powering productive workplaces
Front page
NewsUC&C8 Oct 2020 · 2 min read

Hold Please: Cisco Celebrates with Epic Hold Music

Cisco marks 100 million phones with a hold music contest on Cisco phones and Webex, giving UC buyers a fresh brand moment. Published on UC Today.

Cisco epic hold music celebration

Cisco phones all come with the standard Cisco hold music.

If you’ve used a Cisco phone before – you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. The 'Opus No.1' track has become an iconic part of the Cisco brand over the years.

So, why on earth would Cisco ever decide to change their tune?

Well, to celebrate selling their 100 millionth phone, of course.

Not one to give up the chance to celebrate, Cisco have decided to hold a competition giving customers and fans the chance to update their hold music with something a little more modern. That’s not to say that people don’t like the existing music  of course. The synth-heavy 80’s-style tune you currently get on a Cisco phone has a pretty great vibe.

Here’s a full hour of the song on YouTube – just for you.

Play That One Song Again…

Over the years, Cisco has earned a significant amount of attention for its choice in hold music. The company’s iconic song has appeared on everything from This American Life, to NBC. People have even uploaded ten-hour versions of the tune to YouTube – for some reason. Still, you can have too much of a good thing.

The new Cisco competition, announced by Jimmy Kimmel Live’s band, will end with the winning band or artist having the opportunity to replace the hold music with an original tune for the month of January. After that, Cisco goes back to using its standard song (we assume).

[caption id="attachment_32808" align="alignright" width="200"]Hakim Mehmood Hakim Mehmood[/caption]

Although Cisco may have considered making the change to the hold tune a little more permanent, we can only imagine that this would lead to some pretty unhappy customers. We’re not kidding when we say that this song has a cult following.

Still, as VP and General Manager of Calling and Devices for the Cisco Collaboration Tech Group, Hakim Mehmood, says, this is a great way to celebrate a massive milestone for Cisco. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for Cisco to generate more buzz and remind customers of just how much they love the Cisco brand.

We’re pretty excited to see the new tune that will take over for the month-long celebration. If nothing else, it will be a nice change of pace for people who work with Cisco devices regularly.

Entries are requested by the end of this month, October 31st. The winner will be announced during WebexONE, December 8-9.

Get composing, check out the rules and enter today.

 

 

rate this story
helps rank stories across uc today
The discussion0 takes · attributed & checked

Does this reflect your experience?

opening the room…
Read nextordered by techtelligence · every pick explained
same beat · UC&C

GoTo CX Complete: Is GoTo Building the SMB AI-Powered UC+CC Layer Before Rivals Catch Up?

13 Aug 2026
same beat · UC&CIs Webex Cisco's Growth Story Again? Collaboration Just Had Its Best Quarter in Seven Years13 Aug 2026same beat · UC&CStill Using Teams Live Chat? Microsoft Just Gave You Until October to Find a Replacement10 Aug 2026