Allow us to be the first to introduce you to the next generation of collaboration: WebEx Teams

Webex Teams logo markRecently Cisco held its famed Collaboration Summit in Phoenix, Arizona, and with it came the announcement of WebEx Teams, which will replace Cisco’s flagship collaboration platform, Spark.

Cisco’s WebEx meeting platform touts an impressive 100 million users worldwide, together accounting for more than six billion meeting minutes a month. Utilizing that sort of brand recognition for the evolution of Spark may seem like a no-brainer. However, the Cisco Spark rebrand is much more than simply a name change.

WebEx Teams merges all the team collaboration capabilities of Spark with the trusted video conferencing and meeting services employers, customers, and remote workers have come to expect from WebEx. The result is a simpler and more integrated user experience.

Prior to this rebrand, Spark users could communicate and meet with other Spark users, and WebEx users similarly with other WebEx users—there was however, little overlap between the two platforms. With WebEx Teams, everything is housed under one roof. And better yet, if you’ve only been a WebEx user in the past, when you’re ready to ad team collaboration software to your business plan, all you have to do is add the ‘Teams’ extension to your WebEx account.

Still included are the cornerstone features from the older versions of each platform, so previous users of Spark and WebEx will feel comfortable with the interface, features, and functionality of the new platform, but now, Cisco has taken collaboration to the next level in WebEx Teams, including upgrades and added features.

Take off those webcam covers
WebEx Teams shown on a tabletWith the new WebEx Teams meeting feature, Cisco is emphasizing a ‘video first’ mentality. The minds behind WebEx believe seeing the faces of your colleagues improves efficiency, creates constructive conversation, and encourages collaborative ideas and open dialogue. With the ability to add up to 1,000 participants in a single meeting, you’ve got a lot of potential interactions and interference. So, no more turning your microphone on mute while Jim scrolls through his presentation in Toledo. It’s time to tune-in and engage! WebEx Teams also allows you to seamlessly transition between devices without missing a beat. Whether you’re working from home, a conference room, or airport lounge, you can feel securely connected and fully involved.

Cohesive 360º Collaboration
As the new icon for WebEx Teams suggests, in addition to being a nod to the old Spark and WebEx icons, the new platform is all about seamless and uninterrupted collaboration across its features. WebEx Teams provides your employees with all the tools they need to produce great work effectively, including direct team messaging, file sharing, whiteboard sketching, and of course, voice and video calling—all designed to work with one another in tandem. Also new on the meeting side of things, is the ability for anyone to start one. Meeting hosts are now a thing of the past, as is waiting for them to get things started. Should inspiration strike before everyone is settled in, no worries just go ahead and start collaborating.

Team meeting at a table outsideImproved collaboration means improved business
We’ve discussed the growing trend of the remote workforce on this blog before, and there are many reasons this workplace transformation is beneficial to both employers and employees: agile work environments, flexible hours, lower operating costs, and most importantly, happier and more productive employees, leading to improved financial performance for companies. For remote work to be a viable option for your employees and business, workers need the right tools and technology. With WebEx Teams, you’ll have the ability to securely collaborate with colleagues from any place with a network connection, regardless of device.

iConvergence is here to help improve collaboration, productivity, and business outcomes for your company, and we think it’s time you put the power of collaboration to work for your business with WebEx Teams.

Get in touch if you’d like a demo of the new and improved WebEx Teams and put the power of collaboration to work for your business!