Cisco Collab Update #CiscoCollabAnalystSummit
Cisco hosted a PACKED 2-3 day Analyst Event in San Jose, California. The emphasis on PACKED is legit. I’m exhausted. The bus left the hotel at 7:30 AM and returned 10:30 PM.
The first two days were Webex focused which spans throughout its portfolio including UC/UCaaS, Team Messaging, Meetings/Video, Contact Center, devices (including headsets), and management. The third day was a deep dive on contact center solutions. It was actually two events with two different and overlapping analyst audiences.
Here’s my video from the John Chambers Customer Experience Center.
A few important takeaways.
- Cloud pervasive.
- Contact Center is a priority, and the strategy is comprehensive and differentiated.
- Workplace Transformation (the next chapter).
- Cisco is thinking big. Its solutions are differentiated with a comprehensive approach to deployment, management, security, and more. Cisco is also thinking bigger than the traditional enterprise comms apps.
- Cisco has assembled a very broad team and portfolio around #AI. An area they describe as over-hyped, yet under-estimated.
- Everything is in motion. For example, I sense that most providers have shifted their focus away from UC/UCaaS to other areas such as messaging and meetings. Cisco had a aggressive road maps for all areas (or is comms one area?) — including devices.
- Lots of Firsts: Cloud-First, API-First, and Customer-First.
- Cisco intends to join the party for solutions aimed at firstline workers.
It was an excellent event. The entire collab leadership team was there, available, and open. The team intends to (and just might be able to) change the world of enterprise communications, collaboration, and customer engagement.