Summary of Cisco Collab VT - Mar 2022

Misc

• Socio is now rebranded as Webex Events. It has all features for end-to-end event management
• Apple Airplay is now supported on Webex Video Endpoints
• Ford partnering with Cisco to bring Webex Meetings in their EVs - handsfree, with just voice. Read more here
• No need to carry two cell phones (personal and work).. Webex Go is the solution - Enterprise-grade Webex Calling features can be added as a dedicated business line to personal cell phone
• Hybrid Work is here to stay:
  • Hot desking (hoteling) being embedded in the Webex devices
  • With Mazemap and DNA Spaces, know the closest available meeting room and know the directions to the room with the scan of the QR code (Workspace Optimization)
  • Find Hoteling Station based on occupancy, air quality, noise, temperature sensors utilizing IoT Sensors on the Webex video endpoints and other Cisco eco-system hardware (Meraki APs, Meraki Cameras, Meraki Sensors, Catalyst APs, Catalyst Switches)
• Webex Video Endpoints supports Zoom, Microsoft and Google Meetings in addition to Cisco Webex Meetings
• Cisco Multiplatform Phones (MPP) can work as a SIP endpoint for any calling vendor (Zoom Phone, Microsoft, Ring Central, etc)
• Webex Calling has been added to MS Teams client. More native features for Webex Calling within MS Teams in the roadmap
• Various tools available on migration from on-prem to Webex (Calling/DI/UCM Cloud).

Webex Meetings

• ​Lots of features being added to Webex Meetings regularly and features on the horizon.
  • Vidcast for video clip recordings. Clips that can be shared in/before/after the Webex Meetings
  • Optimize the audio using Webex Smart Audio (Babble Labs) - background noise removal, optimizing voice, music mode
  • Drive engagement and have more inclusive meetings using Slido 
  • Some more features which can't be mentioned here due to NDA
• REST APIs and SDKs
  • ​Webex APIs & SDKs can be core components of customer's transformational initiatives
  • ​Use Cases:
    • Guest Check-In with no-one at Reception using Webex Desk Devices​ (source code avaiable on GitHub)
    • Webex Meetings Widget is available (code on GitHub). Now Webex Meetings can be embedded in customer's applications - with just a few lines of html code for example: in-Meeting NDA Application (Mortgage broker and client signing DocuSign while in Webex)
  • ​Webex Solutions Development on Github
  • Support on Webex for Developers

CCaaS - Webex Contact Center

• Contact Center as a Service - CCaaS
• Various Flavours:
  • Cisco Webex Contact Center - (For SMBs)
  • Webex Contact Center Enterprise (Cloud Version of UCCE) - (For Enterprises)
  • Hybrid
• Uses Customer Insights (history of interactions)
• Omni Channel - voice, chat, email, text, bot, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, etc
• Webex Contact Centers being certified with MS Teams Calling​
• IMI Mobile is now rebranded as Webex Connect 
• Continuous optimization by AI (bot, answers, etc) using the Data Lake

CPaaS - Webex Connect

• Communications Platform as a Service - CPaaS 
• Cisco's CPaaS is Webex Connect which is based on IMI Mobile (now part of Cisco)
• No requirement for a customer to have a  Contact Center platform to utilize Webex Connect
• IMI Mobile is Tier 1 Aggregator - meaning direct relationship with carriers (selling directly and not reselling)
• Webex Connect offers support for digital channels such as SMS, MMS, App Push, Apple Messaging for Business, WhatsApp etc which traditional Contact Center doesn't do
• Webex Connect Video 
• Sign up for a Webex Connect API/SDK beta here​

Agnostic Meetings

• 85% users have two or more meeting platforms
• USB Passthrough enables you to use any meeting on your laptop (you can use camera on the Cisco Video endpoints using the USB cable - making that camera appear as part of your laptop)
• WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication)
  
  • Allows Google and Microsoft Meetings  to be used on Cisco Video Endpoints. Some implementations have more features than others (One Button to Push on Google Meetings for example)
  • WebRTC is free to use. Has to be enabled on the Webex Control Hub
  • WebRTC is https based
• Zoom CRC
  • For Zoom Meetings, Cisco uses Zoom CRC (Conference Room Connector) - which is a SIP call
• VIMT 
  
  • For MS Meetings, instead of WebRTC customer can use VIMT (Webex Video Interop for Microsoft Teams)
    
  • VIMT is Cisco's Implementation of Microsoft's CVI (Cloud Video Interop for MS Teams)
    
  • VIMT is feature rich and has some experiences not available on WebRTC, like dual screen support
    
• All native features of Cisco video endpoints are available on these meetings experiences like:
  • Background Noise Removal
  • People Focus
  • Speaker Tracking
  • Virtual Backgrounds
  • Best Overview
  • etc.

Developer Solutions
​

• ​Webex APIs & SDKs can be core components of customer's transformational initiatives
• ​Use Cases:
  • Guest Check-In with no-one at Reception using Webex Desk Devices​ (source code avaiable on GitHub)
  • Webex Meetings Widget is available (code on GitHub). Now Webex Meetings can be embedded in customer's applications - with just a few lines of html code for example: in-Meeting NDA Application (Mortgage broker and client signing DocuSign while in Webex)
• ​Webex Solutions Development on Github
• Support on Webex for Developers
• Webex Calling APIs
  • Provision:
    • ​Provision Users, AA, Call Pickup, Call Groups, Hunt Groups, Call Forward, etc.
  • Call Control:
    • Dial, Answer, Reject, List, Detail, Call History, etc.
• Webex Assisstant (Voice Activated Bot that responds to commands just like Siri or Cortana)
  • Support on Desk Series, Board Series, Room Kit Series, Room Series  

Migration to Cloud

• Tools available for migration here and here
• CUUC (Cloud Connected UC) provides a single pane of glass to manage on-prem CUCM from Webex Control Hub. It allows customers to leverage the benefits of the Webex cloud, while keeping critical calling workload on your premises. Overview here