Configuring Alexa for Zoom Rooms

Echo devices can be configured with the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill, and then deployed into new or existing Zoom Rooms across an organization. After the devices are configured, participants in Zoom Rooms can start, join, and end Zoom meetings by speaking to Alexa.

Prerequisites for configuring Alexa for Zoom Rooms

• Amazon account with access to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Alexa for Business (A4B) web portal* 
• Zoom account with permission to edit Zoom Rooms
• Windows 7 or later computer running the following software:
  • AWS Tools for Windows PowerShell.
  • NET Framework 3.5 or later.
• Zoom Rooms:
  • Mac global minimum version or higher
  • Windows global minimum version or higher
• Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Plus**
• A wifi connection to the internet that can be accessed by the Windows computer and the Echo device

*Alexa for Business is currently only supported by Amazon within the United States. Learn more.  
**See the Managing Devices section of the Alexa for Business Administration Guide for information about supported devices.

How to configure the Echo Device(s)

Perform each of the following steps for the first Echo device that you want to configure for Zoom Rooms. If you configure multiple devices, you need to repeat Steps 1, 5, 6, 8, and 9 for each device. You only need to perform Steps 2, 3, 4, and 7 once, regardless of how many devices you configure.

1. Set up an Echo device
2. Enable the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill
3. Create a Skill group
4. Add Zoom as the Conferencing provider
5. Create a room in Alexa for Business
6. Edit Room Skill Configuration
7. Discover devices
8. Set up a Zoom room
9. Test Alexa voice commands

If your test for Alexa voice commands is not successful, check the known issues and troubleshooting information for additional information.

• Known Issues
• Troubleshooting

Step 1: Set up an Echo device

Note: Instructions are available in the Getting Started with Shared Devices section of the Alexa for Business Administration Guide.

To set up your Echo device for configuration with a Zoom room:

1. Connect your Windows PC to the same wifi network as your Echo device.
2. Follow the instructions in the Create an IAM User for Device Setup Tool section of the Alexa for Business Administration Guide.
3. Sign in to your A4B web console with the credentials for the parent account.  
4. Click Shared devices on the A4B web console.
5. Click the Set up devices button, then click the Download and run Device Setup Tool button in the dialog.
   Note: This tool is only available on Windows version 7 or later.
   
6. Click the setup.exe file to begin the installation of the Device Setup Tool.
7. Follow the voice instructions from your Echo device to complete the setup.
   Note: If your Echo device is not in setup mode, hold down the Action button for at least 8 seconds to enter setup mode.

After the setup is complete, your device should be displayed on the Shared devices page on the A4B web portal, with the status of Synced.

Step 2: Enable the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill

1. On the Amazon website, click the Alexa Skills tab to search for and select Alexa For Zoom Rooms.
2. Sign in to Amazon with the account configured as the parent account, then click the Enable button to get this skill.
   Note: You must have pop-ups enabled on your browser.
   

1. Click the Authorize button.
2. Go to the Enabled skills tab on the Skills page of your A4B console to verify that the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill shows a status of Account linked.  
    

Step 3: Create a Skill group

Note: Instructions are available in the Managing Skill Groups section of the Alexa for Business Administration Guide.

To create a Skill group that includes the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill:

1. On the A4B web portal, click Skill groups.
2. Click the Create skill group button.
3. Enter unique values for the Name and Description, then click Create. The Skill group is added to the list of Skill groups.
4. Click the name of the group you added, then click the Add skills button.
5. Select the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill, then click the Add button. 

Step 4: Add Zoom as the Conferencing provider

Note: Instructions are available in the Managing Conferencing Providers section of the Alexa for Business Administration Guide.

To add Zoom as your Conferencing provider:

1. On the A4B web console, click Conferencing.
2. Click the Add provider button.
   
3. Select Zoom as your conferencing provider. Under Meeting settings, find Meeting PIN, and select Optional. Click Add.
   
4. Enable the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill for your video conferencing equipment. 
   

Step 5: Create a room in Alexa for Business

Note: Instructions are available in the Managing Rooms section of the Alexa for Business Administration Guide.

To create a room:

1. On the A4B web console, click Rooms, then click Create room.
2. Enter a unique name for the room in the Room field.
3. For Profile name, select a room profile or click Create room profile then click Next.
4. (Optional) To add a skill group, select the check box next to the skill group to add and click Next.
5. (Optional) To add a device, select the check box next to the device.
6. Click Create room.

Step 6: Edit Room Skill Configuration

1. Click the name of the room you created in Step 5: Create a room in Alexa for Business.
2. Click the pencil icon to edit the skill configuration.
   
3. Enter the scope value. This is the name of a Zoom room that either already exists or that you will create in the Zoom web portal.
   Important: You must only use the names of Zoom rooms that are created under the parent account, as described in Step 8: Set up a Zoom room. 

Step 7: Discover devices       

1. On the Rooms page of the A4B web console, click the name of the room you created.
2. Verify that the status is Synced in the Alexa Devices section of the page.
3. Verify that the parent account linked with scope value appears on the Skills page.
4. Scroll to the Smart home devices section of the page.
5. Click the Discover devices button.
   
   
6. Verify that the Echo device is listed under Smart home devices. This confirms that A4B has found the skill adapter that you configured. 

Step 8: Set up a Zoom room

To set up a Zoom Room on the Zoom web portal:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as the parent account that you linked the Alexa For Zoom Rooms skill to in A4B.
2. Create or identify a separate Zoom room for each Echo device. See Add Zoom Rooms for instructions.
   Important: The name of the Zoom room must be the same as the scope value of Alexa For Zoom Rooms in A4B, which was done in Step 6: Edit Room Skill Configuration.
3. (Optional) Associate a Google calendar to each Zoom room you create.

You are now ready to test your Echo device to ensure that you can start, join, and end meetings using voice commands.

Step 9: Test Alexa voice commands

To set up your Zoom room to respond to Alexa voice commands:

1. Sign in to your Zoom room with the credentials for the parent account.
2. Choose the Zoom room name that you configured for Alexa.
3. Plug in or restart your Echo device.
4. The Alexa software on the Echo device is ready to implement Zoom Rooms commands.

Alexa voice commands are conversational. The end user does not have to follow the command syntax.

The following examples show how users can start, join, or end a meeting:

Example 1: Start an instant meeting

1. The user says something similar to  “Alexa, start a meeting”
2. Alexa asks “What is your Zoom meeting ID?”
3. The user says “123”.
   Note: Using 123 as the meeting ID is a workaround developed by Zoom because A4B does not support the instant meetings.
4. The instant meeting begins in the Zoom room.

Example 2: Join or start a scheduled meeting

1. The user says something similar to “Alexa, join a meeting.”
2. Zoom locates the next upcoming meeting on the Google calendar that is associated with the Zoom room. Zoom has access to information about the meeting organizer, meeting topic, and meeting number.
3. If an upcoming meeting is available on the room calendar, Alexa asks "Do you want to join meeting organized by <organizer display Name/email>?"
4. If the user says “Yes”, Alexa says “Okay,” and that meeting is started in the Zoom room.
5. If the user says “No”, Alexa will ask “What is your Zoom meeting id?"
6. The user responds with the meeting number. If the meeting ID is valid, Alexa will say “Okay” and start or join that meeting in the Zoom room.

Example 3: End the meeting

1. The user says something similar to  “Alexa, end meeting”.
2. Alexa will say “Okay” and the meeting ends.

Known Issues

• If a scheduled meeting is in progress, but had already started before the user asks Alexa to start or join the meeting, Alexa will not be able to locate that meeting on the Google calendar for the Zoom room.
• If a meeting is in progress and you ask Alexa to start or join a meeting, Alexa will say “OK” instead of saying “You are already in a meeting.” 
• If the location of a scheduled meeting invitation is blank the meeting may not be found. To avoid this issue, ensure that the location field contains the Zoom meeting URL.

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Alexa says that the Zoom room is not found
Resolution: Make sure the account used for account linking is the same account that you used to sign into your Zoom room.

Issue 2: Alexa cannot find an upcoming event that is on your calendar.
Resolution: Make sure that the meeting on your calendar was scheduled as a Zoom meeting.

Issue 3: Alexa says “It looks like the conference provider is invalid”
Resolution: Make sure you have the latest version of the Zoom Rooms software.

Issue 4: Alexa says "I cannot find that ID, try again and if the issue persists, contact IT".
Resolution: Make sure your network firewall is setup to allow the Alexa ports listed here.