Blog

Welcome to our blog, where we delve into the world of video conferencing hardware and explore why Cisco stands out as the ultimate choice. In today's digital age, effective communication and collaboration are paramount, and Cisco has consistently proved itself as a frontrunner in this domain.

Cisco’s latest studies show that 98% of all meetings will have a remote participant, if you still haven’t invested in video calling service, that tolerates remote users and approaches hybrid work then your business is missing out. If you’re already invested, then Cisco’s interoperability features will definitely let you add on essential features to your existing deployment.

With their extensive range of portfolio devices, Cisco offers a solution for every scenario, ensuring that any room, regardless of its size or requirements, can be transformed into a seamless virtual meeting space. Whether it's a small huddle room, a medium-sized conference room, or a large auditorium, Cisco's video conferencing hardware is designed to meet the needs of diverse organizations and facilitate crystal-clear communication. Join us as we dive deeper into the impressive capabilities and features that make Cisco the go-to brand for exceptional video conferencing experiences.

Furthermore, we're excited to bring you the latest updates from Cisco's Webex Keynote at Enterprise Connect, where they unveiled a sneak peek into the upcoming features that will revolutionize their already impressive video conferencing portfolio. The future of video conferencing is set to be even more immersive and intuitive, thanks to the incorporation of advanced technologies. Cisco's focus on audio intelligence promises to deliver exceptional sound quality and clarity, ensuring that every participant's voice is heard with utmost precision. Moreover, video intelligence enhancements will take visual experiences to new heights, with features such as intelligent framing and background noise suppression. The integration of natural language capabilities will enable users to interact with the system effortlessly, initiating commands and controlling meetings with simple voice commands. Lastly, analytics will provide valuable insights into meeting patterns, user behaviors, and overall system performance, enabling organizations to optimize their collaboration strategies. Stay tuned as we dive deeper into each of these exciting new features and explore how they will shape the future of video conferencing.

One of the most frustrating aspects of video conferencing is the presence of background noise that can disrupt the flow of communication. We've all been there – witnessing someone's video call invaded by the loud hum of a blender or the steamy whir of an espresso machine. However, with Cisco's innovative audio solutions, those disturbances can become a thing of the past. In addition to noise cancellation, Cisco has introduced two new options: "Focus on my voice only" and "Focus on all voices." Imagine being the sole participant in a meeting; the Webex Room OS intelligently filters out all other sounds, allowing your voice to travel across the meeting without any interference. On the other hand, in a group video call, the system meticulously isolates and enhances each individual's voice, ensuring optimum audio quality for all participants. Cisco's commitment to maximizing audio clarity sets a new standard for immersive and distraction-free video conferencing experiences. Say goodbye to disruptive background noise and say hello to crystal-clear conversations.

Cisco's dedication to video quality and inclusivity for every meeting participant is truly remarkable, with a plethora of existing and upcoming features that elevate the conference experience to new heights.

1. Facial Recognition with Names: This essential feature matches faces with names, enabling participants to easily identify and address one another. It enhances personalization and engagement in meetings by ensuring a seamless connection between individuals.
   
   

2. Gesture Recognition: With Gesture Recognition, participants can actively engage in meetings without the need to manually unmute themselves. This feature allows for non-verbal communication, adding a new level of interaction. Furthermore, Cisco is developing 3D animation for Gesture Recognition, enhancing the immersive experience.
   
   

3. Frames: Frames ensure that every participant receives equal focus and screen time during meetings. Unlike traditional views that display the entire room or partial speaker tracking, Frames provides an equal and inclusive visual representation of all participants. This feature creates a sense of togetherness, as if everyone is in the same room.

See below:

                           Frames                             vs.                          Non Frames

4. Smart Relighting (Coming Soon): Smart Relighting is an upcoming feature that aims to improve video quality by mitigating the impact of poor lighting conditions. Cisco's RoomOS will predict and adjust the optimal lighting settings, resulting in dramatically enhanced video clarity and visibility.

5. Meeting Zones: Meeting Zones offer the ability to remove distractions in meeting environments such as open spaces or conference rooms with glass walls. Users can manually define room boundaries or let the system intelligently draw them. This ensures that only the relevant content within the defined zones is shared with other meeting participants.

6. Immersive Share: Immersive Share allows users to share presentations seamlessly while maintaining their video overlay on top of the presentation. This feature enhances engagement and visual clarity, enabling presenters to connect with their audience effectively.

7. HD Video over Low BW Internet (Coming Soon): Cisco has teased an upcoming feature that promises to deliver high-definition video even over low bandwidth internet connections. This advancement is a game-changer, as it eliminates video and audio choppiness caused by packet loss. Leveraging the power of AI, Cisco's solution intelligently optimizes video delivery, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted meeting experience, regardless of the internet connection quality. This feature positions Webex at the forefront of video conferencing technology, setting it apart from the competition and enabling users to enjoy crystal-clear video even in challenging network conditions.
   
   

Other features that gives Webex Video conference users an edge over other solutions:

1. Webex Assistance (Under Development): Cisco is actively working on Webex Assistance, an innovative feature designed to act as your everyday executive assistant. By leveraging natural language understanding, Webex Assistance will be able to schedule and cancel meetings on your behalf, as well as send emails and perform other administrative tasks. This integration of AI technology aims to streamline your workflow and enhance productivity by automating routine tasks.
   
   
2. Transcription, Closed Captions, Translation, and Meeting Summaries: Webex leverages AI to deliver efficiency in various aspects of meetings. Transcription capabilities automatically convert spoken words into written text, making it easier to review and reference meeting content. Closed captions enhance accessibility by providing real-time text captions for participants with hearing impairments. Additionally, Webex offers translation features to facilitate communication among multilingual participants. Meeting summaries provide concise and comprehensive recaps of important discussions, allowing participants to quickly catch up on missed meetings without having to watch lengthy recordings.
   
   
3. Interoperability: Recognizing that businesses often utilize multiple meeting solutions from different vendors, Webex prioritizes interoperability. Unlike closed solutions that make it challenging to connect with other platforms, Webex embraces the concept of choice. Webex hardware seamlessly integrates with mainstream solutions, eliminating the need for third-party applications to join Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google meetings. This commitment to interoperability ensures that users can collaborate effortlessly across different platforms, enhancing flexibility and collaboration within organizations. More importantly, Webex protects your investments.
   
   
4. Microsoft Certification for Cisco Hardware: Cisco's hardware offerings have obtained Microsoft certification, allowing them to natively run Microsoft Teams. This certification demonstrates the compatibility and integration between Cisco's hardware solutions and Microsoft Teams, providing users with a seamless and optimized experience. By expanding their support for Microsoft Teams, Cisco further enhances the versatility and flexibility of their hardware portfolio, enabling users to leverage their preferred collaboration platform without compromising on performance or functionality.
   
   
   

As always if you have any questions on Webex Video Conferencing and would like to schedule a free consultation with us, please reach out to us at sales@lookingpoint.com and we’ll be happy to help!