Cisco is making a sizable splash this week during WebexOne 2022, announcing a new partnership with Microsoft. There are also new advancements to address hybrid work challenges. Furthermore, the company  unveiled major updates to the Webex Suite.

Cisco’s Jeetu Patel

Jeetu Patel is EVP and GM, Cisco security and collaboration.

“Hybrid work is both different and harder than how we worked before. Regardless of job function – front-line worker, knowledge worker, IT admin or contact center agent – people expect and deserve an amazing experience no matter where or how they work,” Patel said. “This requires a holistic solution that only Cisco can deliver with its integrated platform across collaboration software, devices, networking and security.”

Reimagined Workspaces

Ninety-eight percent of meetings will have remote video attendees; yet, only 11% of meeting rooms are video-enabled. A recent survey found that 85% of customers use more than one meeting platform, raising the need for seamless interoperability with various platforms. In response, Cisco is partnering with Microsoft, enabling the Microsoft Teams Rooms experience on Cisco’s collaboration devices. Customers and IT benefit from an inclusive and manageable set of devices with Cisco, along with the flexibility to choose their collaboration experience.

Cisco is also rolling out its new collaboration device, the Cisco Room Kit EQ. Powered by an AI-based computing appliance, it’s the industry’s most advanced collaboration device solutions for large workspaces, the company said.

Flexible Work

Cisco has launched a new Webex Whiteboard app in the Webex Suite that enables workers in and out of the office to brainstorm or sketch on a whiteboard in meetings or spontaneously. Anyone can start or join a whiteboard and work together from a browser, the Webex App or a Cisco device.

When it comes to giving people time back and freeing them from endless meetings, Cisco introduced its asynchronous video offering, Vidcast. The company launched it last year and its part of the Webex Suite. Vidcast has since saved 47 million meeting minutes. Forty new innovations make the experience even more powerful, Cisco said. Among the new features will be a new AI-powered editing capability that drastically reduces the time it takes to create polished content. Slido integration incorporates polling and audience engagement into shared video content.

Webex Calling now includes a new integration with Microsoft Teams. It enables users to make enterprise-grade Webex calls seamlessly in the Teams interface for a more flexible workflow. Additionally, group call management is now available for Webex Calling. This makes it easy for businesses to activate informal call center services, the company said. They can elevate their performance without a separate or specialized contact center application.

Through Webex Events and Webinars, users will have access to a new lobby experience for virtual events that will support a variety of customizations, such as agendas, speaker bios, sponsors and more. Integration into Network Device Interface (NDI) gives event production teams a new tool for professional broadcasts.

Collaboration Security and Manageability

Organizations can better protect intellectual property in today’s hybrid world. Audio watermarking uniquely tags audio streams to every participant in a confidential meeting with a marker that cannot be heard by the human ear. A company can trace the confidential recording to the individual. This is regardless of how the audio was shared.

Businesses can provide real-time occupancy and office air quality updates with Webex Control Hub integration with Cisco Spaces. Facilities and real estate teams benefit from real-time data. It simplifies the complexity of reconfiguring and redesigning workspaces while supporting sustainability goals.

Lastly, Control Hub as a Coach offers Webex customers an in-product digital coach that takes the complexity out of improving hybrid work experiences. Control Hub guides IT admins in best practices, adoption quality and creating greater efficiency for managing and supporting workers.