Hopefully by now you’ve read our Cisco vs Microsoft Smart Guide, if not you can download it using the link.
Here’s some final thoughts…
Ultimately, both Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Teams are highly capable collaborative platforms. While Cisco offers a more complete end-to-end system within its infrastructure through native contact centre solutions and phone systems, Microsoft also provides access to everything you need for UC 3.0. The main difference is that Microsoft relies more heavily on its partnerships with other leading competitors.
Choosing the right UC 3.0 solution for your companies means focusing on the concept of “experience” and how it applies to every touchpoint in your organisation. Don’t get so caught up on customer experience that you ignore things like Business, Team, and User experience too.
Additionally, remember that you don’t necessarily need to tie yourself to a full-stack vendor to get everything you need. A platform for innovation is what helps today’s leading companies to differentiate themselves in the modern market.
One thing you’re sure to notice about both Microsoft and Cisco, is they’re both dedicated to delivering a straight-forward approach to unified communications. They’re continually investing in the services that they offer and evolving to suit the needs of the current environment. This means that both tools are ready to empower your team on the path towards UC 3.0.
What’s Next for Microsoft and Cisco?
The Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex Teams debate asks a very interesting question. Is it better to have a single service to rule them all, or a tool that uses collaborations with vendors and industry leaders to drive your company forward?
Microsoft Teams is growing exponentially – in fact; it’s the fastest growing application in Microsoft history. According to Lori Wright, the General Manager of Microsoft 365 “Teams makes collaboration more inclusive, effective and secure.” With access to the Office 365 ecosystem for productivity and a commitment to filling the gaps in any capability needs with a strong partner ecosystem, Microsoft has a lot to offer.
Indeed, many Microsoft fans believe that Microsoft has a monopoly for the productivity suite. Countless companies already rely on Office 365 to drive their day-to-day operations. This means that in theory, Cisco does have greater growth potential.
On the other hand, Cisco has the innovation edge, with more emerging technology from the hardware side of things. Additionally, because Cisco can offer native contact centre and call solutions, it’s meetings, and CX experience is arguably stronger. Cisco already owns a Wi-Fi network through Meraki, and SD-WAN with Viptela. According to Amy Chang, the Senior Vice President of Cisco, “We’re building bridges, not islands.”
In the months and years to come, Cisco and Microsoft will continue to square off against each other as two of the most popular and well-respected tools for mobile and desktop collaboration in the enterprise world. Microsoft and Cisco offer a far more professional and comprehensive approach to collaboration and communication than many of the other contenders in the collaborative space. When it comes to UC 3.0, it’s hard to argue with the impact that both of these companies have.
Currently, neither of the two applications offer integrations as broad and vast as Slack. However, that doesn’t mean that the integration opportunities won’t grow in the future. For most companies, the decision of whether to use Cisco or Microsoft for UC 3.0 will come down to one very simple thing – whether they already have a comprehensive background with one vendor or the other.
Because both Microsoft and Cisco offer more than just collaboration, they can rely on their prior experiences with customers in productivity tools, hardware, and software to drive adoption. The global marketplace for both companies means that they both have the power to accomplish incredible things in this growing environment.
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