Take the Mundane Out of Your Meetings: Cisco Enhances Webex to Include More of What You Do Every Day to Get Great Work Done
April 18 2018 - 8:00AM
PHOENIX, April 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
-- "Let's talk about it-I'll set up a
Webex!" Ever heard (or said) that sentence? If you are
like most workers, the answer is yes; the name "Webex" is
synonymous with the word "meet". It is the gold standard when it
comes to real-time meetings and getting things done. More than six
billion meeting minutes happen in Cisco®
Webex® every
month.
But the way people meet is changing. And Webex is
ready.
To make it easier for teams to meet and get great work done, today
we announce that we are converging the Cisco Spark(TM) and Webex
platforms. The result is a new Webex Meetings application for your
meetings and a new seamless team collaboration application called
Webex Teams (formerly Cisco Spark). We are putting all our
award-winning video devices onto this newly converged platform. And
we're adding a new hardware device that turns any work space with a
TV into a Webex room. We didn't stop there. We're making everything
easier to buy. And we're continuing to apply machine learning and
artificial intelligence that will dramatically improve meetings as
we know them today.
Here's more information about each part of our
news:
We launch an all-new version of Webex
meetings.
The first thing you will notice about the new Webex Meetings is
that it is "video first," meaning you'll be strongly encouraged to
turn on your camera. That's because seeing and being seen are
fundamental to good teamwork. Gone are the days when you'd stare at
the screen only to see the presentation. You'll now see all your
teammates, in crisp, clean layouts whether you are using your
laptop, your Cisco video room device or your mobile
device.
Because we deliver Webex through the cloud, the one hundred million
people worldwide who use Webex do not need to take any action. They
will simply get the update in the coming months.
We launch a brand new version of
Cisco Spark and at the same time give it a new name
Today's business challenges are getting more and more complex,
creating an urgency to help teams connect and get their best work
done. We want to make it simple for our Webex users to take the
next step to team collaboration.
Our goal has always been to make Cisco Spark the simplest, most
secure team collaboration tool on the planet. Today, we launch a
new version of Cisco Spark, and give it a new name: Webex Teams.
Now, when companies are ready to make their move to team
collaboration they can do so with the brand that they already know
and love-Webex. All they need to do is add the Teams extension to
start using team-based persistent collaboration.
With this new version, we have completely integrated the technology
across the applications-so you can expect the same rich Webex
meeting functionality in Teams meetings, and a common experience no
matter which you choose. Webex Teams gives you a much richer
set of tools-including whiteboarding, persistent messaging, simple
guest access, content sharing and integrated tools-to support teams
both during and after the meeting.
The new name also extends to our award-winning devices. For
instance, the Cisco Spark Board becomes the Webex Board. That's
because Webex meetings are even better when you join from one of
Cisco's video devices.
We announce a new device that turns any space with
a TV into a Webex room.
While visiting customers we noticed that many huddle spaces-most,
even-have a little-used TV hanging on the wall. What if we could enlist these TVs to make team huddles
better? we asked.
Out of that question came Webex Share(TM), a low-cost, super-simple
way for teams to share content on the big screen in the
space. Simply plug the palm-sized adapter into the back of
the TV. Pair with the system, and start sharing your document or
screen. When you're done, keep the work going in your Webex
Teams space. Plus, with Webex Share, teams will be able to easily
reserve rooms, know when a room is already booked, and much
more.
Webex Share will be available for Webex Meetings and Teams towards
the end of 2018.
We share an all-new roadmap for how Webex will
work with tools from Google, Microsoft, and other
companies.
We believe in choice. We want our customers to be free to choose
whichever tool is right for them. Want to use Webex for meetings
but Microsoft for team collaboration? No problem. With the new
Webex you can do just that. We'll work with Google, Slack and
others, too. It's important our customers have choices, and
therefore it is important to us to make it easier for
them.
We make buying great tools for your team
easy.
Buying should be simple and with the Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan,
it is. As of today, companies can simply pay a subscription fee for
each active user. And with Webex Meetings, now up to 1,000 people
can join and we have added more storage, advanced security and
analytics capabilities.
We put artificial intelligence
(AI) to work to end lousy meetings.
In
November, we announced our plans to use AI to make
meetings better. Today we build upon that in two
ways:
Webex Assistant(TM) (formerly Cisco Spark Assistant) will be available on more devices and with more
functionality. We continue the journey to inject AI into
every meeting, every call, every conversation and every interaction
that you have. Based on technology from our MindMeld acquisition,
Webex Assistant will start showing up over the next couple of
months in all our cloud-connected Webex Room Kit and Room Series
devices.
Noise suppression saves the call. The loud typist. The
barking dog. The side conversation. These are just a few of the
annoyances that disrupt many meetings. But not anymore: all Cisco
cloud-connected and on-premise video devices can now suppress
disruptive noises. This means the next time someone starts loudly
shuffling papers on a call, the system will automatically turn the
volume down enough so that the sound no longer interrupts the
conversation. And when the paper shuffler chimes in with a comment,
the system will "know" that and automatically stop suppressing the
sound. To the user, it's magic: no need to do a
thing.
"Everything we do is designed with people in mind-to help them
work, collaborate, and create together. That's why we have invested
so much in Webex," said Rowan Trollope, SVP and GM, Applications
Group, Cisco. "Our vision is to bring this amazing experience to a
billion users and conference rooms all around the world."
Additional Resources
- Watch the Collaboration Summit keynote live
today at 9 am Pacific.
- Read Jonathan Rosenberg's blog on our
platform convergence news.
- Read Snorre Kjesbu's blog on Webex
Share.
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Availability Disclaimer: Many of the products and
features described herein remain in varying stages of development
and will be offered on a when-and-if-available basis. These
products and features are subject to change at the sole discretion
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Press Contact:
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Source: Cisco via Globenewswire
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