WebexOne InFocus: Cisco unveils new additions to their Webex Desk portfolio
January 15th, 2021
In December 2020 Cisco hosted WebexOne, its annual collaboration conference focussed on key updates to the Webex service. Spread over two days, the event brings together thought leaders, technology partners and customers to discuss the key challenges organisations are facing, notably around the huge shift we have seen to remote working as a result of the global pandemic.
As a Premier Partner with a dedicated and vastly experienced collaboration team who know Cisco inside out, Cinos are always at the forefront of the latest product developments. In this blog post, Kris Povey, Solutions Architect at Cinos explores the latest updates to the Webex Desk portfolio.
Remote working just got smarter
On the first day of WebexOne, Cisco announced an expanded line-up to their desk portfolio; a move which caters for the reality of remote working and the assumption that the future of work will assume a hybrid model, with a mix of employees remaining at home whilst others return to the office.
In this post I will focus on two of these new devices:
Aimed at the mid-level corporate market, these new additions are ideal for the countless number of users who were normally office based but now find themselves using any spare surface or tabletop to focus on work whilst the craziness of life goes on around them.
Cisco Webex Desk Camera
Over the last year, as much of the workforce has been instructed to work from home, joining video meetings from a laptop has become a regular occurrence. And with this, as I am sure you have found comes problems. Most laptop’s inbuilt webcams have been designed for personal use, whether that is calling the family or joining a monthly quiz (via Webex of course). Many would have experienced how poor the video quality can be in these scenarios. The reality is that most of the time these webcams are not suitable to join a corporate meeting with fellow professionals.
The introduction of the new Webex Desk Camera solves these problems as it brings the power and quality of Cisco’s in-room devices to your laptop. This new addition to the Webex Desk portfolio features a 4K Ultra-HD camera with great low-light performance. It means you can rest assured that you will look professional and pin sharp for your meeting, even if you still have your pyjama bottoms on.
The added benefits of gesture recognition and built in AI allow you to take advantage of the excellent background noise cancellation and enable you to mute and unmute your microphone without touching your computer; an industry first that no other USB camera can do. Furthermore, the Webex Desk Camera will get a thumbs up from your IT department as it can be centrally managed via the Webex control hub for deployments at scale, inventory management, in-depth analytics and firmware updates.
Cisco Webex Desk
Another exciting announcement from WebexOne came in the form of the Webex Desk, an affordable 23-inch touch screen VC unit for organisations whose IT budget did not quite stretch to the Webex Desk Pro, announced in 2019.
The Webex Desk acts as the perfect companion to your laptop in your home office or a huddle space. Connect your laptop via the USB-C connection and the Desk Pro instantly becomes that second screen you have been crying out for. With the added benefit of the high-quality camera, microphone and speaker phone that Cisco are known for, it is like having a dedicated meeting room in your home office (or bedroom, or kitchen table). Setup is as easy as any other Webex registered device, simply generate and apply your own unique 16-digit code to register the unit with Webex Cloud and you are good to go.
These devices are welcome additions to Cinos’ portfolio and will complement our existing vendor agnostic remote working and video services. They join the wider range of Webex devices which can bring a superior meeting experience to any location, from your pocket to the boardroom. We are looking forward to getting our hands on these devices and getting them into our customer’s environments as and when they become available in 2021.
Keep an eye out for our next blog post on WebexOne where Jono Darlington, Solutions Architect at Cinos dives into the latest developments on the Webex platform and discusses the exciting integration capabilities that sets Webex apart from its competitors.
If you would like to discuss any of the solutions I have reviewed today, please get in touch. As a Cisco Premier Partner, Cinos are perfectly placed to help.
