Reflecting on a year of Webex Calling and with magical experiences ahead
Looking back on the year with Webex Calling, I become energized around the of level of impact we were able to make with our customers and partners. Webex Calling enabled people to connect in so many ways and during yet another challenging year. We connected first responders to people in need, we connected government officials who needed to make important decisions, we connected large groups during the 2021 Olympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan, and we connected everyday workers like you and me for hybrid work.
In the grand scheme of things, we connected 39 million Cisco and Partner hosted cloud calling users and supported 8 billion monthly calls. Clearly, calling continues to be an essential way for us to communicate and it enables those real time conversations that cannot wait for a text message or scheduled meeting. As I think about Webex Calling in the next year, I believe we can build upon our strength, and will create even more magical experiences in 2022.
Market expansion to serve more customers
One way to better support our customers is by ensuring we can cover more parts of the world with our offerings. In the past year, we have greatly expanded our global footprint, with Webex Calling now available in 85 countries and Cloud Connected PSTN available through partners in 65 countries. Meanwhile we are actively expanding the availability of Cisco Calling Plans with greater PSTN connectivity options in more parts of the world. Phone numbers can now be centrally ordered or ported from Control Hub. Last month, we announced six newly added countries in the European Union (EU). In December, we announced the general availability of three more EU countries: Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Sweden. Our team is excited about the ongoing efforts to expand more across the EU and Asia Pacific in the coming months.
Ease of buying
As we focus on reaching more people, we want to ensure that their buying experience is easier than ever. Over the past year, we made it easy to buy cloud calling online in a matter of minutes on Webex.com. We also brought to market the Webex Suite, which empowers customers to get the best of Webex across calling, meetings, messaging and more – or they can select individual calling or meeting plans. For our partners and service providers, we simplified the offer process, so it’s easier to do business with Cisco. Partners now have a single Webex Calling offer for everyone, which enables them to customize to their strengths and market needs. The benefit here is that our customers will get greater consistency and value from their Webex Calling service.
Ease of deployment for cloud calling
While we focus on improving the buying experience – we have also been making it easier for customers to migrate to the cloud with Webex. With the rise in hybrid work and with more customers seeking to deploy cloud calling solutions – we understood the complexity and knew that we needed to simplify the process. In response, we recently launched Dedicated Instance for Webex Calling, which is based on the Cisco Unified Communications Manager call control stack. Dedicated Instance is integrated into Webex Calling and takes advantage of Webex platform services, bringing cloud innovation and an enhanced experience to customers who want to maintain their existing UCM capabilities and benefit from cloud value. This solution empowers businesses to migrate to an exceptionally flexible and versatile cloud calling service at their own pace, distributing users across multi-tenant and dedicated cloud solutions, to fit their business strategy.
Enhanced call experience
As more customers migrate to the cloud – they get to experience the latest innovations with Webex Calling. Each month, our team is working hard to release new features and capabilities to enhance the calling experience. This month, we launched Integrated Audio, where Webex Calling streamlines calling into Webex Meetings. When you call into a meeting using a Webex Calling device, the call stays in the Webex cloud instead of being routed through the PSTN. By keeping the call and media traffic in the Webex cloud, there is reduced latency, resulting in higher call quality, and it’s easier for IT admins to activate. Plus, it provides cost savings for the organization.
Continued innovation for tomorrow
Cleary innovation is at the heart of what we do. Aside from all the new features released this past year – our team continues to dream big about what’s next with business calling. One area that I’m super excited about in the coming year is Webex Go. I talked about this in my previous blog and how it will deliver a next-gen business calling experience. Soon, our customers will be able to experience the convenience of having one phone for both business and personal use, without requiring an app. With Webex Go, we are empowering our customers to extend their Webex Calling business line, natively, to a personal mobile phone and simplifying the day-to-day calling experience. I am truly excited about how this new mobile strategy will transform the way we work and live in a hybrid world.
What’s next?
As you can imagine, I cannot wait to see what our team will deliver in the New Year, in the spirit of innovation and with our passion for Webex Calling. With a busy year behind us and so much momentum, I believe that we’ll bring an even greater level of magic to the calling experience in 2022. Until then, I encourage you to explore Webex Calling and the value we can provide to your business.
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