In today’s fast-paced, digitally dominated era, the power of collaboration technology has never been more pivotal.

As global businesses and individuals alike adjust to the new hybrid paradigm, the journey of “going remote” has transformed from an experimental trend to a necessity.

“This is an exciting time for collaboration — it actually has been for the last three years,” said Javed Kahn (pictured), senior vice president and general manager of collaboration at Cisco Systems Inc. “We’ve figured out how to work when everybody is remote. But as we get used to this new [hybrid] world … the experiences are changing again. Every interaction now has remote people. Some of us are back in the conference rooms; some of us not so much. We are very focused on building these hybrid experiences.”

Khan spoke with theCUBE industry analysts John Furrier and Dave Vellante at Cisco Live, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the future of collaboration technology and the company’s new platform announcements.

Using AI to create ‘cinematic meetings’

The global workforce’s shift to remote work has indeed been a challenging time. But it has also ushered in innovative opportunities for advancements in collaboration technology. Cisco aims to bridge the gap between in-person and remote participants in conference room meetings. By introducing “cinematic meetings,” the company aims to enhance the experience for remote participants using artificial intelligence.

“Imagine if they were directing a meeting. If I’m walking around, they’d cut to a better shot,” Khan said. “Or if I get too close to you, it would actually include both of us in the same shot. Think of it as an AI director that’s coming to our conference room meetings, because that will allow the remote participants to follow along much better.”

Cisco’s partnerships are also aimed at making remote work more accessible. Following partnerships with Mercedes and Ford, the company is integrating its technology with Harman International Industries Inc. to enable video experiences from within cars. Harman’s Media Suite integration with Cisco Meeting Server and Webex will provide video content management features for cloud and on-premises collaborations. Webex will be the first app for hybrid work available in select 2024 model-year Audis.

“What we’ve done is taken the pain of joining a meeting out,” Khan said. “When you are moving, video is a distraction, so it’s going to be off. You’re just on audio. But if you are stationary … you can switch to video and see the presentation if you want.”

This approach ensures users can continue their collaboration safely and seamlessly, whether in a stationary or moving vehicle.

The future of collaboration platforms

The future of collaboration platforms depends, in large part, on the extensibility of the technology used. Khan envisions new platforms as being increasingly innovative and immersive, with a focus on delivering a seamless hybrid experience.

These platforms are not just about enabling video and audio communication anymore, but about creating environments for intuitive collaboration, regardless of where participants are located. Collaboration platforms must go beyond the bounds of video and audio capabilities, incorporating a plethora of services, such as transcription, translation and noise cancellation, according to Khan, who underscored Cisco’s commitment to continually adapt and evolve its platform, ensuring it can cater to various form factors and diverse verticals, from hospitals to entertainment venues to cars.

This platform “expansiveness” will allow new applications and experiences to be built, ultimately redefining the collaboration landscape.

“The primary value of building out a platform … is about enabling others to build,” he said. “Our platform enables that through APIs, and we have lots of applications that are already on the platform today.”

This open platform strategy underlines Cisco’s commitment to fostering a diverse ecosystem of applications and solutions, Khan added.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Cisco Live:

Photo: SiliconANGLE