WebEx

2021. Cisco acquired video conferencing service Socio Labs



Cisco has acquired Socio Labs - video conferencing software developer. The company also offers tools for creating web pages for event registration and ticketing menus. The platform allows companies to customize conference registration pages in various ways, for example, by incorporating their corporate branding or offering early registration discounts. The American tech giant intends to incorporate Socio Labs' developments into its Webex video conferencing platform. It is also expected that Socio Labs' technology will complement the developments of Slido, a startup acquired by Cisco in December 2020. Slido developed a platform for incorporating interactive content, such as quizzes and polls, into virtual events.


2020. Cisco Webex gets virtual assistant, real-time translation and speech-to-text


This year, online video conferencing systems (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) have seen such a surge in popularity that market veteran Cisco Webex needs to come up with something to compete with their (free) offerings. In the new version of the system, Cisco is focusing on intelligent features. Now, the Webex Assistant virtual assistant acts as a full-fledged meeting participant. You can contact it at any time and give it a task: adjust the volume, add a note, start recording, and more. Webex also now features intelligent noise reduction, speech-to-text conversion, auto-captioning, and real-time translation into 10 languages, including Russian, will be available in the next two months. Cisco also introduced the Webex Desk Camera, an intelligent camera with facial recognition and gesture control.


2018. Gartner Names Webex the Best Online Meeting Service



In the new Gartner Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions report, Cisco Webex was named the leader. The report examined several meeting solutions from various vendors. Cisco's products were found to be the most relevant to the requirements of such services due to their wide range of features and accessibility. Currently, the number of Webex Meetings users exceeds that of other similar services: Cisco Webex hosts more than 6 billion online meeting minutes annually. In 2018, Cisco Webex added more than 1,000 features. Gartner highlighted two such features related to both the product itself and devices: intelligent speaker tracking and voice commands (the world's first voice assistant for online meetings, which helps start meetings, add new participants, etc.).


2015. WebEx improved its interface and security



A new version of the web and video conferencing service Cisco Webex has been released. Changes have been made to the meeting interface, Personal Room, Administration Tools, CMR Cloud 3.0, CCA, and Cisco Spark. Video features have also been improved, including video previews that allow users to decide whether to play a video, the ability to start or stop automatic video playback, and left-to-right scrolling of video images. Notification options and controls have been significantly improved: toolbar windows have received additional indicators, and some icons have been repositioned. The new version of the service boasts enhanced CMR security: users will now be required to enter a password on the video endpoint to log in.


2015. Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms is available on any device


Cisco has expanded its WebEx videoconferencing service line with Collaboration Meeting Rooms. This service allows users to connect to Cisco WebEx web conferences from PCs, mobile devices, deskphones, video endpoints, and software clients (including those from other vendors). From the very first moment of connection, users can create meetings, launch applications, and join all discussions. The service reduces user involvement in routine processes, as it offers tools for recording meetings and sharing co-edited files. CMR combines WebEx MC conferencing (now with CCA hybrid telephony) with the ability to connect video endpoints.


2012. WebEx Meetings is lowering its free limits again



Cisco Webex, the web conferencing service, initially delighted its users with free Webex Meetings offer, but then disappointed them twice. Today, the service exited beta and, to celebrate, lowered its free limits again. The number of online meeting participants in the free version (now called Basic) has been reduced from 25 to 3. And disk space for files has been reduced from 1 GB to 250 MB. Remote computer control in screen-sharing sessions has also been removed from the free version.


2012. Free WebEx is now available.



Web conferencing service WebEx has unveiled free version. However, the number of conference hosts (i.e. users who can create and administer online meetings) has been reduced from 3 to 1. However, the free disk space limit has been increased to 1 GB. Up to 25 people can participate in an online meeting simultaneously and use a variety of tools: screen sharing, whiteboard, remote computer control, file sharing, presentations, VoIP, HD video, and conference recording. You might be surprised to learn that the service is currently in Beta status (after all, WebEx has been the market leader in web conferencing for many years). The fact is, this is not just a free version. This is a new version of WebEx, which, in addition to web conferencing, also includes a collaboration space (before and after the online meeting). There, you can not only schedule web conferences and invite participants, but also share materials before the online meeting and discuss them with colleagues. And after the virtual meeting, you can share conference recordings and files created during it and continue the discussion.


2011. Webex Launches Free Version, Adds Virtual Office



Cisco has updated its web conferencing platform Webex and announced the launch of a free version for up to 3 people and 250 MB of storage. In addition to the core features (screen sharing, whiteboarding, online presentations and document collaboration, VoIP, and chat), the free version also includes video conferencing, though not in HD. While there are several free web conferencing services on the market, Webex has always been known for its high quality and extensive functionality. The updated Webex also features a new Meeting Space interface, designed for collaboration before and after online meetings. It includes a microblog, file storage, chat, and a meeting scheduler. For example, in this workspace, you can schedule a meeting, send invitations to participants, upload necessary files in advance, and discuss the upcoming meeting in the comments and chat. After the meeting, you can upload a video recording and the resulting documents, and discuss the meeting results in the comments.