Tech bellwether Cisco has unveiled its new Webex Suite to allow companies to address key challenges in a “hybrid” work environment brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cisco said the new Webex advancements include the Webex Suite, the industry’s “first suite for hybrid work to combine meetings, calling, messaging, polling and events in one offering.”
Karrie Ilagan, managing director of Cisco Philippines, noted that work-from-home arrangements do have challenges including connectivity, an ever-growing demand for broadband, and video-call “fatigue” that many customers and partners have experienced.
Citing a Cisco Workforce of the Future survey, Ilagan said Filipino workers are capable of working together even if they are not physically in the same workspace.
Many workers are delivering their expected business outcomes and that the new world of work enables employees and partners to work outside the Philippines, bridging international gaps and building trust between leaders and employees.
While remote work is possible and productive, work from home solutions were never meant to be 100% efficient, Ilagan said, adding that this setting calls for a re-imagining of customer and employee experiences.
“At the core of what we do at Cisco, is our drive to deliver innovations in technology that can create pathways to economic prosperity for all, continue to connect the unconnected, and bring the ecosystem around our business along with us to a future that is inclusive, where no one is left behind,” Ilagan said.
“We are bringing innovations to our portfolio with that in mind, and with Webex Suite, everyone has a seat at the table, everyone’s voice can be heard, and it’s a platform where discussions are made equitable.”
The Webex Suite has a slew of solutions including “End-to-End events” which is a complete events execution and management platform, which is necessary in the next era of hybrid events; and Audience Interaction Tools such as polling, quizzes, Q&A and other interactive activities powered by Slido are integrated across all collaboration experiences,
Additionally, users will have the new ability of speech optimization for remote and shared workspaces through My Voice Only to eliminate background noise, including speech from people in the background, and solely focus on the main speaker’s speech. My Voice Only will be available worldwide in August 2021.
People Focus uses machine learning and AI technology to individually re-frame meeting participants who are spread across a meeting room, allowing remote participants to feel more connected. People Focus allows users to distinguish others’ body language, facial expressions, and more.
Among Cisco’s next-level devices, the Webex Desk provides a powerful all-in-one collaboration device designed for the desk at work or home. The end-goal is to create the most flexible and inclusive user experience for businesses who are looking to be more inclusive in their hybrid work approach and for people who continue to work from anywhere.
