails and tasks in one view with easy navigation.
- Dashboards and Boards, which consolidates data from all connected apps and third-party systems in one location via widgets. Customers can build custom dashboards from specific apps.
- The addition of Vani, a visual-first intelligent virtual space for brainstorming and planning.
Integrations
Zoho One is natively integrated with Zoho apps and third party software. Zoho One also uses the Zoho platform for security features including smart offboarding, device management and encryption key support.
Key integration features include:
- Monitoring via an integrations panel where users can create integration flows and monitor usage.
- Unified Portal, a custom space where users can consolidate all of their application-specific portals from Zoho and third parties.
- Integrations for support tasks such as domain verifications.
- Outcome-based integrations for workflows that require multiple steps and apps. Zoho One has a Smart Offboarding tool that handles department transfers, manages device data and takes care of user application data from one screen.
Intelligence and context
Zoho One includes Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, available throughout the interface with the ability to aggregate and provide context across platforms such as Google Workspace. The federated intelligence is designed to break down data silos, speed up decisions and improve productivity.
"We are embedding Zia contextually so that user does not even know that they are using AI here," said Vegesna.
Other features include:
- Zia Hubs, a content management system, has its own space in Zoho One across workflows that feature Zoho Sign and recorded Zoho Meetings conversations. Data automatically goes to Zia Hubs so they can be surfaced in Zia Search.
- Ask Zia is available throughout Zoho One from the bottom toolbar.
Constellation Research's take
Here are my thoughts on Zoho One's UX.
Although crowded in spots, Zoho One's applications are all pulled into tabs and the integration of the platform is a plus. Zoho is likely to see more usage across applications and Zia, which could emerge as the primary navigation feature.
For power users, the new interface for Zoho One is going to be a win. What remains to be seen is whether users that are used to just a few Zoho applications become overwhelmed.
One thing is clear, the new interface for Zoho One is just the start and the next few installments are going to be worth watching. It's possible that other software vendors follow suit in deconstructing individual apps and pulling them into one interface.
You can expect Zoho to leverage Zia and smart workflows to bring applications, data and AI together into one package. Zoho is likely to deliver more value to users with the combined package of Zoho One, which was already a great deal at $37 a month.
Constellation Research analyst Liz Miller said:
"Businesses of all sizes and scale are struggling to battle the complexity and chaos of fragmented technology that results in inefficiency and subpar experiences. Opinionated, intentional and holistically integrated platforms don’t just transform how technology can be focused on delivering expected outputs that drive growth but increasingly, can be set to the task of optimizing the business outcomes everyone from the individual contributor to the executive strategist expects."
