The rapid forced switch to remote work in 2020 changed the modern business requirements for collaboration. Face-to-face meetings rapidly transformed into video calls as the new ‘norm.’ The hybrid model that many businesses returned with post-pandemic has created IT challenges that must be considered when selecting a collaboration vendor.
In the now saturated video conferencing market, platform preferences can be divisive - but they shouldn’t be. Everyone has a preference, and every organization has unique needs and goals. It’s essential to consider all factors when choosing the right platform for your organization, so you can maintain valuable client and employee relationships, regardless of being remote or in-person.
Microsoft Teams is the second most used video conferencing platform, prevalent amongst schools since about 150 million students use Microsoft services. The platform had a basis of users pre-pandemic that set them up for success in the coming years, having had 4.5 million Teams monthly active users (MAUs) in 2019. In 2020, that number skyrocketed to 100 million.
Teams is renowned for not only video conferencing capabilities but also for messaging. The platform is positioned as team collaboration (persistent messaging) with calling and meeting features and allows for collaborative document editing. You can share documents from any Microsoft platform right in your Teams meeting.
Cisco Webex was among the first cloud-calling software on the market, and its numbers prove it. In 2019, pre-pandemic, Webex already established a loyal customer base of 17.3 million MAUs. In 2020, the platform grew to a staggering 39 million cloud calling users and 650 million monthly meeting participants.
Webex has evolved from a cloud-calling focus to a total ecosystem for workplace communications. The platform provides robust and secure networking. Apps for calls, meetings, team collaboration and devices for the conference room are in close reach on the Webex platform.
Choosing the right platform for your organization is vital to maintaining momentum and reaching your goals.
According to Wainhouse, there are three critical areas in vendor selection for today’s workplace communication and collaboration services:
➣ Experience
➣ Security
➣ Single platform
All in all, Cisco Webex embodies everything a cloud-calling platform should be. The centricity of the software, security, clean layout, and ease of a single platform makes the choice a no-brainer - there’s a reason the platform has such high MAU numbers. You can work from anywhere, from the bleachers of your favorite football stadium to the beaches of Hawaii. Webex makes introducing work to your personal life easy with top-of-the-line security and functionality.
PCS wants to help you succeed in any transition you may have, from in-person work to online work and now into a hybrid. Let our experts walk you through a plan to ensure your organization maintains meaning and value, even when you’re not face-to-face.