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.
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.
- Sign in to Webex Teams for group chat, video calling, and sharing documents with your team. It's all backed by Cisco security and reliability.
- Cisco Webex delivers calling, meetings, and team collaboration essential for today's businesses - all in a single app. The Webex app is integrated with service provider partner cloud calling and PSTN services and provides the flexibility, reliability, and security businesses demand.
When two or more applications interoperate, they offer users to have access to all features.
All Messaging Apps. Build, test, and deploy your software faster with the Jenkins. Get instant updates on any web feed with the RSS bot for Webex. Enhance employee experience with EdCast for Webex, bringing AI. Financial services professionals: Schedule. Cisco Webex is the leading enterprise solution for video conferencing, webinars, and screen sharing. Web conferencing, online meeting, cloud calling and equipment.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Cisco Webex Teams App Store
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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The Secret to Team Collaboration is Individuality
How do you use Webex Teams? The beauty of collaboration software is that it not only connects people, but allows us to work together effectively regardless of where we are in the world. What I love most about Webex Teams is getting to collaborate with my colleagues while still maintaining the ability to express my individuality. So, here are a few tips and tricks that show exactly how I do that.
Let’s Get Started
First up, how I set up Webex Teams for myself:
When I turn on my computer, I have configured Webex Teams to automatically start up – this saves me time and means I can easily see how many notifications I have. One of my favourite things about Webex Teams is that I get to decide which notifications I receive.
By going to my settings tab on windows or my preferences on Mac I can decide exactly how I want to be notified.
Spaces
For spaces, I prefer notifications for @mentions only, while for scheduled meetings, I like to be notified 5 minutes beforehand. For direct calls I always have my notifications on and the fact that I can choose my own ringtones for calls and messages is something I find really useful.
Personal Status
Another great feature in Webex Teams is being able to set my personal status and view my colleagues statuses. Time is precious and we all want to get the most out of our working day so, whether I am available, in a meeting, on a call, presenting or would prefer not to be disturbed my colleagues can see this and know when is best to contact me.See People’s Status in Cisco Webex Teams
Let’s Get Organized
Back to the settings tab this time!
Being able to choose which theme I want my app to use really gives me control over my experience using Webex Teams, it allows me decide how I want the application to look which helps me work better.
Space List
When it comes to my space list, I like to have control over this too – very quickly my spaces can seem to get lost in a sea of incoming messages so it’s really useful to be able to star my favourite spaces and then see them appear at the top of my space list. This is done with a simple configuration step in my appearance settings tab. Now I know the spaces I find most important will always live at the top of my space list and I can prioritise reading and responding to these spaces first.
Calendar Synched with Webex Teams
Another great way to keep organised within the app is to ensure that I have my calendar synced with Webex Teams. If the app is active it connects to my calendar to show my contacts status in the app and gives me a clear view of what meetings I have to attend that day. When I want to schedule a meeting I simply navigate to the relevant space, from there the activity menu allows me to easily create a meeting invite for everyone in that space. By creating my meetings this way I also have a place to store files, whiteboards and any other useful information discussed or created in that meeting. Moreover is becomes a place where the conversation can continue, even after the meeting has ended.
Edit Mistakes and Increase Productivity
Have you ever been in that situation where you’ve typed your message and pressed enter only to spot a few niggly typos, thankfully you don’t have to stress over this anymore as the app now includes complete message editing capabilities. If I want to follow up on a specific message in a space I’ll start a thread to keep the related content in one place, or I’ll use the quote feature so my colleagues can clearly see exactly what message I am referring to.
When I need to follow up on a message I’ll flag it, I can then revisit this message any time from my flags filter, this way I don’t lose track of important messages – this boosts my productivity and ensures I don’t lose track of any important information. When I see something interesting posted in a space I make a point of forwarding it on to my colleagues that would also be interested.
Cisco Webex Teams Application
So why not give it a go? Let us know in the comments below what tricks you use to make Webex Teams work for you.
Learn More
Cisco Webex Teams App Store