Collaboration solution providers are harnessing AI to deliver better audio for hybrid work. Microsoft recently announced its use of machine learning and AI for Microsoft Teams and now Cisco is unveiling its latest calling innovations in its Webex Suite.
WebEx’s most recent calling updates include:
- Site survivability to ensure businesses can make and receive Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) calls during a network outage. According to Cisco, this functionality is easily deployed and managed through the Webex Control Hub and ensures phone services are always available.
- Audio Intelligence enhancements extend Webex’s AI-powered background noise removal technology to now include PSTN calls with external callers. Webex Calling users can eliminate an external caller’s background noise with a single click in the Webex App or on supported devices.
Webex customers no longer risk calls dropping despite network outages and broadband bandwidth issues.
Webex Room Bar & Cisco Video Phone
Cisco also announced two new devices for hybrid work— the Webex Room Bar and Cisco Video Phone 8875.
The WebEx Room Bar is a room device that can turn huddle spaces and small-to-medium sized meeting rooms into collaboration hubs.
With the Webex Room Bar, everyone in the room is perfectly framed promoting meeting equity. It also includes automatic background noise removal for minimizing distractions.
The Webex Room Bar’s spatial audio provides a distraction free audio experience whether participants are in the room or not. Through third-party video interoperability, Webex benefit from the flexibility to join any meeting, including Webex, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
Cisco Video Phone 8857
With hot desking becoming the new normal in the workplace, Cisco’s Video Phone 8857 allows Webex users to log into a Cisco Video Phone 8875 to access their Webex Suite profile, settings, and calendar to conduct phone calls and video meetings. With a QR code, users can login and authenticate their calling and video meetings to work at any desk, in any office for hotdesking.
Cisco’s audio intelligence powered by AI automatically reduces background noise and a 1080p display resolution enhances video quality, both of which were cited as top issues negatively impacting video meetings per Cisco’s meeting fatigue research.
The Cisco Video Phone offers IT a single management tool, making it possible to manage the Cisco Video Phone 8875 for onboarding, analytics, rebooting and problem reporting.
Webex Calling’s audio intelligence enhancements will go live this summer and the local survivability feature will be available for preview this fall for Webex Suite customers.
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