| The name of the base system (platform): | Cisco Collaboration for Events |
| Developers: | Cisco Systems |
| Date of the premiere of the system: | November 2014 |
| Last Release Date: | April 2018 |
| Technology: | IP telephony, SaaS - Software as service, Video conferencing |
Content |
Cisco Spark is a collaboration software for company employees. The application allows you to exchange messages, images and documents, as well as make video calls using a smartphone camera. Cisco Spark operates in the Cisco Collaboration cloud, allowing users to meet and communicate through messages and calls to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
2021: Launch of a data center in Frankfurt for Webex, including in Russia
In March 2021, Cisco announced the launch of a new data center in Frankfurt. It will be used to operate the Webex platform in the EMEAR region (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia).
In this data center, as noted in the company, the connection of all components is provided by the application-oriented infrastructure of Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), it also provides tools to simplify management and debugging.
Another key component of the architecture is the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), which combines standard x86-based servers with storage and networking functionality. UCS provides server capacity and automatically scales to meet customer needs. Cisco ThousandEyes is installed to visualize and analyze the delivery of applications and services.
It is noted that the architectural complex has passed end-to-end security testing using Cisco Firepower technology. The new data center will deploy Cisco products and technologies that are more energy efficient, including power supplies, internal components, and cooling systems. It is assumed that the data center will operate only on renewable energy.
According to Cisco, the launch of the data center in Frankfurt is due to the growing demand for collaborative platforms, which occurred against the background of the coronavirus pandemic. During COVID-19 this period, companies began to mass transition to remote work, and they needed tools to support communication between remote teams. From the beginning of the pandemic to March 2021, the use of collaborative tools such as Webex increased by 74%, Cisco calculated.
 | Since September 2020, Cisco has released more than 400 additions to Webex in compliance with all the security and privacy measures that underlie our technologies and processes, "said Wendy Mars, President of Cisco in the EMEAR region[1] |  |
2018
Deleting 16,000 Accounts by a Former Cisco Employee
Former employee Cisco Systems Sudhish Kasaba Ramesh admitted to hacking cloudy infrastructures Cisco and removing 16 thousand Webex Teams accounts in 2018. This became known on August 28, 2020.
| | Ramesh admitted that during unauthorized access, he deployed the code using his Google Cloud Project account, which led to the removal of 456 virtual machines for Cisco WebEx the Teams application, which provided the opportunity to conduct, videoconferences video message, share files and other tools for collaboration, the report said. Ministry of Justice USA | |
As a result of this incident, 16 thousand WebEx Teams accounts were disconnected for two weeks, due to which Cisco spent about $1.4 million to repair damage and reimbursed more than $1 million to affected customers. According to representatives of the US Department of Justice, no customer data was compromised.
Ramesh also admitted that he "acted recklessly when deploying code and deliberately ignored the significant risk that his behavior could harm Cisco."
Ramesh was released on bail in August 2020, and the sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 9, 2020. He faces a prison sentence of five years and a fine of $250 thousand[2].
Spark renamed Webex Teams
In April 2018, Cisco announced the merger of systems for collaboration between Spark and Webex employees, as a result of which there will be one brand - Webex.
According to a message on the Cisco website, the Cisco Spark and Webex platforms are merged into a new single ecosystem of services. Spark has been renamed Webex Teams and is actually becoming an addition to the Webex Meetings application.
Webex Teams has adopted all Cisco Spark collaboration features as well as Webex web conferencing platform features such as a single employee interaction board, continuous messaging, easy guest access, and content sharing. We are talking about the full integration of technologies that platforms have, supplemented by cloud support and a user interface, noted Cisco.
Once the platforms are merged, users of each platform will be able to connect to Cisco Spark conferences through the WebEx application and vice versa. The updated Webex Meetings program is focused on the use of videoconferences (users are invited to turn on the camera for each online meeting) and began to support up to 1000 people in one conference. In addition, Cisco has added more data analysis, storage, and protection features. The release of a new version of Webex Meetings is expected during 2018.
Rebranding has affected several Cisco devices and services. For example, the Cisco Spark Board became known as the WebEx Board, and the Cisco Spark Assistant was renamed the Webex Assistant.
Cisco also announced a special WebEx Share adapter that turns the TV display into a Webex conference screen. It will be available for Webex Meetings and Teams at the end of 2018.[3]
2017
Cisco Spark Meetings
On January 25, 2017, Spark Meetings is a technology for maintaining the integrity of interaction and collaboration.
The Cisco WebEx Conference Service functionality is integrated into the product, which helps expand the boundaries of the usual meeting. The Cisco Spark platform provides the security and reliability you need for your business.
The product is already available. Integration with Webex will be available from March 2017.
Cisco Spark Release Released
On January 24, 2017, Cisco introduced a version of the Cisco Spark collaboration solution.
Cisco Spark combines different communication channels (chat, telephone, and video) and content sharing in one application. The application does not depend on devices and operating systems and functions on Windows platforms, macOS, iOS, Android and also as the web client. Open application programming interfaces (APIs) and bots are used for integration with other applications. Many integrated applications, including Box, Dropbox, GitHub, Google Drive, Jira, OneDrive, Salesforce Alerts, Twitter, SmartSheet, Splunk, various translation tools and dictionaries.
The application received a different style of design, based on various types of user activities (activities). From the toolbar in the workspace, you can select the required action - message, appointment, call, collaboration on an interactive whiteboard, file sharing, search for people.
- Activity-based workflow will be the same on all devices (desktop, mobile, tablet, or Cisco Spark Board). A user who knows how to handle one device will be able to work on the rest.
- You can collaborate on an interactive whiteboard even if none of the users have a dedicated device
- Cisco Spark Board. This feature is built directly into Cisco Spark applications.
- After the user plans a meeting, the application creates a workspace where you can define an agenda, invite certain participants, exchange content and chat.
2016
Cisco and Salesforce Announce Global Strategic Alliance
In September 2016, Cisco and Salesforce announced the creation of a strategic alliance to radically increase the productivity of business users. Companies will work together to develop and market solutions that combine Cisco collaboration, IoT, and contact center platforms with Salesforce Sales Cloud, IoT Cloud, and Service Cloud applications.
Main areas of integration
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.
Internet of Things services. Integrating Cisco Jasper and Salesforce IoT Cloud solutions will provide an overview, control, and execution of customer-recommended actions on connected devices, giving enterprises a more complete picture of the IoT services used. The Cisco Jasper real-time solution provides a visual view of the startup, monitoring, and monetization of IoT devices at all stages of their lifecycle. Salesforce IoT Cloud delivers information about billions of IoT events of connected devices to the Salesforce platform, which makes connected world information available, allowing each user to take certain actions at the right time for various customers. The combination of these solutions will help enterprises quickly and cost-effectively leverage billions of IoT data to interact individually and efficiently with customers, partners, and employees. For example, by sending data from connected vehicles equipped with IoT devices running Cisco Jasper to the Salesforce IoT Cloud, the management company will be able to implement business logic to inform customers about the delivery time in real time, as well as quickly schedule repairs and maintenance in case of problems.
Customer Service. The two market leaders in customer service have teamed up to create a comprehensive solution that will include both a communications infrastructure and an integrated intelligent application for operator computers. Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise provides intelligent contact routing, call processing, network and desktop telephony integration, and multi-channel contact management. The Salesforce Service Cloud application (the world's top customer service application) provides contact center operators with complete contact information, allowing them to speed up service and make it more productive. Seamless integration of these solutions will allow companies to more effectively control contact centers.
Cisco Acquired Synata to Strengthen Cisco Spark VCS
Cisco acquired Synata in early 2016, a private company whose technology will increase the efficiency of searching for workspaces ("rooms") and content in the Cisco Spark collaboration business service.
Synata enables users to simultaneously search for fixed and cloud applications from a single platform. The search technology developed by Synata is compatible with Cisco Spark's unique end-to-end encryption method in the cloud, so it will be difficult to overestimate the benefits of joining Synata specialists to our team. In their cloud development, both Cisco and Synata prefer technologies that give customers complete control and privacy. Adding Synata search functionality will bring Cisco Spark capabilities to a new level. Once the integration is complete, customers can quickly and securely find the most relevant information. Collaboration remains a priority for Cisco.
The acquisition of Synata continues a series of successful acquisitions in this area (for example, companies such as Collaborate.com, Assemblage, Tropo and Acano). Together, we can accelerate cloud and collaboration development.
2015: Announcement of VKS cloud services
On December 8, 2015, Cisco announced the launch of cloud solutions for video conferencing. The transformation of the business of producing products for collaboration with an American company lasted three years, reports Bloomberg news agency.
Cisco announced the addition of services to Spark to organize video and telephone conferences deployed in the corporation's own cloud infrastructure. As a result, the functionality of the application will significantly expand: for example, company employees will be able to communicate by corporate telephone using the home Internet, and conferences can be organized using equipment from different manufacturers.
Spark will gain enhanced compatibility with third-party technologies thanks to the recent takeover of Cisco London-based Acano, said Rowan Trollope, head of collaboration solutions.[4]
Cisco spent hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the system, which has become much easier to use than expensive equipment deployed in organizations and enterprises, which also requires technical support, Trollop noted.
Cisco decided to focus on the cloud, but it is not planned to stop releasing traditional phones and VKS. Cloud services will be promoted by the same resellers and system integrators working with Cisco in the local collaboration product market. In the future, Spark may be located in partner data centers using the Cisco Intercloud platform, said Ross Daniels, senior director of collaboration product marketing[5]
Notes
- ↑ Cisco breaks ground on data centre in Frankfurt
- ↑ A former Cisco employee admitted to removing 16 thousand Webex Teams accounts
- ↑ Cisco folds Spark into Webex as Webex Teams
- ↑ Cisco Takes Conferencing to Cloud, Replacing Tools That Suck
- ↑ Cisco's Spark grows into a phone and meeting platform for the cloud
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