Cisco Cisco WebEx Meeting Center WBS29.8 White Paper
September 23, 2016
2 TalkingPointz
as sector leaders. Both leverage existing solutions
commonly found in the enterprise, and both
can be added to existing enterprise licensing
agreements. Both have expanded from premises-
based-only solutions to include cloud-delivered
subscription options. This report examines the
relative merits of the two.
commonly found in the enterprise, and both
can be added to existing enterprise licensing
agreements. Both have expanded from premises-
based-only solutions to include cloud-delivered
subscription options. This report examines the
relative merits of the two.
Evaluating the technical specifications of these
two solutions side by side is difficult and time-
consuming. Features do not line up precisely,
as both companies are pursuing rather different
technology roadmaps and are integrating con-
ferencing into different sets of business software.
That said, both companies offer highly robust
solutions for conferencing that share more
similarities than differences.
two solutions side by side is difficult and time-
consuming. Features do not line up precisely,
as both companies are pursuing rather different
technology roadmaps and are integrating con-
ferencing into different sets of business software.
That said, both companies offer highly robust
solutions for conferencing that share more
similarities than differences.
A key difference that does
emerge upon comparison is
that Cisco WebEx is significantly
more popular as a conferenc-
ing solution. Obvious factors
explain this popularity,
including the fact that Cisco
has a more established pres-
ence in the market compared
with Microsoft. More importantly, there is ample
evidence that users prefer Cisco’s solutions.
Adoption is a more critical factor than ever be-
fore. If employees don’t like a provided solution,
they will find one of their own. The result can be
a plethora of cloud-delivered alternatives that
can raise security, compliance, and financial
concerns for an organization.
emerge upon comparison is
that Cisco WebEx is significantly
more popular as a conferenc-
ing solution. Obvious factors
explain this popularity,
including the fact that Cisco
has a more established pres-
ence in the market compared
with Microsoft. More importantly, there is ample
evidence that users prefer Cisco’s solutions.
Adoption is a more critical factor than ever be-
fore. If employees don’t like a provided solution,
they will find one of their own. The result can be
a plethora of cloud-delivered alternatives that
can raise security, compliance, and financial
concerns for an organization.
Adoption is Not Just
About Features
Existing communications and collaboration
tools are each optimized for a different type of
interaction:
tools are each optimized for a different type of
interaction:
• Email is best for longer messages to multiple
recipients.
• Instant messaging is for shorter, time-
sensitive interactions with a single recipient
or a small number of recipients.
or a small number of recipients.
• Workstream messaging is emerging as a
form of collaboration preferred by distributed
teams that share content both internally and
with external participants.
teams that share content both internally and
with external participants.
These tools can be useful, but
all too often, their accessibility
results in dysfunctional collab-
oration, as participants are un-
sure exactly how to collaborate.
all too often, their accessibility
results in dysfunctional collab-
oration, as participants are un-
sure exactly how to collaborate.
As with all technologies, the
adoption and features of
collaboration tools often are
unrelated. Most IT organiza-
tions can cite examples of
adoption and features of
collaboration tools often are
unrelated. Most IT organiza-
tions can cite examples of
“great technology” that went unused because
it failed to interest users. Adoption (or lack of
it) lies in that tricky area between making a net
contribution in productivity and not getting in the
way of what end users need to accomplish in the
course of their workdays.
it failed to interest users. Adoption (or lack of
it) lies in that tricky area between making a net
contribution in productivity and not getting in the
way of what end users need to accomplish in the
course of their workdays.
It sounds simple, but it isn’t. Companies carefully
evaluate technologies in terms of pricing,
evaluate technologies in terms of pricing,