Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said in a March 17th interview with CNBC that Webex usage had skyrocketed that month to 5.5 billion minutes of video conferencing, and grew to a staggering 14 billion minutes for the whole of March. That number has continued to dramatically increase since then, as we’re seeing 20.3 billion meeting minutes logged so far in the month of April. Along with minutes spent using the tool, accolades for Webex have also come in from across the industry—New York Times’ Wirecutter says Webex is “the best video conferencing service” and recommends it for large groups because of its “generous free plan, robust security and privacy policies, and ability to scale with your team.” In addition, Webex Teams recently won TrustRadius’ Top Rated award in collaboration, and Webex Meetings was the highest-ranked video conferencing platform on several G2 Top Software 2020 lists. So, what is the differentiating factor that separates Webex from the rest? There are four:
- Security
- Seamless workflow
- High-quality experience
- Device and app integration
Let’s break it down.
Taking security seriously
A collaboration tool is nothing without security. During this time, we’re messaging and using video conferencing for everything, including work meetings, education for students of all ages, healthcare visits, and much more. It’s crucial all of that confidential and proprietary information is safe and secure. Webex’s security is baked in—Cisco’s Security and Trust Organization makes sure security and privacy is built into every product from the get-go, and it’s simple to use. “Secure out of the box” means that users can collaborate freely without having to configure the security on their own; it’s already working for you. Webex Meetings also offers end-to-end encryption, which means that customers can opt-in for their highly classified content.
There’s also the aspect of transparency. Cisco’s privacy governance works to provide Privacy Data Sheets and Privacy Data Maps for Webex, and the company also routinely tests, fixes, and discloses vulnerabilities either found internally or through third parties. Cisco Webex is compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, FERPA, and it is HITRUST certified, and is trusted by 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies to keep their messaging and conferencing secure.
Seamless workflow with an all-in-one tool
Webex isn’t just a video conferencing tool, it makes workflow operations seamless from messaging, to telephony, to white boarding. Beyond just face-to-face virtual meetings, here’s a few things that Webex offers that can transform the way people collaborate:
- Webex Teams: This product includes messaging, file sharing, whiteboarding, video meetings, and telephony, and it has a consistent user experience on whatever device you’re using.
- Webex Spaces: As a “container”, Spaces can be created with different teams for different projects, and everyone in the space can see and share what they’re working on in a secure way.
- Webex Assistant: Voice-enabled Webex Assistant allows users to control the meeting by saying things like “OK Webex, mute”, or “OK Webex, start meeting”.
- Recording and transcriptions: Missed something? Webex provides automatic transcription of all recorded Webex meetings, which appears during playback. These transcriptions are highly secure and first-party, which means none of the recordings are sent to an outside vendor.
High-quality experience
With conference calling on the rise, it’s important that everyone is seen and heard as clearly as they would be in person. In addition to Webex’s unparalleled security, the product also provides high-quality audio, HD video, easy screen sharing, a grid view to see up to 25 participants, and powerful controls to make sure everything is running as it should.
See also: Cisco Webex is supporting customers during this unprecedented time
Webex provides different ways for users to get connected—toll or toll-free dial-in, VoIP, and a Call-Me option that allows you to be called at the location of your choice. The product also gives you options to share what you want. You can share your whole screen, or choose between applications like Powerpoint and Excel, a browser window, media player, and more. Webex’s intuitive and easy-to-use user interface makes sure that all participants are able to navigate meetings with just a few clicks.
If you are dealing with service degradation due to low bandwidth or Internet strain, Webex has a few best practices to get your video meeting quality back to its best. These include closing background applications, turning off VPN, and reducing other streaming activities while on a meeting. You can also take into consideration what time you’re holding meetings. For example, mornings PST is one of the busiest times for video calls—you can choose something like 10 or 15 minutes after the hour to reduce the strain.
Device and app integration
You can use Webex on most any device, and you can be assured that user experience will be completely consistent—that means whether it’s a Webex Board, Webex Desk Pro, PC or Mac, or a smartphone or tablet, you’ll have access to everything you need. In addition, Webex can be integrated into many industry-leading apps to assure more productivity. Webex Meetings can be integrated with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Calendar, and Webex Teams can be integrated with Box, SharePoint, Salesforce, and more. Users can meet, message, and have a more seamless experience without interrupting the workflow.
These are just four aspects of Webex’s world-class solutions—if you want to learn more about why more people are turning to Webex to connect, communicate, and collaborate, click here.
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