Cisco Systems Inc. said today it’s adding new artificial intelligence capabilities to its hybrid work and videoconferencing platform Webex.

The new AI features cover both Webex’s collaboration tools and its contact center services. They’re aimed at creating the optimum view of any meeting while enhancing collaboration for remote workers and maximizing customer service experiences, Cisco said.

The networking giant explained that Webex’s expanded video intelligence capabilities are being made available as new features within Cisco Room OS, which is its conference room operating system. The new additions include cinematic meeting experiences, where cameras will follow individuals in meetings based on voice and facial recognition.

During a meeting, Webex will automatically switch view based on who is speaking, while attempting to capture the best angle of that speaker. Meanwhile, the new meeting zone capability will allow administrators to set virtual boundaries for any collaboration space within an office. With meeting zones, users are framed individually in a condensed view, helping minimize distractions when people are seated in a busy office environment.

On the collaboration side, Cisco is enabling high-definition meetings without HD bandwidth thanks to a new feature called Super Resolution, which promises crystal-clear video in Webex meetings even if a low-quality camera is being used. The new smart lighting and smart background features, meanwhile, are designed to help people look their best in any environment, even if they’re sitting in a poorly lit area. Further, the user’s background can be adjusted based on their location, so they can add a sunny beach if they happen to be working from a resort town, for example.

There’s also a new and automatic “be right back” update, where Webex will automatically display a BRB message if a user steps away from a Webex meeting briefly. So if users are working at home and the doorbell rings, they won’t need to excuse themselves. When they return, the BRB message will automatically disappear.

Customers that use Webex to handle customer service are also getting some added benefits, as Cisco unveiled the latest versions of Webex Contact Center and its cloud communications platform, Webex Connect.

Webex Contact Center is being updated with actionable insights for customer service. The new topic analysis feature relies on AI to surface the key reasons why a specific customer is calling the contact center. It aggregates call transcript data from the contact center, then identifies any trends it discovers for business analysts, enabling them to adapt to the needs of their customers. Cisco explained that this is an example of self-learning AI that gets smarter over time the more it monitors customer interactions.

For customer service agents, Agent Answers is a new, real-time coach that aims to increase their effectiveness. It works by listening in on calls and coaching the agent based on what’s said, for example by surfacing the necessary knowledge base articles they need to satisfy the customer’s request. Another update brings automated chat summaries to agents, allowing them to extract the key issues and resolutions already explored during previous interactions with a customer.

As for Webex Connect, it’s being enhanced with an update to the low-code flow builder tool that helps businesses to orchestrate and automate customer journeys. Users can now describe any function they require, such as “validate an email address,” and AI will generate and return the appropriate code immediately. As a result, Cisco said, it becomes much easier for agents to create and iterate on customer journeys.

The new AI capabilities announced today will roll out over the course of 2023, with some likely to show up soon and others still several months away.

Image: Cisco