Cisco WebEx

Main articles:

• Types and capabilities of modern VKS systems
• SaaS - History. Philosophy. Development Drivers

Cisco WebEx - a system for web conferences with high image transfer speed, conference support through VoIP and public telephone networks, providing integration with office applications and instant messengers. According to Gartner, Cisco WebEx accounts for more than 53% of the global web conferencing industry.

The platform combines four types of services created to solve specific business problems.

• WebEx Meeting Center is designed for collaboration, meetings, and meetings. The functionality allows you to not only communicate through high-quality video and audio links, but also provide users with shared access to documents and applications.
• WebEx Event Center allows you to conduct webinars, it is adapted to manage events with a large number of participants, has an attention indicator that helps speakers and organizers in holding conferences, a built-in invitation mailing and a tool for collecting statistics.
• WebEx Training Center - a service for organizing remote training sessions. With its help, you can organize work in groups, conduct full testing, perform tasks on remote computers and laboratory classes as part of the session.
• WebEx Support Center is a technical support solution that provides tools for accessing users' desktops, diagnosing their IT services, and providing real-time advice. The service also provides tools for queuing incoming cases for subsequent distribution to specialists.

The service is provided according to the SaaS model through the Cisco global cloud infrastructure, consisting of sixteen data centers with their own communication channels. Enterprise users access the microsite of their organization, where the necessary WebEx services are located. The flexible licensing model provides for payment for the number of accounts (virtual rooms) necessary for organizing conferences. For voice communication, the customer receives unlimited audio traffic.

Cisco WebEx easy to deploy and scale: the solution does not require hardware installation and software implementation, the number of services is simple to adjust depending on the needs of the business. Conference participants also do not need to install any applications: the necessary modules are loaded automatically when connected. Each user has a WebEx window, where he will see the material, a list of participants in the event, a chat window, and web cameras. Users can participate in the conference from a landline or mobile phone and other mobile devices.

2021

Announcing the platform for holograms of employees during videoconferences

On October 26, 2021, Cisco introduced Webex Hologram, a service that will bring augmented reality to its collaboration platform. Webex Hologram, used with AR headsets such as Magic Leap and Microsoft HoloLens, promises to create photorealistic holograms of real people in real time. More details here.

Integrated asynchronous video

On October 27, 2021, Cisco introduced a number of updates to the Webex complex. Meeting and messaging facilities ensure the equal presence of participants wherever they are. Collaboration devices ranging from personal home and office workspaces to comprehensive discussion spaces, as well as the Webex Events portfolio, support hybrid activities. In addition, the compatibility of Webex with solutions from all other key vendors for remote work will allow users to collaborate using the platforms and devices they prefer for seamless interaction.

According to the company, the current announcement is dedicated to solutions for hybrid employees, workplaces, events and IT teams and includes:

• Adaptive audio function based on artificial intelligence with the elimination of distractions. The volume of sound during meetings is affected by the placement, and this is especially acute for remote participants and those who are further from the microphone. This problem is solved using the optimize for all voices voice optimization function, which aligns the sound level regardless of location. Speaker selectivity now distinguishes between targeted speech and background noise, removing distracting sounds.
• Fighting burnout and stimulating engagement. Collaboration Insights features help you combat employee fatigue and extend your personal comfort zone. The connections function allows you to view personal information, including the 10 most frequently contacted employees per week, other positions and the location of colleagues, etc. The well-being and cohesion features of People Insights give teams the ability to see anonymous working time characteristics, emotional ratings, and continuous working time targets. For example, when a manager sees low ratings and an increase in the number of employees working in the evenings, he can take measures in advance to rectify the situation.
• Relieving stress and preventing meeting fatigue. Thrive Reset functionality is now available to Webex Suite users. Its action is based on the results of studies showing that you can move away from stress in 60-90 seconds. Webex users can use both the multimedia resources offered in the functionality of different topics, and download their own photos that will help to relax, calm their breath, think about something good, reformulate the problem or just get up and reach out.
• Asynchronous communication to minimize meetings. On average, only 48% of participants take the floor at meetings. When participants are in different time zones and when it is necessary to reduce the number of meetings, the Vidcast asynchronous communication feature allows you to record, view and comment on an event at a convenient time. For October 2021, the Vidcast feature is available for beta testing on the vidcast.io website, integration with the Webex application is planned in the spring of 2022.
• Advanced intelligent video features. To optimize the perception of the meeting by remote participants, the updated functionality of People Focus, which will appear in December 2021, will provide clarity and optimization of the transmission of gestures and facial expressions of those present. In early 2022, it is planned to further update the intelligent functions of the Webex camera to optimize the quality of display of those present in the meeting rooms. In particular, the meeting participants will be displayed in separate frames, regardless of which service is used for the meeting.
• Workplace personalization devices. The Webex Desk Mini allows you to create a workplace anywhere, while offering hybrid workers all the capabilities of the Webex Desk - but in a miniature format.
• Virtual whiteboard and enhanced collaboration capabilities. Webex Whiteboarding allows you to use virtual boards - create, select, edit, transfer results - to work with anyone, including those who do not work in the organization. Members of the joint project can safely share ideas using any device - a smartphone, tablet, laptop or touch-sensitive Webex device, including the Webex Board Pro.
• Scalable hybrid activities. After the acquisition of Socio Labs and Slido, Cisco introduced the expanded Webex Events portfolio, which allows you to organize any hybrid events of any scale - from webinars to multi-session events and conferences. Hybrid event management functionality is available, including badge and ticketing, monetization, and network connectivity. Using Webex Webinars, the user can accept up to 10 thousand participants in webinar mode and up to 100 thousand in webcast mode. Integrating Webex Events with Slido technology for surveys, quizzes, and question-answering sessions optimizes participant engagement and engagement.
• Simultaneous interpretation for global audiences. Webex Events allows organizers of multilingual meetings and events to schedule an unlimited number of language channels with translators. Participants choose a language when they connect to an event.
• Seamless communication with any device or platform. Webex devices are operationally compatible with solutions from all other key vendors for remote operations, providing open and inclusive interaction with customers who can use a wide variety of devices and applications to collaborate.
• Embedded applications for continuous workflows. To prevent users from having to switch between applications during Webex meetings and messaging, more than 60 partner solutions are planned to be integrated into Webex. As of October 2021, Smartsheet, Hacker Rank, Thrive Reset, Miro and Mural are available directly from Webex. Other partner applications will be added in the coming months.
• Monitoring and diagnosis. IT services enable collaboration processes in Webex with Cisco Meraki Insight and ThousandEyes solutions. These tools allow you to quickly identify and diagnose problems in the home or corporate network, at the service provider, on the Internet or in the cloud. The Meraki Insight solution conducts analysis using artificial intelligence and allows you to determine where the source of the problem is. Monitoring digital interaction processes with ThousandEyes Webex Agents provides IT services with an overview and enables them to quickly identify, diagnose, and resolve performance issues.

Functions of Webex Calling and Webex Customer Experience. Communications Platform as a Service

On October 26, 2021, Cisco announced two features of Webex Calling and Webex Customer Experience, as well as a communication platform as a service (Communications Platform as a Service, CPaaS). In addition, following the acquisition of imimobile, Cisco introduced the integration of its technologies with Webex for intelligent and natural interaction through various communication channels.

According to the company, the updated functionality of Webex Calling includes:

• Webex Go. The need to switch between a working and personal mobile phone has disappeared. With the launch of Webex Go, the corporate functionality of Webex Calling is implemented as a dedicated business line on the user's personal mobile phone.
• Nomadic E911 - Emergency location calls. When making an emergency call from Webex App, the emergency rescue service will receive accurate location information. If Webex App determines that the caller has moved to another location, users will be notified to update their address information.
• Cloud Calling from personal desktop devices. Users can call colleagues by name or extension directly from Webex Desk Pro devices.
• Integration with Singlewire InformaCast. Users can send emergency alerts directly and in the form of audio files to Cisco phones and acoustic systems, as well as text notifications - to digital signage, desktop computers and mobile devices.
• Dedicated Virtual Node. If the user is not ready to transfer all calls to the cloud, it is possible to hybrid deployment and combine Multi-Tenant and Dedicated Instance modes.
• Expansion of tariff coverage in Europe. Cisco announced Cisco Calling Plans tariffs for 10 European Union countries . Now they include: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Finland, France and Sweden.
• Updated shared line usage. The Webex App widget optimizes multitasking for users and speeds up call responses.

Updated Webex Customer Experience:

• Summarize customer information. Webex users will soon be able to combine all customer activities across all channels and points of interaction on a single platform.
  • The store can connect the shopping cart to a chat, call, or e-mail, even if the interaction through these channels went through different channels or different suppliers.
  • Optimizes the forecasting of customer behavior and provides mechanisms for proactive and prompt response using AI orchestration. For example, if the service fails and the call center overflows with requests, Webex Customer Experience recognizes the need for a proactive response.

• Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS). The video technology of Webex will soon unite with imiconnect, the corporate solution of Cisco CPaaS which has possibilities of interaction with clients in applications telemedicine formations, communication and. augmented reality Application interfaces programming API and development kits SDK will be available in early 2022.
• Sandbox corporate developer. Developers will have access to the CPaaS sandbox, where they can create, test and debug prototypes on the same platform. Sandbox can be used from October 27, 2021.

2020

Updated Cisco Webex Responds to Corporate Communications 2020 Challenges

The organization of the interaction of teams and approaches to their management have been significantly transformed. In the market - a boom in demand for digital tools for effective communications. At the WebexOne conference in December 2020, Cisco introduced an updated solution for building productive collaboration. More details here.

Updated information security functionality

On June 19, 2020, Cisco announced improvements to the Webex platform: updated information security and compliance functionality, intelligent and efficient analytics. And integration with Epic allows doctors to remotely assist patients by communicating via video link, and patients will be able to choose a particular medical institution.

According to the company, in April 2020, half a billion participants were recorded in the Webex platform, while the total duration of online meetings amounted to 25 billion minutes, which more than tripled the average.

The Webex platform has become a communication artery for hospitals and educational institutions, for government agencies, small and large businesses.

Global demand for solutions for remote operation has made security and privacy issues more relevant than ever. Using the security mechanisms built into the Webex platform, the company expanded the policies to prevent loss and ensure the preservation data storages legally of significant documents on Webex Meetings. This provides the necessary level of security for all content remote meetings: recordings, transcriptions, planned events and basic solutions. The company also expanded end-to-end options, enciphering including AES enciphering 256 with GCM mode, which ensures the preservation of deliberative data and protects against unauthorized interference.

CIO In a Perspective 2020 survey conducted among IT directors, more than two-thirds of respondents said that complexity was the greatest problem. information technology Everyone is concerned about two issues: how to support remote staff with maximum efficiency and how to provide a safer deliberative environment in the office. Cisco Webex Control Hub with intelligent analytics helps IT services address these issues, allowing them to manage all workloads from a single panel, regardless of where employees are at home or in the office. pandemics Special applications of Control Hub are provided for the period.

Updated features include:

• Deploy Webex Assistant voice assistant to conference room devices. With Control Hub, this task is feasible even for tens of thousands of devices. This minimizes the number of touch screens and touchpads in public workspaces.
• Deep analysis of the use of meeting rooms is used not only for adjusting disinfection schedules, but also for planning the future office space. Data on the most popular negotiations will be transferred to disinfectants and taken into account when planning the configuration of negotiations.
• Detailed examination of "real-time meetings" data to diagnose service and understand the changes in working style that occur in the process of returning to office activities.
• Analysis of usage trends to identify directions of further investments in devices and services.
• Simplify remote desktop diagnostics and support to ensure overall team productivity.

The Unified Communications with Cloud Connectivity feature was also added to the Control Hub, which simplifies IT workflows for hybrid environments, and Webex Calling analytics analytics was expanded.

In addition, to ensure the ability to work from anywhere, the company combined Webex Teams with Box, a cloud-based content management platform. The Webex Teams application is already built into the functionality of simple and secure file sharing, but now users can choose to use both Box and any other integrated platforms.

Telemedicine, which allows doctors to provide care to patients at a distance, is widespread as of June 2020. Integration with the Epic medical software system allows Webex Teams users to conduct a video communication session with the patient, view the medical history and make the necessary entries in the medical documentation. Patients do not need to download any apps - to get help, it is enough to register using a browser in a secure session. The Epic system for June 2020 stores electronic data of more than 250 million patients. As of June 2020, other Cisco partners are also developing and implementing telemedicine applications and solutions to help clinicians provide care to patients worldwide.

Samsung and Cisco unveiled Webex On Flip solution in Russia

Samsung Electronics and Cisco announced at the end of May 2020 the launch of sales in Russia of a video conferencing solution (VKS) and the collaboration of Webex On Flip, integrated into the Flip 2 interactive flipchart. The development of two world leaders in the field of IT brings office video conferences to a qualitatively new mass level.

Identified 1.3 thousand malware with the name of video conferencing services

In mid-April 2020, Kaspersky Lab announced the identification of about 1.3 thousand malware that masquerades as popular video conferencing services, including Zoom, Webex and Slack. More details here.

Cisco Webex Assistant for AI-based Webex Meetings with Voice Command Recognition

On January 30, 2020, Cisco announced innovations that, according to the company, will make business meetings and negotiations more effective. So, the updated functionality of Cisco Webex Assistant for Webex Meetings based on artificial intelligence (AI) understands voice commands and turns words into a store of useful digital information. This innovation is based on the technology recently acquired by Cisco from Voicea.

According to Voicea users, they saved more than 6 hours per week per user, and their meetings were more efficient. We hope Webex users get similar results. narrated by Sri Srinivasan, Vice President and CEO of Cisco Collaborative Product Development

According to the company, Webex Assistant for Meetings is a digital assistant for holding meetings for the corporate market. He understands voice commands to perform routine tasks such as transcribing, drafting protocols and summing up (follow-up) so that participants in the meeting can focus on the topic under discussion. The user will be able not only to see the credits and instant transcription of what was said, but also to indicate to the application which items should be highlighted. Now you can search by minutes - and not only the current meeting, but several meetings. And the "badges" assigned to speakers indicate exactly who says what during the meeting. A number of additional closing functions facilitate editing and distribution of meeting materials.

Key customer benefits: More productive and productive meetings. Turning words into actions means that participants will be able to focus on the meeting, more effectively hold it and better implement the final events.

Real-time transcribing and closed captioning allow you to focus on the main topic, this is especially relevant for hearing impaired participants.

Cisco also introduced three important additions. Back in 2017, Cisco supplemented the solution for Webex Rooms meeting rooms with conversational AI functionality. Webex Assistant for Webex Rooms understands the voice commands to join the meeting, phone calls and manage certain devices in the meeting room.

Users will soon be able to communicate with Webex Room devices in English or Spanish, while Webex Assistant will respond in the language in which it was contacted.

Small and medium-sized businesses find it as difficult to transform as large organizations. The updated Cisco Webex Room USB entry-level video device allows small businesses to maximize collaboration.

Cisco Webex Room USB offers quality and security in an affordable entry-level video device for meeting rooms and small office spaces. Webex Room USB is suitable for small organizations that are just beginning to enter the world of video conferencing.^[1]

Compatibility with TrueConf Server

On January 22, 2020, TrueConf announced the achievement of compatibility of the domestic VKS system TrueConf Server with popular cloud web conferencing platforms - Zoom, Cisco WebEx, BlueJeans Meetings and LifeSize Cloud. Integration will allow users to TrueConf connect to web conferences on foreign services in two clicks directly from TrueConf client applications. Read more here

2019

Webex Edge for Calling solutions. Options for Connecting the PBX to the Webex Calling Cloud

On November 7, 2019, Cisco Systems introduced a number of updates to its collaboration portfolio, including Webex web conferencing platforms.

Among the innovations proposed by the developers:

• Webex Edge for Calling adds state-of-the-art functionality to existing Cisco PBXs and other vendors. The IT administrator will now be able to combine disparate infrastructures and implement global numbering plans, least-cost routing, and centralized services such as IVR, voice mail, etc., with Webex cloud services. Geographically distributed business will become more profitable if you use understandable and logical telephone functions, such as dialing extensions, cheaper intranet calls, as well as one Webex application for telephony, teleconferencing and messaging.
• Additional options for connecting the PBX directly to the Webex Calling cloud allow you to work with your attendant without the need for a local gateway. We strive for simplicity and provide freedom of choice.
• Cisco Unified Communication Manager Cloud works with the Webex cloud and supports all UCM features. Deploying a dedicated private CUCM instance in the cloud with branch office Webex Calling will help you scale your business globally and accelerate your journey to the cloud. At the disposal of companies - a global cloud created for the transfer of content in real time, with all the necessary and familiar functions.

Vulnerability to eavesdropping on other people's conversations

On October 2, 2019, it became known that WebEx and Zoom are subject to a Prying-Eye enumeration attack (user enumeration).

Malefactors can easily access sessions communications Cisco in WebEx or Zoom due to a vulnerability in. API Specialists of the CQ Prime team of Cequence Security found that the API for ON WebEx conferencing , Zoom and possibly other services is vulnerable to the Prying-Eye attack.

Prying-Eye is an enumeration attack or user enumeration. According to the researchers, WebEx and Zoom allow bots to automatically peel all potentially valid session IDs through API calls. Once a valid ID is detected, the attacker can access the session and eavesdrop on conversations (in case the user has not set a password).

The vulnerability is even more dangerous if the user has set a personal ID to simplify the session management process. By selecting this ID, the attacker will be able to eavesdrop on conversations for a long time

Researchers notified Cisco and Zoom of the vulnerability in July 2019. Both companies issued warnings to their users, but did not recognize the problem as a real threat. Cisco clarified that sessions in the WebEx are password protected by default, but users can disable it for greater convenience. Upon learning of the vulnerability, Zoom developers made some changes to their platform, in particular, made the password the default setting^[2].

Cisco Webex Control Hub Extended Security Pack Extension

On October 1, 2019, Cisco introduced the Cisco Webex Control Hub Extended Security Pack extension, which makes using the Cisco Webex platform even more convenient and even safer.

The Cisco Webex Control Hub Extended Security Pack has a cloudy Cisco Cloudlock CASB secure access broker for the application Webex Teams connected to native Webex features to protect against harmful ON Cisco Talos ClamAV technology in the Webex Cloud.

• Easy to purchase and implement. Customers can purchase this toolkit with their Webex subscription.
• The ability to collaborate outside the company (cross-company collaboration) was already taken into account when developing the package: Cloudlock CASB supports prevention data leaks policies (Data Loss Prevention,), DLP protecting users even when they work outside their organization.
• Full-featured malware protection. The malware protection solution protects against trojans, ransomware, etc., even when working on personal or unmanaged devices or when interacting with external users.

The Webex Extended Security Pack provides the necessary protection for confidential communication both within the company and when working with our customers, partners and suppliers. The functionality of Cloudlock CASB is very easy to deploy, it prevents data loss both inside and outside the company. This has enabled us to provide high-quality collaboration on an open, state-of-the-art collaboration platform without forgetting to protect important files and content. We have high hopes for the emerging anti-malware functionality, which as part of the package will protect us from trojans, viruses and ransomware, even if the files come from external users. commented by Jens Uhle, systems architect and manager of Wacker Chemie AG's international unified communications projects

2018

6 billion minutes of conference call per month

• In May 2018, the developers combined the Cisco Spark and Webex platforms to make it easier for distributed groups to meet and solve their problems. Customers now have a new Webex Meetings app for online conferencing and a seamless team collaboration app for Webex Teams (formerly Cisco Spark).
• It also introduced a device that turns into a Webex conference room any room in which a TV is installed.

Webex Meetings Update

• The main feature of the Webex Meetings update is an increased emphasis on video. When using the application, it is strongly recommended to turn on the video camera. This is based on the fact that one of the basic conditions for successful group work is the opportunity for participants to see each other. Those times have passed when users looked at the screen only then to see the presentations. Now you can clearly and clearly see all the members of your team, no matter what is in front of you - a laptop, Cisco video conferencing equipment or a mobile device.
• Due to the fact that Webex services are provided through the cloud, hundreds of millions of Webex users worldwide will not have to take any action. In the coming months, they will simply receive an updated version.

2017: Cisco WebEx Fixed Dangerous Vulnerabilities

On July 17, Cisco released security fixes for Cisco WebEx that affect the extension for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Plugins for other browsers are not vulnerable. ^[3]

In particular, the detected vulnerability CVE-2017-6753 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on the user's system when visiting a malicious site. No additional user action is required to successfully operate the vulnerability, Cisco reported.

The manufacturer recommends that all Cisco WebEx plugin users install the latest version 10.0.12.

2016

Cisco and Salesforce Announce Global Strategic Alliance

Collaboration. Cisco and Salesforce integrate Cisco Spark and WebEx with Sales Cloud and Service Cloud with the Salesforce Lightning Framework at the platform functionality level. As a result, common customers will be able to communicate with each other in real time through chat, video and voice services without exiting Salesforce applications and without the need to install special modules, that is, without switching between applications.

Cisco Webex 31

The main improvements of the updated Cisco Webex touched the interface and quality of video broadcasting. In addition, the capabilities of the application for the Android OS have been expanded, the function of calling back the conference from the Video Call Back video conferencing terminal has appeared.

• Interface. First of all, Cisco Webex changes affected the interface - the color scheme has become brighter, icon graphics have been updated, it has become friendly and intuitive, including those users who first use Webex or have minimal skills in using digital devices.
• "Castomization" for client tasks. The new version of Webex introduced "castomization" for client preferences and tasks, allowing the page of the personal room so that it creates a sense of its own space, including loading various images for the avatar and pictures for the wall.
• Revised CMR interface. The new version of Webex also received a revised CMR (Collaboration Meeting Room) interface - a service that allows video conferencing. Now, from his personal account, the user can carry out the customization of the interface for each particular conference. In addition, for participants using video terminals and CMR service, there is no longer a mandatory condition for connecting a city telephony packet, an audio connection will be provided using VoIP. Removing this restriction reduces the cost of using the service.
• Video streaming on different platforms. The quality of video broadcasting has been significantly improved, including when launching the service on different platforms. The new version of Webex, when using broadband, practically eliminates the differences between video systems and video communication on personal devices.
• App capabilities via OS Android. The capabilities of users when working with the service through are noticeably expanded. OS Android Now they have the ability to showcase the entire desktop, not just individual applications, as they did in previous versions of Webex (the option is available for devices with Android 5.0 and above).
• The callback function is Video Call Back. Finally, a fundamental innovation of the new release of Webex WBS 31 was the appearance of the function of calling back the conference from the video call back terminal. The function allows you to keep the quality of video communication unchanged and simplify the connection. Participants can manage a list of their preferred video addresses, so you do not need to enter an address each time you enter a conference or when you reconnect after a break.

2015

Enhanced audio conferencing capabilities in WebEx services

By launching hybrid audio, you can participate in an audio conference WebEx not only via the Internet, but also using traditional telephony. As part of the service, users will be able to connect to a voice conference using hybrid audio WebEx - in one session, participants can choose to connect using PSTN * or VoIP * *, that is, using a regular local phone or using IP telephony.

Thanks to the possibility of hybrid audio, you can use numbers with code 8-800 and other regional codes (local city numbers), which will allow you to make incoming calls throughout Russia, as well as order an outgoing call to your personal number from the WebEx system. The use of telephony in conferences WebEx allows you to qualitatively increase the level of communication due to stable communication with good voice transfer.

Services WebEx updated on WBS 30

On October 7, 2015, it became known about the planned upgrade of WebEx services from WBS 29 to WBS 30.

WebEx Business Suite 30 updates have affected four products:

• Cisco WebEx Meeting Center,
• Cisco WebEx CCA,
• Cisco WebEx CMR
• Cisco Spark.

The changes affected the meeting interface, Personal Room, Administration Tools, CMR Cloud 3.0, CCA, and Cisco Spark. Improved video capabilities. Version 30 provides pop-ups - video previews that help the user decide whether or not to run a specific video. In the version, it became possible to start and turn off automatic video start, scroll video images from left to right.

WBS 30 helps you automatically register the most commonly used webcams. Broadcasts of video images of two participants now have a single layout. Notification options and controls have become much more convenient: toolbar windows have received additional indications, and some icons have changed their location.

"Personal room": the organizer can set the room to automatically lock for 5. 10. 15. 20 minutes after the meeting begins, detaining participants in the "lobby" of the meeting room. If the organizer does not enter the meeting room, the participant can send a notification by mail from the "lobby" of the meeting. The new version of the service is profitably distinguished by an increased level of CMR security: to log in, you will need to enter a password on the video terminal.

In WBS 30, the integration of the Proximity application with WebEx (Beta mode) became possible and a callback from WebEx to the video terminal (Beta mode) became available. The user Lync can now start the session as an organizer and join the meeting before the organizer enters.

"Together with our partner, CTI, we are able to provide exactly the model of collaboration that is ideal for business and capable of reducing the cost of moving and traveling to 50%," said Anton Karpov, Cisco Business Development Manager in Russia and the CIS. - The new version of the WebEx has the best performance and user interface, which can significantly simplify and accelerate the work on projects even for undistinguished users. "

2014

Autumn 2014 Update

The updated interface of WebEx services has become more understandable, bright, expressive and more flexible - fonts and icons in applications now have a more modern and simplified look. The window for inviting and reminding about the beginning of the meeting has improved, it has become possible to manage windows - stretch and narrow them so as not to hinder the management of other applications, updated the appearance of the microsite and e-mail notifications. You have also changed the tools for creating notes - it has become easier to use them by optimizing the process of moving from one editing tool to another.

In the WebEx version, additional functions have appeared that allow you to change the way meetings are held. The virtual meeting can now be closed to the key, even when not all participants have joined. It became possible to go out without ending the meeting, and return if necessary - the organizer had the opportunity to configure notifications about the entrance/exit of the meeting participants.

There are updates in the section for administering the service - in the rally center, each participant can now request host status, before that, only the organizer had the opportunity to appoint. Detailed step-by-step planning of the meeting has become more convenient - the calendar has become visually more understandable and is updated in real time.

The version of the WebEx Meeting Center service has the ability to integrate with video conferencing systems TelePresence, which allows you to expand the audience and simplify work for all participants, to securely exchange two-way images, audio traffic and messages between participants, including mobile users. During the conference, participants see a speaker from any terminal equipment, as well as on the screen of a WebEx or mobile client. Integration allows you to use existing WebEx and TelePresence services with maximum efficiency.

In addition to the subscription to the WebEx Meeting Center service, the Collaboration Meeting Rooms feature is available, which allows you to quickly access the planned and always active meeting room with audio, video, and sharing. The service supports a wide range of terminals - up to 25 terminals and 500 participants with video enabled.

The updated version of the WebEx Meeting Center service has the ability to integrate with video conferencing systems TelePresence, which allows you to expand the audience and simplify work for all participants, to securely exchange two-way images, audio traffic and messages between participants, including mobile users. During the conference, participants see a speaker from any terminal equipment, as well as on the screen of a WebEx or mobile client. Integration allows you to use existing WebEx and TelePresence services with maximum efficiency.

In addition to the subscription to the WebEx Meeting Center service, the Collaboration Meeting Rooms feature is available, which allows you to quickly access the planned and always active meeting room with audio, video, and sharing. The service supports a wide range of terminals - up to 25 terminals and 500 participants with video enabled.

2013

WebEx Meetings для Android

According to the analytical company IDC, by 2015 the number of mobile workers will reach 1.3 billion, i.e. 37.2% of the employed population. With Cisco AnyConnect, mobile users can connect securely to the corporate network. Cisco Jabber delivers instant messaging, voice, and video, and Cisco WebEx Meetings allows you to participate in meetings regardless of location.

Web conferences are one of the top mobile apps. Leading in this area is the WebEx application, with more than four million downloads to mobile devices. WebEx has the largest set of features and can work with a wide range of devices and operating systems: iPhone and iPad, Android smartphones and tablets, as well as the new OS BlackBerry 10. Cisco WebEx allows users to schedule, organize, and participate in WebEx meetings. During such a meeting, you can quickly connect audio, talk with participants, view shared content in both book and landscape format. Cisco continues to invest in this area, expanding the functionality of WebEx Meetings on mobile platforms, and the number of users of this application is constantly growing: for Android alone, annual growth was 248%.

In the spring of 2013, Cisco announced the Cisco WebEx Meetings service for Android v3.0, available on the Google Play store. This product 1 offers new functionality with a completely modified smartphone user interface. Currently, video accounts for over 50% of mobile traffic, and therefore users need more opportunities to watch videos on their devices. WebEx Meetings version 3.0 for Android expands video offers for Android, introducing duplex multi-point video communication for the Android smartphone OS version 4.0 and higher. Now Android smartphone users will be able to participate in meetings at a qualitatively new level, which provides for the transfer and receipt of video. Functionality is optimized for book and landscape formats.

During the meeting, the user interface is dynamically updated, from a video introduction at the beginning of the meeting to a subsequent content exchange and discussion. Additionally, audio and video controls are provided, allowing you to easily transfer video, as well as turn off or turn on your microphone.

With Android WebEx, users looking to bring their mobile devices to a new level of performance can now participate in WebEx training center trainings. In addition to supporting all modern mobile meeting capabilities, including video functions, the WebEx Training Center offers participants and instructors of such trainings a resource of questions and answers. Participants can ask instructors specific questions, and instructors can choose the questions they wish to answer and decide whether to answer publicly or privately. Now users can participate in trainings when they are comfortable: waiting for a flight, getting to work or sunbathing on the beach.

2012

Cisco WebEx Connect 6.5

Cisco WebEx Connect 6.5 IM provides users with access to contact lists and allows them to send instant messages using an IM client that acts as a browser. This solution can run on any computer running any operating system without downloading additional client software.

The Windows client for Cisco WebEx Connect IM has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, making it easier for transnational corporations to use this product.

IM logging on the server allows you to store records of all messages of this type to effectively meet legislative and regulatory requirements. Customers who already have e-mail archiving systems can continue to use the existing infrastructure.

Once Cisco has acquired Jabber, users who need chat and availability (presence) web applications can easily implement these features with the Cisco AJAX XMPP Library, which allows you to quickly create XMPP web applications and integrate portals. To do this, the library has source codes, detailed documentation, and practical examples. All of this can be used to embed availability and chat features in a Cisco Quad environment.

Cisco announced in January 2012 a beta version of the updated WebEx service, a platform for multimedia communication and collaboration. The beta version of the WebEx platform includes file sharing, HD videoconferencing, instant messaging, as well as features for displaying subscriber availability statuses, contact information management, meeting recording and other common social communications functions.

Important innovations in Cisco WebEx include support for managing the full meeting cycle. Now all types of communications are gathered around participants in virtual meetings, which allows them to concentrate on the subject of discussion and related documents, and not on technologies.

The Cisco WebEx platform provides a separate social web portal for each series of meetings, which is used to store records of negotiations, documents, images, videos, discussion logs, including in forums and through other forms of communication. Cisco WebEx can also be integrated with enterprise security systems.

The Cisco WebEx software application received the 2012 Green IT Summit Prize in May 2012 as the best remote and conference solution. Videoconferences WebEx help preserve the environment by reducing the number of business trips for those staff members who are required to attend meetings in person. With this solution, employees easily interact with colleagues and customers located in other parts of the world. At the same time, WebEx helps save time and reduce costs. The Green IT Board has awarded six awards for green IT solutions in the following categories: distributed network computing, data center innovation, desktop virtualization, energy management solutions, energy-efficient computing systems, remote operations and conferencing solutions. Remote work is one of the names of a remote presence when an employee performs his duties at home using a home PC. This can be said to be one of the most important concepts in the field of green IT systems.

According to Telework Research Network, in the United States, 45% of specialists hold positions that allow them to work remotely for at least part of the day. It is estimated that 2.9 million remote workers in the United States save 1,476 million liters of gasoline annually and prevent the release of 3.6 tons of greenhouse gases. In the period from 2005 to 2009, the number of such employees increased by 61%. So the award for the best solution for remote work and conferences is a very important achievement. " Cisco constantly strives to help people work, live, entertain and learn in a way that does not harm the environment. The company reduces carbon dioxide emissions, invites its customers, partners and employees to participate in environmental impact management programs, and develops IT solutions to help deal with climate change.

Cisco WebEx Meetings Server

WebEx Meeting Center is a specialized service for meeting with partners, customers and colleagues online, collaborating on documents, real-time applications and creating presentations, including audio and HD video playback. The service allows you to hold any meetings and presentations over the Internet from anywhere in the world. Moreover, it is possible to transfer the management of the presentation to someone whose active participation is needed at the moment. WebEx Meeting Center supports access from any mobile device and much more.

The Moscow office of Cisco Systems announced in the fall of 2012 the creation of a server modification of the Cisco WebEx conference organization system, so far the system has been available to subscribers by subscription in the form of a cloud service. The Cisco WebEx Meetings server for use in the enterprise IT infrastructure is scheduled to be released before the end of the year.

Among the features provided in Cisco WebEx Meetings, highlighting the image of the speaker of the conference, switching to full-screen mode, simultaneous demonstration of videos and presentations.

Cisco WebEx Meetings, a virtualized software suite running in a VMware environment, provides audio, video, and web conferencing. Cisco UCS servers and VMware 5.0 software are used to install it.

The server, as emphasized in Cisco, has the same user interface as the cloud version of the WeBex, is fully integrated with other company solutions designed for corporate unified communications (including telephone exchanges, control systems, telepresence complexes), as well as with popular mobile devices.

Voice conferencing will be performed first using the Cisco? Unified? Communications Manager IP PBX, but later support for third-party PBXs, including those already installed in enterprise telephony systems, should be provided. As Teplov noted, the possibility of joint participation in conferences of subscribers using VoIP terminals and ordinary sets of the corporate telephone network is provided.

The maximum supported resolution is 360p; subsequently, it is planned to double it. Features such as the selection of the image of the speaking participant of the conference, switching to full-screen mode, simultaneous demonstration of videos and presentations, support of the Russian language on mobile devices are provided.

Four Cisco WebEx Meetings server configurations are available for 50, 250, 800, and 2000 conference participants.

In the summer of 2012, the WebEx Social platform appeared to use the capabilities of social networks in the process of collaboration between employees of enterprises. The name WebEx Social was given to Cisco Quad software released two years ago, supplemented by integration with Microsoft Office applications and mail clients, including Microsoft Outlook. Employees of enterprises have the opportunity to collaborate with Word, PowerPoint, Excel documents, they can also create news messages and send them from Outlook and other e-mail clients to their pages on the corporate social network. Among the new features of mobile applications WebEx Social for iPhone and iPad are instant messaging support and the ability to organize web conferences. To integrate WebEx Social with third-party applications, a developer package has been released.

WebEx Social, like other enterprise applications with social networking functionality offered by IBM Jive Software, Tibco Software and a number of other companies, provides employees with familiar opportunities Facebook and adapted to Twitter corporate application, which is supposed to improve productivity.

Interest in Enterprise Social Networking applications is constantly growing. Forrester Research believes that by 2016 their global sales will reach $6.4 billion (in 2010 this figure was $600 million).

Cisco WebEx Meeting Center provides:

• Networking for ideas, information sharing and collaboration.
• Product demos, commercial presentations, and general working group meetings.
• Work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, UNIX and mobile devices.
• Support for up to 500 participants with the possibility of further expansion.

Cisco WebEx Training Center enables you to:

• Provide real-time training using interactive multimedia teaching tools.
• Assess qualifications and loyalty using built-in questionnaire tools, surveys and exams.
• Reduce tuition costs, reach a wider audience, and improve learning efficiency.
• Train up to 1,000 students.

Cisco WebEx Support Center:

• Provides unlimited real-time technical support for all users.
• Provides quick remote resolution of technical problems and eliminates the need for expensive visits to the customer.
• Accelerates the response process for help desk users and improves customer service.
• Allows you to connect up to 10 participants to each remote support session.

Cisco WebEx Event Center:

• Helps attract audience attention with high-quality video and multimedia content.
• Used for public and corporate presentations for a large number of participants.
• Provides easy management of all processes before and after events.
• Broadcasts events over the Internet, while supporting up to 3,000 participants.

Cisco WebEx Event Center is a specialized solution for large on-line marketing activities. At one point in time, you can gather up to 3,000 participants. WebEx Event Center allows you to control the performance of the event from start to finish, expand the participant base using automated web invitations and promotional materials, rank and analyze the effectiveness of contacts through participation reports and much more.

Cisco WebEx Social

This platform allows you to share knowledge, find the right specialists and information, form virtual teams for more effective interaction thanks to a wide range of functions:

• Integrating WebEx Social and Microsoft Office will help enterprise customers use Word, PowerPoint, and Excel office applications to jointly edit and publish updated documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.
• Email will no longer be a stand-alone application. Advanced email integration will allow employees to create and publish updated content without leaving the e-mail client application (for example, from Microsoft Outlook) using WebEx Social.
• Mobility. Cisco WebEx Social platform upgraded for iPhone and iPad devices. Now installed on these devices, WebEx Social client systems allow employees to freely move from social networks to real-time instant messaging and to conduct web conferences and voice communications directly from a mobile application.
• WebEx Social provides video communication through a browser-type interface, allowing you to participate in high definition (HD) video conferencing without using other applications. This feature is compatible with a wide range of video endpoints, including Cisco TelePresence®, IP video telephones, mobile, and software clients.
• Flexible implementation options. WebEx Social provides several implementation options: this platform can be installed in the customer's premises (on the WebEx Social server), from a partner (Logicalis, ACS and Alphawest) or in the Cisco cloud.

The Cisco WebEx Social platform extends Cisco WebEx cloud services not only to the platform known previously as Quad, but also to Cisco Callway (Cisco TelePresence hosting services). Cisco has combined its Quad and Callway brands with the WebEx brand, and from now on these technologies form a single, market-leading portfolio of solutions for web conferencing and instant messaging. By bringing this complete set of solutions to the cloud, Cisco gives end users and IT professionals easy access to social networking resources from any device. An expanded set of WebEx social networking services will be delivered on the basis of a global data center and a highly functional WebEx cloud. As a result, customers will receive reliable, real-time cloud services that meet the requirements of the most demanding organizations. It is worth recalling that the WebEx cloud ranks second in the list of the largest network clouds designed for corporate collaboration.

To help institutions of higher education achieve decisive success in the educational and teaching fields, Cisco announced in the fall of 2012 Cisco WebEx Social for higher education. This integrated cloud solution, developed with leading universities such as Duke University, North Carolina State University, Case Western Reserve and University of Chicago, goes beyond e-mail, portals, and educational management systems. It brings people together and helps build up vast amounts of knowledge and experience in the learning ecosystem, making these resources convenient and accessible to students and teachers wherever they are.

WebEx Social for Higher Education helps colleges and universities transform processes, increase productivity and innovation, and significantly reduce the cost and complexity of IT infrastructure. Now users can quickly find experts in the right area of ​ ​ knowledge, collect feedback, jointly develop documents, get instant access to mentors, communities around the subject, lesson schedules, lists of recommended literature and links to educational videos.

Cisco developed this solution in close collaboration with higher education leaders, which helped ensure its practicality and effectiveness for educational institutions. Currently, the four above-mentioned universities are working with a new solution in test mode. At the same time, Duke University intends in the coming weeks to extend it to the entire team of its students, teachers, administrative workers and support staff.

The WebEx Social solution for higher education includes integrated products WebEx Social, WebEx Meetings, and WebEx Messenger that support Cisco WebEx Cloud presence and instant messaging (a cloud platform with high availability, unmatched performance, flexible integration, and enterprise information security). The global distribution of this platform is very beneficial for universities with remote affiliates and providing distance learning services in different countries.

With WebEx Meetings and WebEx Messenger Integration, you can easily move from social networks to real-time communications with the Instant Messaging button, as well as with the web conferencing feature directly built into WebEx Social. This solution supports up to eight conference participants WebEx with voice over IP (more than eight participants are charged for support).

The needs of universities, which need to dynamically manage the access of tens of thousands of teachers, students, assistants and administrators, are met through the most common technologies, such as Active Directory synchronization tools and Shibboleth authentication systems. These technologies are used by most higher education institutions.

WebEx Social facilitates personalization of end-user services. The user can change the layout and presentation of web pages using portlets, OpenSocial gadgets, RSS feeds, etc. In addition, it can view a consolidated stream of constantly updated information coming from the network, from communities and from people with whom this user is associated, as well as monitor the Watch List to keep abreast of all changes in the content of interest, including manual and automatic materials, as well as comments on these materials. Users can continuously "stay connected," since the WebEx Social solution initially supports many operating systems and devices, including Apple iPhone and iPad.

Social networks in workplaces

As mentioned, WebEx Social provides the ability to work on mobile devices, use e-mail and office applications for collaboration. In addition, the new WebEx Social software developer kit (SDK) allows you to expand the basic capabilities of WebEx Social (Activity Streams, Watch Lists, and Open Search functions), extending them to applications that are critical to business.

Real-time and video communication integration

WebEx Social combines collaboration features specific to social networks and real-time solutions (voice, communication video, instant messaging, presence, and web conferencing) into a single user environment. This not only enables users to have instant access to the tools they need, but also helps them distribute new collaboration formats faster and better. WebEx Social supports new attractive video features and integrates perfectly with conference systems. WebEx

HD Video Calling. By accessing the WebEx Social solution through a web browser, the user can initiate high resolution (HD) voice and video communication sessions without using any other applications. Built-in calendar WebEx. The WebEx Social solution includes an updated unified calendar and integrated WebEx features. The WebEx Social personal calendar allows you to view, connect, and link directly from the calendar.

New Web and Mobile Interfaces

The web interface and mobile client Cisco WebEx Social support new, intuitive work methods that do not require preliminary preparation. The web interface allows an employee to easily personalize their screen by adding authorized applications and changing the layout of screen windows. Organizations can configure Web interfaces and mobile WebEx Social interfaces to reflect the corporate brand. Simple, easy-to-understand interfaces help you distribute this solution to end users faster.

Easy and efficient access to expert opinions

WebEx Social not only helps employees search for the right specialists and get the necessary information, but also allows you to quickly solve problems by finding ready-made answers to questions. The new Expert Q&A system will redirect questions to the best professionals.

Cisco WebEx Telepresence

The cloud-based Cisco WebEx Telepresence service (formerly Cisco Callway) is provided through an authorized partner network. Customers can purchase or rent multipurpose and personal endpoints and connect them to the Cisco WebEx Telepresence service provided by. to hosting This service reduces the cost and complexity of "telepresence," which is especially attractive for small enterprises. Here are some of the new features of this service:

• Hosting video calls (up to nine participants) on the WebEx Telepresence network. Support for high-quality audio and video (up to 1080 lines of progressive deployment) enables employees to meet with their peers, suppliers, partners, and customers in a realistic virtual environment.
• Company-appointed administrators can centrally manage subscriptions to these services at any time through an online portal.
• Services are delivered through the Cisco TelePresence MX300 and Cisco TelePresence SX20 systems.
• Ordering and paying for services for Cisco partners and customers is simplified by optimizing the subscription process and the possibility of making a prepayment for an annual subscriber.

Cisco WebEx - Office on Wheels

Getting used to using mobile devices and special applications for them every day, we live with the confidence that we spend time as efficiently as possible, staying in touch with colleagues and partners around the clock. It seems exceptional to us only that the situation when we are forced to stand in car traffic jams: even the presence of a mobile phone and a tablet computer does not save us from the feeling that time goes like sand through our fingers. Meanwhile, this problem is easy to solve by organizing an office on wheels.

All that is needed for this is a mobile phone, a tablet computer (in my case it is iPad), a hands free headset and cellular communications. An important part is the holder for the iPad, making the tablet also hands free.

To do this, I developed my own method of fixing the iPad on the panel of the car. Together with the child, we made the frame of the necessary shape, using wire shoulders on which they return clothes from dry cleaning. Then the wire was wrapped tightly with a rope, giving the frame the appearance of a fashion accessory. Agree, this is not difficult at all, so you can take my know-how to note. While in the car, comfortable applications such as Cisco WebEx and Cisco Jabber installed on the iPad help you feel like a full-fledged participant in business processes and business communications.

Meeting on the go

Cloudy Cisco WebEx service allows users to participate in multimedia web conferences and meetings. During web conferences, I use tools such as sharing discussed online documents and presentations, an interactive board, and text chat.

Mobile 3G Internet is enough to take full advantage of all Cisco WebEx capabilities. The hands free headset makes communication more comfortable.

Note that in the Cisco WebEx version, developed specifically for Apple mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), there is a Single sign-on feature that allows the corporate security system to control the authorization of connections to WebEx conferences.

Thanks to the above solutions, my car has become a full-fledged mobile office, and now I am ready for almost any unexpected turns related to the organization of business communication. One of the illustrative cases occurred when I agreed that I would present a presentation to clients in St. Petersburg by videoconferencing from Moscow. On the way to our Moscow office, I realized that due to traffic jams I did not have time for the time for which the presentation was scheduled. Then I just found a parking space, turned on the iPad and hands free and walked it straight out of the car. If I did not have a mobile office, the presentation would have failed with all the ensuing consequences.

Chat for business people

The second application that is almost indispensable in the mobile office is Cisco Jabber. It is designed to work together in a secure corporate network anywhere and provides such capabilities as voice communication, presence control, voice mail, instant messaging, video calls. The app allows you to initiate a chat or video call with my colleagues directly with iPad.

In fact, Cisco Jabber is a multimedia application for corporate unified communications: at any time, you can communicate with any of your colleagues whose contact information is easily found in the corporate directory. The chat feature available in this application is particularly effective in the mobile office on wheels. Thanks to the chat, you can almost instantly answer a colleague's question or ask your question, which significantly increases the speed of solving problems and does not require additional payment, such as sending SMS messages.

When I drive, the Cisco Jabber is always in active mode. If someone writes to me, it is immediately displayed on the screen, and I answer at the first convenient case, say, when I get into another traffic jam or there is an opportunity to park. In this format, really important issues are resolved. For example, somehow, standing in traffic, I agreed on the budget for a Cisco business event.

Traffic jams are not a hindrance

For more than six months I have been using an office on wheels, which has noticeably affected the efficiency of work: earlier about 10% of my working time ate traffic jams. Now any trips are useful for business, I can see the faces of my colleagues and communicate with them even in the car. On the one hand, the solution I invented allows you to be aware of all important working issues and respond quickly to them, and on the other, it does not distract from the driving process.

Notes