Cisco Webex Changes and Updates: What's New?

Cisco is one of the current leaders in the market for collaboration and communication channels. Recently, Cisco revealed a variety of updates for the Cisco Webex Meetings solutions. Cisco made an announcement that everything would receive an update as it makes an effort to improve the user experience.

Cisco wants to introduce an all-around improved user experience that will lead to better meetings, communication, and collaboration. In addition to the updates, Cisco also introduced an audio/video preview window  that will allow users to select their audio and video to ensure everything looks and sounds good before joining the meeting. 

WebEx Meetings

When hosting a meeting on WebEx, it is important to ensure that there will not be any interruptions during the meeting. In  order to make sure interruptions are eliminated or limited, you can use the WebEx meeting control settings to optimize the experience. With the updates to Cisco, it will be easy to find the meeting controls, which can be found at the bottom of the meeting window. 

Since the meeting control settings are easy to find at the bottom of the window, you will not have to worry about interrupting your meeting in an attempt to adjust the settings. With the updates to WebEx, you will be able to do the following:

• Easily adjust the audio and video settings 
• Merge communication controls
• Choose from additional virtual backgrounds

Breakout Sessions

With the changes to Cisco Webex, users will be able to create breakout sessions that can make it easier for groups to communicate, collaborate, and brainstorm. Breakout sessions will consist of smaller groups that will be separated from the other Webex meeting. Breakout sessions will allow a group of meeting participants to collaborate through the video and audio tools that are provided in Webex. 

Every breakout session will be its own conference. When users are already a part of a meeting, the audio and video will instantly be changed to the breakout session. Video can easily be started and stopped, and audio can easily be adjusted or muted. When the breakout sessions have completed and ended, the audio will be converted back to the main meeting if it is still in session.

Cohosts

Among the updates to Cisco include the addition of Cohosts. In the previous versions of Cisco Webex, there was an option for an Alternate Host role. In the updated version, Cohosts replaces the Alternate Host role. Those who are given the Cohosts role will be able to do the same things as the hosts of the meetings, such as the following:

• Allowing users to participate in the meeting
• Muting (and unmuting) meeting participants

A cohost will be able to provide additional assistance when it comes to the management of the meeting. The user who is given the Cohost role will be able to use additional features that can improve the meeting experience.

Cisco Webex Lobby 

The host of a Webex meeting will be able to move participants into the lobby and out of the lobby. When there needs to be a private conversation with another participant in the meeting, the host can excuse the other participants from the current meeting. Everyone can be moved to and from the lobby, except for the participant who is presenting the meeting. The Webex meeting lobby experience will be greatly improved due to the changes in Webex.

As Cisco continues to take the steps in the direction of becoming one of the leaders in the market, we expect to see more updates and changes in the future. The current updates and the updates that will likely occur in 2021 will improve the overall Webex experience. 

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