Hybrid work, elevated. Cisco and Microsoft partner to bring customers more choice.

Our vision has always been to uplevel hybrid work for every person. That includes designing inclusive hardware and software features that support the well-being of our customers. Our focus on seamless user experiences and interoperability has been integral in bringing this vision to life. Cisco And Microsoft

85% of our customers told us they’re using more than one meeting platform each day. And in using so many meeting platforms and tools, people are faced with the challenge of disjointed and inconvenient workflows – which is frustrating and negatively impacts productivity. To address this, we’ve been vigilant in designing user experiences that give our customers more choice in how they do hybrid work.

Together, Cisco and Microsoft announced a partnership that will bring more choice, flexibility, and capabilities to our mutual customers. For the first time ever, Cisco will become a certified Microsoft Teams Rooms devices partner. Our mutual customers will benefit from the option of running Microsoft Teams or Webex meetings natively on their Cisco devices.

Teams users get to leverage  the powerful machine learning and AI included in our devices. For instance, our industry-leading audio intelligence not only removes background noise (like a lawnmower or barking dog), it also listens and optimizes for the user’s voice only (removing additional voices in the background). Our intelligent cameras detect faces and optimize views so that everyone can have equitable representation in a hybrid meeting- whether they’re joining from home or a busy conference room. Every participant can be seen and heard in meetings regardless of where they join from.

The certified for Microsoft Teams device portfolio will include a range of video devices and peripherals that enable hybrid work in any workspace- from smaller spaces like focus rooms and huddle spaces, to large conference rooms and training centers. The portfolio will include the Cisco Board Pro, Cisco Room Bar, Cisco Room Kit Pro, Cisco Room Navigator, Cisco Desk Pro, Cisco Desk Camera 4K, and the Headset 320 and Headset 720. With this range of devices, enterprises can enable employees to work from home, the office, and anywhere in between.

While the Cisco certified devices will be manageable in the Teams Admin Center, customers can also benefit from the full value of Webex Control Hub. This means that IT teams can leverage capabilities like real-time troubleshooting, analytics, workspace optimization, and user and device management. IT teams can also access advanced workspace analytics like temperature, air quality, and occupancy metrics- with the ability to set capacity limits and real-time notifications when those limits are exceeded.

The first wave of devices are expected to be certified by early 2023. We are thrilled to bring this seamless user experience to joint Microsoft and Cisco customers.

To learn more, attend a webinar and register to join us at WebexOne. Be sure to watch the devices track; we’ll share even more detail about Cisco devices for Microsoft Teams Rooms. We’ll also cover topics like reimagined office workspaces, personal devices for hybrid work, sustainable hybrid workspaces, Control Hub capabilities, and more. See you there.