NewsUC&C9 Jun 2023 · 5 min read

Big UC News from Apple, Cisco, Zoom and 8x8

Apple Transforms iPhones into Meeting Room Cameras and Announce New Video Conferencing Features for Mac At this week's WDCC 2023, Apple unveiled plans to…

Kieran Devlin

Apple Transforms iPhones into Meeting Room Cameras and Announce New Video Conferencing Features for Mac

At this week's WDCC 2023, Apple unveiled plans to turn the iPhone into a huddle camera through integration with Apple TV.

This feature leverages Apple's Continuity Camera mode, allowing iPhones and iPads to function wirelessly as webcams. The anticipated FaceTime app for Apple TV will utilise Centre Stage, Apple's AI-powered technology, when using the front cameras on iPhones and iPads. Centre Stage dynamically frames users as they engage with the TV to deliver an immersive video conferencing experience.

With the introduction of FaceTime to Apple TV, Apple is expanding FaceTime out of just portable devices. A forthcoming tvOS 17 update will implement a dedicated FaceTime app, allowing users to use their iPhone or iPad cameras for video calls on their TVs.

By utilising Continuity Camera, users can launch the FaceTime app on their Apple TV device, wirelessly connecting it to their iPhone or iPad while having the flexibility to transfer ongoing calls from their iPhones to Apple TV with just a few clicks.

Also revealed at this week's WDCC, Apple is releasing new video conferencing features in the upcoming macOS to improve meetings across all platforms.

One key feature of macOS Sonoma is Presenter Overlay, which lets users place themselves on top of content such as slideshows. The participant can be removed from their background and have the content placed behind them. They can choose between appearing as a small bubble or in a larger frame.

"We think users are going to love macOS Sonoma and the new ways it enables them to personalise with widgets and stunning new screen savers, see new levels of gaming performance, and gain powerful productivity for video conferencing and browsing with Safari," said Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering.

Users will also have access to "Reactions", including incorporating virtual balloons or confetti into their meeting windows. The reactions can be prompted by hand movements, such as two thumbs up used to create a firework display behind the user.

These features are not restricted to FaceTime, and users can enable them across any video conferencing platform, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Webex.

Cisco Releases Wave of Webex News at Cisco Live, Including Generative AI and a New Device Management Experience

This week's Cisco Live showcased a raft of exciting new Webex solutions and updates.

Webex is introducing generative AI to its collaboration platform to increase productivity through automated conversation and meeting recaps.

The innovative summarisation features allow users to catch up on missed meetings, extract the most important information from conversations, or extract the essential action items from a meeting. The features are also extended to Cisco's asynchronous Vidcast tool and the Webex Contact Centre.

Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Security and Collaboration at Cisco, commented:

Generative AI will quickly become pervasive as we see businesses and workers embrace the technology to become materially more productive. At Cisco, we’ve been using AI for years. Now we’re unveiling how we’re incorporating generative AI into our existing products, helping customers drive real value to unlock the most secure, unrivalled work experiences possible."

Cisco also revealed a new device management solution called "Control Hub" to address the collaboration management needs of a hybrid working workplace.

Control Hub empowers IT teams or business leaders with a birds-eye view of workspaces while giving multiple filtering options. With this aggregate view, admins can track Cisco (or partner) devices in each room and monitor the health of the devices' connections.

IT teams can track environmental data, such as room temperature and humidity. The Control Hub's usage data and workspace insights allow admins to make calculated decisions about their deployments. An example Cisco cites is an admin developing understanding of which room might be the most popular. They can also track which rooms are most regularly used for scheduled vs ad-hoc meetings.

Lastly, Cisco also announced the Room Bar Pro as a device designed to maximise the collaboration potential of Cisco's RoomOS platform.

The Pro is an easy-to-deploy video bar with significant processing power, multiple connections, touchscreen integration, and advanced AI capabilities built into Cisco's RoomOS platform. Using an NVIDIA processor, the Pro is powerful enough to support future technological innovations while being intuitive and simple to manage.

Zoom Empowers Users with New Data Privacy Tools

Zoom has implemented several new data storage tools to give users greater control and insights into their privacy and security.

Zoom's privacy, product, and engineering teams have introduced intuitive solutions for users to better manage their data and privacy preferences. Among the multiple features Zoom is launching are European Economic Area (EEA)-based localised data storage, data subject access areas, and audit log tracking.

"We're proud to announce these privacy updates for our customers," said Lynn Haaland, Chief Compliance, Ethics, & Privacy Officer and Deputy General Counsel at Zoom. "These new tools offer our European customers more control over where their data is processed and stored and the option to delete personal data. Institutions can choose us knowing that they've selected a vendor that's committed to protecting their data."

Worries over security, compliance and privacy continue to grow with hybrid working becoming the new normal — and its consequent risks to sensitive information — while the EU's digital sovereignty plans have encouraged vendors to reinforce their security and privacy systems. This Zoom update addresses many of these concerns.

8×8 Maintains Change at the Top with New CFO Kevin Kraus

8×8 has appointed Kevin Kraus as its new permanent Chief Financial Officer.

Kraus had served as 8×8's interim CFO since November, replacing Samuel Wilson in the role after Wilson was promoted to interim CEO following the departure of Dave Sipes. Before holding that temporary position, Kraus was 8×8's Senior Vice President of Finance under Wilson, responsible for financial planning, analysis, and procurement functions.

"I'm incredibly excited to continue leading the finance and accounting organisation for 8×8 as Chief Financial Officer," Kraus said. "We have a clear vision and a strong commitment to innovation and customer success. I look forward to contributing to the company's continued growth and helping it achieve its strategic goals."

Last week, Wilson — formerly 8x8's CFO himself — was confirmed as 8x8's new permanent CEO. He had performed the CEO duties while the company underwent a thorough candidate search following Sipes' departure. Wilson was also appointed to 8×8's Board of Directors.

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