Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex: Building Bridges
To serve business needs, enterprises often end up installing custom software or using multiple tools to fulfil requirements.
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Many tools offer freedom to avail distinct features, but accessing those features from different resources can be a daunting task.
That’s where interoperability makes sense.
- To use the Recorder Bot, you need an active REC.VC account with the same email address as your Webex Teams account. You can sign up for a free REC.VC trial at my.rec.vc. To get started: Add the Recorder Bot ([email protected]) to any Space; Enter @Recorder help for instructions/menu on how to use the Recorder Bot.
- Webex has transformed our business by allowing our team the option to work remotely and not miss out on their personal life or that important sales meeting. Webex is a one stop shop for meetings. Doesn't matter if you just want to jump on a quick audio conference call, or a full-fledged video conference with 20 offices.
- Your free Webex Meetings plan gives you meetings with 100 participants, HD video, screen sharing, and a personal room. Use it as long as you like.
When two or more applications interoperate, they offer users to have access to all features.
The co-existence of two tools not only provides an extensive list of functionalities but also makes the workplace productivity, and the business process twice as efficient.
Messaging interoperability: Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex
The number of messaging users is rapidly growing.
From around 1.6 billion users in 2014 to 3.8 billion users in 2018, the growth of messaging provides an insight into the need and challenges on interoperability between messaging and collaboration tools.
To meet the distinct demands of the company, more and more enterprises are seeking means to bridge the features of multiple tools in one system.
While many applications can be bridged together, this article mainly addresses the interoperability of Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex.
Here, we will highlight the best medium of connecting these two tools, and making the most of it.
Why Microsoft and Cisco is a great combination
Here’s why Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex make for a perfect interoperability combination:
- With Microsoft Teams, the users can avail Microsoft Licenses, Skype for Business features, and integrate natively with Office 365 features
- Given Cisco’s legacy, users get access to hardware like Cisco Webex boards, VoIP handsets, and telepresence solutions
- Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex interoperability is the optimum solution for company acquisitions and mergers where one company’s resources are on Microsoft Teams, and the other one uses Cisco Webex.
- Where Cisco Webex offers core hardware, Microsoft allows integration with leading third-party tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Trello, Slack, Outlook, Survey Monkey, Wrike, Jira, Folly, and many more
![Teams Teams](/uploads/1/1/9/8/119877554/930787588.jpg)
Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex interoperability options
1 – Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams Office 365 integration
Recently, Cisco announced the compatibility of Webex with Office 365. With such an alliance, the users can easily access OneDrive, SharePoint, and even G-Suite applications within the Webex app.
Pros
1. You no longer require signing off from Webex to access Office 365 productivity tools like MS words, MS Excel, and Powerpoint
1. You no longer require signing off from Webex to access Office 365 productivity tools like MS words, MS Excel, and Powerpoint
2. Since Office 365 assures robust security to your company’s data, Webex integration will allow you to benefit data governance have to keep your files encrypted
![Webex free trial 30 Webex free trial 30](/uploads/1/1/9/8/119877554/148690490.png)
3. Content Created in MS tools can be easily transferred to Webex storage space
Cons
1. This combination works fine with different Microsoft Office tools, but the integration of Microsoft Teams is not possible
1. This combination works fine with different Microsoft Office tools, but the integration of Microsoft Teams is not possible
2. Webex users cannot make changes to Microsoft files
Author Verdict
The MS Office 365 and Webex team’s integration is perfect for users who need to access Office 365 tools within Webex, but it’s not a great pick for those looking for MS team’s collaboration too.
The MS Office 365 and Webex team’s integration is perfect for users who need to access Office 365 tools within Webex, but it’s not a great pick for those looking for MS team’s collaboration too.
2 – Bot integration
IFTTT (If This Then That) allows the collaboration of applications and devices.
Through IFTTT, a rule or function is established for one device or app based on the action or behavior on another device or app.
One example is syncing an Instagram account with Twitter so the photos display on Twitter rather than a link.
In the business world, a similar process is followed when setting IFTTT for both Cisco and Microsoft. So, when a Webex contact sends a text, the bot in Microsoft Teams also gets a notification.
Pros
1. Users have the freedom to add customized actions
1. Users have the freedom to add customized actions
2. Bot integration has several pre-built activities to choose from across an extensive range of devices and applications
3. The familiar feel and design of IFTTT applications in the business world, that you may be used to from a consumer world
Cons
1. Administrative time for adding custom options is lengthy
1. Administrative time for adding custom options is lengthy
2. With new users, the administrator is asked to add further actions or recipes
3. Limited features across platforms
Author Verdict
Bot integration can facilitate collaboration across Webex and Teams, but the cross-platform experience is not as seamless since notifications are not received in a native app, instead of in the bot itself.
Bot integration can facilitate collaboration across Webex and Teams, but the cross-platform experience is not as seamless since notifications are not received in a native app, instead of in the bot itself.
3 –Cisco Webex Meetings for Microsoft Teams
Microsoft users who wish to host live meetings can integrate with Cisco Webex.
You don’t have to switch to a different tool since the interoperability allows Microsoft users to host Cisco Meetings directly.
Pros
1. Users can host and schedule Cisco meetings without signing out of Microsoft Teams
1. Users can host and schedule Cisco meetings without signing out of Microsoft Teams
2. The meeting app is available for Workplace from Facebook and Slack too
Cons
1. During the Webex meeting, from Microsoft Teams, you cannot exchange chats, messages, or files
1. During the Webex meeting, from Microsoft Teams, you cannot exchange chats, messages, or files
2. Webex Meetings for Microsoft Teams does not support accounts on meetingsIn.webex.com and webex.meetings.com
Author Verdict
Cisco Webex Host Meetings for Microsoft is an excellent integration, but you’ll have to compromise with limited meeting functionality.
Cisco Webex Host Meetings for Microsoft is an excellent integration, but you’ll have to compromise with limited meeting functionality.
Bridging the gap
Interoperability between Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex is simple.
You don’t need a technical developer, and no longer do you need to shoehorn one app into another. There’s only one tool you need: Mio.
Mio is the only platform to fully sync Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams.
Mio operates through APIs and runs in the background to offer seamless messaging interoperability across channels and messages.
To start connecting your Microsoft and Cisco software, you don’t even need to download a new app, as it’s an entirely native experience.
How to Make Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams Interoperable
You don’t need administrative support or a ton of training to get started. The way Mio allows collaboration across platform is simple.
Here’s how a non-techie can do it:
Step 1: Getting Started
Request a demo here (will open in a new tab).
Sign up by entering your email address and name. A Mio account rep will send you a verification link for account authentication for web-based interoperability experience.
Once your account is registered with Mio, you will need to add basic details that’ll help the system learn which programs or applications you want to sync. Once you have shared account details, Mio will scale to fit your business requirements.
Step 2: Channel mapping and User mapping
The next step involves administering your team and adding the channels of your choice. For example, you can sync the ‘Project Management’ channel in Cisco Webex with the ‘PM’ channel of Microsoft Teams.
If you have dozens of linked channels, you can use the search feature to make the process super efficient.
Step 3: Message Routing
Once you’ve linked your channels, Mio can provide interoperability between these specific teams. There’s also an option to sync all channels in one go. You can also enable future sync so any new channels are automatically synced.
Step 4: People Sync
Mio isn’t restricted to just syncing channels. People Sync allows you to send direct messages between Webex and Microsoft Teams.
Once People Sync is active, Auto Prompt sends automatic prompts to users whenever they receive a message from anyone using Mio so they can start receiving messages from other platforms.
Bridging the gap between Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex in your company
With Mio as a bridging tool, you can easily make your favorite messaging tools interoperable. You no longer need a complicated development or migration strategy if your team’s different applications.
This is a guest post provided by Md Mohsin Ansari, Marketing Manager at Troop Messenger. Troop Messenger is a business messenger that is spreading its wings across all industries by bringing all internal communication to one place. Connect with him on Linkedin.
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At PeterConnects we are very excited to show you a new suite of solutions that have been in development for some time.
In this blog we would like to introduce our new Receptionist integrations for Microsoft Teams and Cisco’s Webex Teams. We will also outline our Hybrid Configurations and License Management platforms.
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PeterConnects Cloud: Designed For Continuous Delivery Our cloud platform, which launched last year, now has hundreds of users. A futureproof platform designed for continuous delivery, it was built using Microservices architecture – which comprises small autonomous components that are loosely coupled.
In this way it’s different from traditional and larger systems as we can add, replace, and scale different process elements as needed. If one component fails, another can easily take over.
We also support automatic provisioning – meaning new users can be added via an automated process without manual actions – and handle all operation, fixes and updates (so customers and partners don’t need to worry about technical details).
Both secure by design and GDPR-compliant, our cloud service can support 0Auth 2.0 single sign on – compatible with both Microsoft and Cisco. With all of the measures in place, we were able to use it to create a new Unified Communications app with a single, customisable user interface – one that works across BroadWorks, Webex teams, and Microsoft Teams – through a single platform.
Microsoft Teams: Integrating Receptionist With A Multi-Layered Approach
Right now, Microsoft Teams is experiencing a wave of uptake by businesses as they adopt remote working. However, those on the frontline of calls and communications can enjoy a streamlined omnichannel process as our Receptionist console can now be fully integrated with Microsoft Teams.
Soon available in the platform’s app store, it’s aimed at those using Microsoft’s calling plans and direct routing telephony into Teams. One of the service’s main features is that it also connects to Microsoft 365 – using all available APIs – which enables the best possible user experience, as users can handle calls in a Microsoft environment. It also means that they can pull in Office 365 calendars and personal contacts’ details.
Webex Teams: Similar, But With Key Differences
Sign Up For Webex Teams
While the Webex application is very similar to its Microsoft Teams counterpart in many ways, but there are some key differences.
Firstly users need to have a Webex calling license to get started. Those that do can log in via Cisco’s single sign on function. New subscribers can choose one of three packages: Essential, Advanced, and Premium.
The biggest difference from Microsoft Teams, however, is that the Receptionist console itself runs in a browser – in conjunction with Cisco phones and soft clients.
The service can be accessed easily via Cisco’s App Hub, but it won’t be part of the same environment – at least not when it launches in Q3 this year (TBC). While it’s co-hosted by both PeterConnects and Cisco, Webex Teams users and partners will see a single transparent solution.
Hybrid Configurations: Enabling Diverse Functionality
A lot of the diverse functionality we can offer right now comes from the fact we can combine services run both on-premise and in the cloud – Hybrid Configurations – across numerous Unified Communications platforms.
This is in part thanks to the Microservices architecture in our own server. As we can host so many connectors, we have a unique ability to have solutions from many different providers. This is what enables us to run both integrated and browser applications in a single ‘pane of glass’. Essentially, we could run a version of Webex Receptionist with a Microsoft Teams presence.
Go Live Dates Planned, But Delays Possible
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While we’re working hard to ensure all of our new offerings are available as soon as possible, the current pandemic means that there could be some delay in bringing them to market.
As it currently stands, we’re hopeful we can make our first commercial release of Webex Teams in June or July. Our Microsoft Teams integration and Hybrid Configurations will launch in the second half of 2020.
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If you or your customers would like to be a part of our initial wave for any of these solutions, please either contact your PeterConnects partner or get in touch with us directly.