Cisco Systems Inc. introduced a huge array of updates to its Webex communications and collaboration platform at its WebexOne virtual event today, as it bids to keep pace with rival platforms such as Zoom, Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Cisco said the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that remote interactions will be a key part of the future of work going forward, and so today’s updates to Webex are meant to ensure the company gets to play a role in that.

“Cisco’s purpose is to power an Inclusive Future, and collaboration technology plays a critical role in leveling the playing field so everyone is able to participate in the global economy regardless of geography, language and personality type,” said Jeetu Patel, senior vice president and general manager of security and applications at Cisco.

Intelligent features

The updates announced today include more than 50 new innovations within Webex’s software, plus integrations with essential third-party platforms such as Salesforce, Dropbox and Box. There’s also some new hardware thrown in for good measure, enabling companies to set up professional meeting rooms and deliver a better video calling experience for employees at home.

Cisco said the new innovations are focused on enabling seamless collaboration, smarter hybrid work experiences and more intelligent customer experiences. To that end, Webex finally gains parity with Zoom when it comes to the quality of its actual calls, thanks to the new noise cancellation and speech enhancement capabilities it’s adding today. The platform also gains automated and searchable transcriptions that eliminate the need to take extensive notes during a call. In addition, the Webex Assistant can now create “highlights” and “action items” through simple verbal commands, and users will be able to add specific team members to a call with a single click via the new Webex Huddle feature.

Other features coming soon to Webex include “in-meeting gestures” that will enable users to communicate with other calls by giving a simple thumbs-up, for example. Webex’s AI will recognize this and immediately translate the motion into a thumbs-up on the screen that every other caller will be able to see. This, Cisco says, is an industry first.

Webex will gain real-time translation capabilities too. Starting in February, the platform will enable real-time transcription in 10 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Dutch, and Japanese. The idea is that employees will be able to communicate with colleagues even when there’s a language barrier.

Meanwhile, meeting artifacts and recordings will be instantly saved in the Webex app, available to view within the taskbar or within the content section of one-to-one and group spaces. The platform will expand its capacity to a massive 25,000 participants for Webex Events sessions, and 100,000 using the new Webex Events livestreaming feature that will be made available later in December.

Webex phone calls are getting some new capabilities too, including new call routing features such as video on hold and interactive voice response. Users can also now escalate a one-to-one phone call to a Webex meeting that enables features such as transcriptions, notes and action items at the click of a button, if required.

The Webex messaging app isn’t being left out either, with smarter AI capabilities being added in January that will enable the app to learn which projects, spaces and people are the most important for each user, elevating them to they’re easier to locate. The messaging app will also add new capabilities for users to highlight their most important messages and tasks sometime in the first quarter of next year.

Lest we forget, Webex also offers a contact center experience powered by virtual agents to handle customer service requests. Cisco said this is being expanded to “businesses of all sizes” that will be able to field “thousands of agents” from day one. Cisco promised that these chatbots will be able to answer the easy questions and route the more difficult ones to human contact center agents, together with all of the context and background they need so customers don’t need to repeat any details.

Seamless app integrations

To ensure a more seamless work experience, Cisco announced a new App Hub that that makes it possible for users to collaborate on third-party apps from within Webex meetings.

The Webex App Hub makes it possible for meeting participants to open, share and collaborate on content stored in Box or Dropbox, for example, from within the Webex platform. Users can also start a Webex meeting from within Box or Dropbox, if necessary, and both platforms will automatically create a file to store meeting artifacts such as presentations and recordings, which can be accessed during and after the meeting has concluded.

In addition to those, the Webex App Hub enables seamless integrations with platforms such as ServiceNow, Salesforce, Workplace from Facebook, Miro and Mural. And there will be more platforms coming in the future, Cisco said.

“Our vision with building a strong open ecosystem-based approach for partners is to make sure that regardless of the application someone is using, they can work seamlessly with Webex, where the experience is magical and fully integrated for the user,” Patel said.

Dedicated hardware

On the hardware side, Webex is adding to its intelligent device portfolio with the new Webex Desk Camera, Webex Desk Hub and Webex Desk.

The Webex Desk Camera is designed for both home and office use and comes with intelligent features such as facial recognition and occupancy metrics, as well as the ability to mute or unmute the microphone with a simple gesture – something Cisco claims is another industry first. Ideally for enterprises, the Webex Desk Camera can be manage at scale, meaning it’s possible to push out companywide updates at the click of a button.

The Webex Desk hub meanwhile is a device that enables users to connect and pair their own cameras, headsets, laptops, displays and smartphones to Webex to ensure a personalized experience at any location. It can also be used by companies to manage office space by providing real-time analytics on environmental data, occupancy and desk usage. Workers can use it to reserve a desk for themselves at any time, using their laptop, badge or smartphone to authenticate their identity.

As for Webex Desk, Cisco says it’s the “big sister” of Webex Desk Pro, and packages a high-quality camera, microphone and speakers. It’s designed for use either at home or in the office and makes it possible for users to engage their audience using slides and videos as a backdrop during presentations. Cisco claims it’s easy to set up with no technical knowledge required. Users simply plug it all in and they’ll be up and running in a few moments.

“Customers are telling us that they are rethinking their office spaces,” Patel said.

Constellation Research Inc. analyst Holger Mueller told SiliconANGLE that he was impressed with the Webex updates, noting that it needs to step up if it’s to remain as the platform of choice for enterprise collaboration.

The global pandemic is changing the future of work faster than anyone could have expected and it’s good to see an established vendor like Cisco putting up a fight,” Mueller said. “The new video layouts and Webex Huddle standout as useful differentiators, while Webex Desk has the potential to become the new way for people to present to remote audiences. And it’s good to see those out-of-the-box integrations with key SaaS services.”

Image: Cisco