Today, collaboration is more critical than ever.
In a world where teams are increasingly dispersed and separated by global boundaries, it’s crucial to have the right app to bring your people together. Collaborative tools like Cisco Webex Teams could be the answer to creating a cohesive workforce.
Cisco Webex Teams is a state-of-the-art collaboration solution designed to provide simple solutions for teamwork, wherever your employees might be. Combining file sharing, messaging, meetings, calling, hardware, and more, Teams gives your people the tools they need to produce better work.
Here, we’re going to explore the benefits, features, and price points of Cisco Webex Teams.
Cisco Webex Teams Features
Cisco Webex Teams was designed to compete with solutions like Slack and Microsoft Teams. In fact if you’re trying to decide which is best for your business you can read our full Cisco vs Microsoft comparison here. Cisco is one of the leading options on the market for enterprise companies in search of secure, reliable calling, messaging and meeting environments.
Whether you’re in the office or on the go, Webex Teams can help to accelerate digital transformation and help drive a new way of working for your users and teams. Anyone can start a meeting at the touch of a button, share their screen, or send a crucial file to a colleague. Additionally, all of the information you share is saved securely in your knowledge base for easy access later.
As a leading vendor in the UC environment, Cisco also provides a range of incredible hardware solutions to enhance your meetings via Webex Teams, such as the Webex Board for virtualised drawings and note sharing, they even have an AI powered Room Kit Mini.
Cisco Webex Teams is a cloud-based service built around a series of communication and collaboration apps. A key feature of the service is the deep integration of all of these tools – whether you want to make a call, send an IM, share a file or start a meeting, everything is done from the same place, with all users sharing the same interface and the same network. Cisco Webex Teams is therefore marketed as offering a complete collaboration experience, with no need for extras or add-ons.
Cisco Webex Teams’s various features can be grouped into three core functions:
- Meetings: Cisco Webex Teams provides a ready-to-go platform for HD video and audio conferencing, from any device. Documents can be shared or created collaboratively, and saved with versioning history. The intention is to make it as easy as possible to organise, prepare for, host and then review contents from meetings, whether they are virtual, physical or a mix of both. Content and discussion threads can be accessed in real time to grab information from different sources during meetings, and it is equally easy to review, follow up and distribute action points afterwards
- Messaging: Cisco Webex Teams includes an enterprise-class IM engine which supports unlimited group and private messaging, file sharing and straightforward directory search for finding contacts to message
- Calling: Cisco designed Cisco Webex Teams to be fully compatible with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UCM) and Cisco Webex Calling. Existing Unified Communications Manager, Business Edition 6000 and 7000, and Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) customers can access all of the benefits and features of these systems while making voice calls from within Cisco Webex Teams
All of these functions are intended to provide seamless, effortless continuity from device to device, and from physical to virtual spaces. For example, all video and audio calls can be switched from desktop to mobile and vice versa. So you might be on a call with a colleague in another office and realise you could do with involving people from your own team – one click, and the call can be paired with a conference phone.
Similarly, Cisco Webex Teams includes a whiteboarding tool, allowing team members to sketch out ideas and make notes together in real time from any device. But this app also connects with the Cisco Webex Teams Board, a physical whiteboard solution for meeting rooms. Any ideas sketched out here are stored in the same place as the virtual whiteboards are – again, it is all about using the cloud to create that continuous workstream.
The emphasis placed on making Cisco Webex Teams compatible with Cisco’s office PBX and call management solutions is a further example. Cloud communications solutions rightly draw a lot of attention for their support for mobile, flexible working. In-office telephony remains the core of communications for most businesses. Close integration with office telephone therefore makes Cisco Webex Teams better at helping teams work better.
Cisco is also very much aware that customers nowadays want tools which integrate with all of the other platforms they may use, not just other Cisco products. It therefore makes Cisco Webex Teams APIs readily available for custom integration with other software, so end users can design their own workstreams.
Features of Cisco Webex Teams include:
- Virtual whiteboarding
- Integration with state-of-the-art hardware
- End-to-end encryption for peace of mind
- Secure user devices with PIN lock and DLP services like Cisco Cloudlock
- Integrations with your favourite tools
- Instant file and screen sharing
- Start a video or voice call at the touch of a button
- Instant messaging for real-time communication
- File and document management and intelligent searching
- Integrations with webinar, online training, and other tools
- Access to smart bots and AI
- Hybrid bridging for on-premises tools
The Benefits of Cisco Webex Teams
Like most collaboration tools today, Cisco Webex Teams is all about driving productivity via simple and straightforward tools. This easy-to-use collaboration service keeps your people connected wherever they are, and simplifies day-to-day interactions with amazing integrations, file sharing, instant messaging, and more.
Employees can start conversations instantly at the touch of a button, share screens, and launch real-time messaging conversations into video chats when they need more face-to-face context. You can even connect your app to any Webex device to start a meeting in a huddle room or conference space instantly.
Benefits include:
- Design your sessions around your teams: High-quality video meetings, annotation-rich screen sharing, and whiteboarding are all available to access from any device with Cisco Webex Teams. Anyone can start a conference and access in-meeting tools like the ability to add guests or record conversations. There’s also the option to save all your files and whiteboards for viewing later
- Use the tools you like most: Cisco Webex Teams plays well with others. There are plenty of pre-built integrations available for third-party applications from Google, Salesforce, Microsoft and more. You can even find and implement bots that will help to make your conferencing and workflow experiences more intelligent
- Get peace of mind with enterprise-grade security: Webex keeps your meetings and conversations secure with enterprise-grade safety built into everything you do. Enjoy end-to-end encryption for all your files, messages, and drawings, and you can access the option to save encryption keys on-premise. There’s even integration with DLP solutions to give you even more security support
- Upgrade your meetings with Webex devices: Take your conferencing experiences to the next level with Webex Teams devices like the Webex Board. Just connect the board to your Webex app, and you can start sharing personalized whiteboard messages and drawings instantly. Everything you create is captured and stored on the cloud for compliance reasons, or just so that you can view it later
- Native in-app calling: Cisco Webex Teams includes native video and voice calling abilities within your collaboration app. You can reach other Teams and standards-based SIP endpoint users and enhance your experience with the Cisco Unified Communications Manager. Customers can also access upgrades through Cisco Webex Calling, or the Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution
Target Market & Regional Availability
Cisco Webex Teams is available anywhere you can connect with Cisco. Companies of all shapes and sizes can create spaces that will keep their workplaces moving and growing in sync. Cisco offers support for Webex users across countries ranging from Australia, to India, England, Germany, the United States, Spain, Canada, South Korea, and more.
Contact the Cisco team to find out more about accessing Cisco Webex Teams in your area.
Webex Teams Pricing
To enable Cisco Webex Teams meetings, you’ll need a Webex Meetings licence. There are various pricing plans available, which provide access to specific parts of the Webex environment. The starter “baseline” package is available for £11.25 per host per month, which is best for smaller teams and individuals. Other options include:
- Webex Plus for mid-sized businesses: £14.85 per host per month
- Webex Business for bigger companies: £22.50 per host per month
- Enterprise for large meetings, events, and training: Flexible pricing
The Cisco Webex customer support team and their global partner network are available to answer any questions you might have to help you find the right pricing structure. There’s also a free trial available for up to 30 days.
Webex Teams Alternatives
If you’re researching Team Collaboration Software vendors, then you may want to look at these Webex Teams alternatives:
What’s Cisco been up to lately? Get more Cisco Webex News here!
FAQ & Finishing Thoughts
Cisco Webex Teams is an excellent competitor in the collaboration market. It’s one of the most popular options for larger groups and enterprises that can’t afford to compromise on functionality, security, or high-level hardware.
Cisco Webex Teams will help you to bring your employees together in an environment that encourages better sharing, stronger teamwork, and enhanced business outcomes.
Q: What is a Host license?
A: Hosts on Cisco Webex Teams are the people who can schedule and conduct meetings. You’ll need at least one host license.
Q: What other services are available besides Teams from Webex?
A: Webex offers a range of services to support companies, including Webex Webinars, Online training, and cognitive collaboration.
Q: What kind of security does Webex Teams offer?
A: Users get end-to-end encryption for all aspects of their conversations on Webex Teams. There’s also access to DLP integrations, encryption keys on-premise, and various other methods of protection.
Q: How does the free trial work?
A: For thirty days, you get access to the Business plan, which comes with a premium subscription to Cisco Webex Teams and Cisco Webex Meetings.
Q: How does Webex Calling Work?
A: Calling via Webex Teams includes native video and voice to reach other Webex Teams users and standards-based SIP users. You can access PBX calling features via Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution, Cisco Unified Communications Manager, or Cisco Webex Calling
