Cisco’s collaboration boss has praised the vendor’s team for innovating with Webex at “a pace I didn’t know was possible”.
Speaking at Cisco Live, Javed Khan said the rapid development of Webex over recent months, culminating in the launch of “the all-new Webex”, has been driven by the realisation that hybrid working will become the norm for workers around the world.
“When I think back to a year ago, we all experienced the most disruptive work event of our lifetimes,” he said. “We all felt the impact on our lives both personally and professionally.”
“Many of us experienced similar challenges as we transitioned to home [such as] trying to find a quiet spot to call an office and sharing bandwidth with kids who are attending school or playing video games.
“We’ve hired hundreds of new employees this year that I haven’t even met in person.
But, with all the disruptions, our teams have been phenomenally productive, delivering innovations at a pace that I could have never imagined possible”
Khan cited research that claims that 77 per cent of employees expect to embrace a flexible working style once COVID restrictions are lifted, while 98 per cent of meetings are expected to include at least one attendee participating remotely.
He said that successful companies in the hybrid age will be defined by the experience they give to both customers and employees.
“As we speak about employee experience there are a few things to consider as you plan a move to hybrid working,” he said.
“For employees in the office, how do they find a place to work; how do they know that space is safe; and most importantly, how do they stay connected to employees that are still at home.
“For employees that are at home, their concerns might be whether they’re going to be left out, or whether they can still be seen and heard in meetings. Can they still make the same impact?
“Ensuring an engaging and inclusive experience for all employees is essential.”
From a customer experience perspective, Khan said that companies need to be providing seamless interaction with the platforms that people are used to using.
“I recently ordered something online and when it never arrived, I contacted the vendor via chat,” he said.
“Within 30 seconds I was connected to a live agent who knew about the order, knew it had been lost and had already shipped the replacement item for me
“It was a seamless and satisfying interaction; the kind we should all be having when we contact support.
“This is the customer experience we at building at Webex. We are creating a powerful customer experience as a service offering by combining the direct contact centre with omnichannel and customisable capabilities from IMI Mobile.
“This will allow your customer to interact with you on a channel of their choice, whether that’s Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and allow you to customise your workflows for customer interaction.”
