Webex by Cisco: A Revolutionary Collaboration Platform

Introducing Webex by Cisco

Cisco's cloud-based collaboration platform, Webex, provides various cross-device, real-time teamwork features. Effortlessly streamline cooperation and achieve faster outcomes with this one app that brings together calling, texting, and meetings. The capability, security, and quality needed to shift mission-critical communications to the cloud are all provided by Webex.

This powerful and user-friendly collaboration solution will keep your team linked no matter where or what device you're using. Offering cutting-edge features like integrated file sharing, sophisticated noise reduction, and AI-powered conference transcription, Webex continues to raise the bar for collaboration technology and has millions of users worldwide.

Webex was founded in 1995, and in 2007, Cisco acquired the company. Since then, all their products have become part of Cisco Systems. Webex provides communication solutions such as text messaging, booking events, mobile and desktop applications, and many other services.

They have been named a leader in Collaborative Meetings by Omdia Universe. Also, Total Economic Impact conducted a study on this company, revealing that one of the provider's products, the Webex Suite, has a 204% return on investment (ROI).

What industries does Webex support?

Their solutions fit various industries; the company's integrations and products are pre-built to offer the best services to businesses in the education, healthcare, government, and finance sectors. 

Features & Services

This provider offers a handful of features that allow users to have everything they need in one place and simplify tasks with an easy-to-use interface and management tools. In short, here's what you'll get with Webex solutions:

Cloud-based calling features

A cloud business phone system means that users can access it from anywhere and on any compatible device, making it an easy option for large enterprises and teams that run their tasks remotely. They are a cloud-hosted service that makes it easy to manage call waiting, holding, forwarding, do not disturb, visual voicemail, and more.

Elevate calls and meetings

Their flexible communications allow users to quickly move from calls to video meetings and more interactive communication options. Furthermore, this option supports moving from one device to another without missing critical details.

Multiple options to direct calls

They empower businesses and help them offer a better customer experience. This allows agents to take more business calls with a mobile phone menu, extensions, and intelligent call-routing features.

Built-in security

Maintaining security is challenging for many companies; this is an even more overwhelming aspect of communications, including sensitive information such as financial and personal data. This provider guarantees to keep your communications secured and protected against any data breach attempts.

To ensure the highest level of privacy, their system requires user verification for messaging and file sharing. It allows customizing security controls, device PIN enforcement, and remote content wiping. Administrators can also search and extract data or content, including participant IDs and timestamps.

Integrations

Their solutions integrate with the most notable applications, including Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, Slack, Twitter, Appspace, Vbrick, ADP, ACTextBot, etc. Business phone systems that integrate with other platforms are easily managed and offer a high-quality customer experience.

Hardware options

Webex by Cisco allows users to choose from two business phone systems: the 7800 series IP phones and the Cisco IP Phone 8800. All options come with quick access to standard calling functions. Each Cisco IP phone is designed to be cost-effective, with financing as low as 0%.

Mobile application

They offer an easy-to-use and intuitive mobile application that allows users to access their communications without compromising the quality of video and audio calls. The application is accessible from any compatible device and is fully featured. The mobile application gives presenters instant feedback with on-screen animated reactions, gesture recognition, and emojis.

Messaging and collaborations

Their messaging options are almost the same across all presented plans, and the feature is helpful for teams that need to use VoIP for online classes and webinars so that administrators can monitor who enters for security purposes.

The messaging option presented by Webex is simple and efficiently managed, and it’s considered to be a nice-to-have addition to the calling features and meetings.

Webex meetings

They offer screen sharing from any device and are not limited to just the host. This is a solution that facilitates hybrid work through web conferencing. Because of this, everyone may participate in meetings regardless of their location, language, or preferred method of communication, leading to improved outcomes and a more streamlined collaboration experience overall. You can also schedule and start meetings from your browser or mobile app.

Optional add-ons

They offer the "call me" options on the Meet plan. These features are vital if you dial into calls regularly due to a bad internet connection; with the "call me" tools, you don't have to take the trouble of entering the meeting ID or number every time you want to join a meeting. You can choose between domestic calls for $48 a year or international calls for $429 a year.

They also offer real-time translation to over 100 languages as an add-on for $300 a year with a 15-day free trial.

Plans & Pricing

This provider offers two basic business phone system plans: Webex Call and Webex Suite (Business). It also provides a customizable Webex Suite (Enterprise) plan with a dedicated support agent to help meet the specific requirements of large enterprises.

The prices below are based on the month-to-month subscription; you can save 10% if you subscribe annually.

Free Plan: $0/month

It is ideal for small teams or personal use, offering basic features with limited participants.

Webex Meet: $14.50 per month

You can have up to 200 attendees in a meeting room with noise cancellation, 10 GB of cloud meeting recording, and much more.

Webex Call Plan: $17/month

This is their most affordable VoIP plan, starting at $17/month per user. The plan provides basic calling features in a cloud-based system, including call merging, waiting, holding, forwarding, do not disturb, and visual voicemail.

You can transfer calls between devices or convert them to video meetings. Their VoIP system also supports local and international calls billed by the minute.

Webex Suite (meet and call): $25/month

Webex Suite for Businesses costs $25/month per user, and it combines phone systems with meeting features to give you the best of both. This plan includes collaborative whiteboards, HD video and audio meetings for up to 200 participants, 10 GB of cloud recording storage, gesture recognition, live social streaming, breakout rooms, and a control hub.

Webex Enterprise: Quote-based

This plan allows customization of the services presented with Webex Suite for Businesses and a dedicated support representative. The pricing for this plan isn't clearly stated on the website, so you'll need to contact one of the company's agents to get pricing.

They offer two optional add-ons for their Webex Suite and Webex Meet plans. One of the add-ons provides real-time translation from 100 different languages into English for $30 per user per month.

Webinars and events

The company provides two main options for hosting webinars and events: Webex Webinars and Webex Events. Their Webinars plan enables the staging of high-quality webinars, from intimate gatherings to enormous worldwide audiences. Its attendance capacity ranges from 1,000 to 10,000+. It also offers webcast views with restricted audience interactions and interactive, highly engaging webinars. They also provide technical support during the webinar. The cost for this plan depends on the attendee capacity you want to have in your business; it ranges from $68.75 per month to $4,950. 

The Events plan offers multi-session, virtual, in-person, or hybrid events. Common uses include community development, conferences, trade exhibitions, and internal sales kickoffs. This plan is quote-based.

They provide a comparison chart to assist users in selecting the most suitable webinar or event service according to their requirements.

Webex Contact Center: Quote-based

This plan has add-ons such as workforce optimization, calling integration, and digital engagement integration with Webex Connect

Webex CPaaS Solutions: Quote-based

They offer Communication Platform as a Service (CPaas), which allows programs to integrate real-time communication capabilities into their apps without constructing the necessary infrastructure. This quote-based solution means you'll have to contact the sales team for more information about the plan and its prices.

Webex Perks

• Advanced features: The platform is dedicated to innovation, as seen in its advanced features like AI-powered transcription and voice commands. This feature automatically transcribes meetings, making it more straightforward for participants to review discussions and essential points. Another innovative touch is the inclusion of facial recognition technology, which enhances the virtual meeting experience by automatically recognizing and highlighting speakers
• Unified communications: They consolidate all communication and collaboration functions into a single application, making it easy to streamline teamwork and produce results faster than ever. They offer calling, messaging, and meeting features in one place, simplifying IT management drastically
• Integrations with other applications: They are pre-integrated with Office 365, G-Suite, Salesforce, and other popular applications, making it easy to integrate with everyday business applications using APIs
• Cloud-based solutions: These provide the functionality, security, and quality required to migrate mission-critical communications to the cloud. It is an easy-to-use and powerful collaboration solution that keeps people and teams connected from anywhere, anytime, on any device
• Scalability: They are designed to connect teams of all sizes, from small, family-owned businesses to multi-location enterprises. They offer a feature-rich, easy-to-use collaboration solution that can keep work moving forward

Drawbacks 

Although this company provides a wide range of services and features, it also has some drawbacks that need to be taken into consideration. Smaller businesses with tight budgets may find accessing advanced features challenging as they may come with higher price tags despite the affordability of basic plans.

It's important to keep in mind that our research has only identified one disadvantage, but it's possible that there are others. We advise you to ask the provider all the necessary questions once you contact their sales team, compare their offerings to those of other companies, and speak with previous or current clients who can provide insight into the quality of their services.

Customer Reviews

Several consumer review platforms, including G2, TrustRadius, and BBB, have given this provider good ratings. They have a 4.45 out of 5 rating on G2, a 4.4 out of 5 rating on Software Advice, and an 8.3 out of 10 rating on TrustRadius. However, their old profile on the BBB has an A- rating without an explanation. Customers on that platform also gave them a 1 out of 5-star rating. Now, they receive complaints and reviews under Cisco's BBB platform. It's essential to understand that some of the complaints in Cisco's review include other products sold by the company besides Webex.

Positive reviews

Thanks to their ease of use, innovative capabilities (including clever noise reduction and AI-powered conference transcription), and complete tool suite, this provider has received rave reviews from satisfied customers.

Based solely on client input, TrustRadius has awarded this provider many top-rated accolades in the collaboration area. Additionally, they have been named a leader in the Summer 2021 G2 Video Conferencing Report with a satisfaction score of 99. The capacity to streamline IT administration by integrating all collaboration and communication features into one app, and the ease with which team members and remote workers can remain connected from any location or device are two of their most praised features.

Many customers have commented on how fast and secure this service provider is compared to other providers, especially when using some of their great tools like web conferences and mobile apps. They have also commented on how they have never experienced any technical issues when using the provider's platform

Negative reviews

Many customers reported difficulties with the provider's mobile app, particularly when joining meetings and changing passwords. Another pattern of complaints was regarding the client's unprocessed cancellation requests for Cisco Webex meetings. According to the customers, their accounts remained active after requesting cancellation. Other common complaints included the image quality of their videos while videoconferencing.

The provider was responsive to the customer complaints; they provided numerous avenues for users to voice their grievances and provide feedback. Users can report difficulties during meetings, sessions, or events and contact their technical support team to resolve their issues. They can also get in touch with a sales representative to have their accounts canceled if they wish to do so.

Customer Support

Webex has several support options, including live chat and Webex Community. You can also get in touch with them at 1-888-469-3239 or by filling out a form on their website. The website also has multiple resources to get the answers you seek; you can head to the help center, online classes, their community, on-demand webinars, and many other options.

Besides, the website contains links to the company's social media accounts, enabling you to stay up-to-date on the latest solutions, technologies, and service updates.

Final Verdict

Thanks to Cisco's hardware, using Webex is seamless for companies, as every part of the system is well integrated. They are an innovative platform for communication and collaboration, with many features designed for contemporary workplaces. One area where they excel is their user-friendliness and integration. It delivers jam-packed features and add-ons for medium and large enterprises.

However, some users have mentioned minor drawbacks like slowness or bandwidth, technical issues, and an overly complicated user interface.

We recommend exploring more cost-effective solutions for businesses on a budget that still have essential features. If you are unsure about this provider, check out other Zoom and Microsoft Teams options. You can use our reviews to gain insights about other companies, compare providers on our comparison pages, and explore our blog posts to learn more about VoIP systems.

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