Cisco Microsoft Teams Interop

Cisco Cloud Video Interop
Cloud Video Interop Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams And Cisco Interop
Microsoft Teams Interoperability Cisco

All this frustration could soon become a thing of the past, as Microsoft and Cisco announced recently that video interoperability will be available between Microsoft Teams and Webex Meetings and devices. What’s more, Microsoft has also announced it will support interoperability with Zoom. You can choose a Certified partner for Teams, and then refer to the following article to setting up Cloud Video Interop (Cloud Video Interop (CVI) is a Microsoft Qualified third-party solution that enables third-party meeting rooms (telepresence) and personal video devices (VTCs) to join Microsoft Teams meetings) for Microsoft Teams.

The Cisco calling integration for Microsoft Teams has been available from the Microsoft Teams app store for just over a month now. This month we have extended it with new features and functionality. In addition to supporting Microsoft Teams desktop and web users, this month we added support for mobile and tablet devices.
A Cisco endpoint cant connect to a Microsoft meeting, be it skype/skype for business(lync)/ teams on its own. In order for a enpoint to connect to a skype for business or teams meeting which is posible you will need some additional services bettwen the endpoint and the microsoft meeting infrastructure.
Cisco Jabber for Microsoft Teams. Enhance your Microsoft Teams experience by installing the Jabber app. The app lets you launch Jabber-enhanced voice and video calls from Microsoft Teams.

The News: Today Microsoft and Cisco are announcing a partnership that enables Cisco’s Webex video devices to connect to the Microsoft Teams meeting services in multiple ways. First, Cisco Webex will introduce an interop solution that will be certified as a Microsoft Cloud Video Interop (CVI) offering to allow Cisco Webex Room devices and SIP video conferencing devices to join Microsoft Teams meetings with a reliable interop experience.

With today’s announcements we hope to simplify and accelerate interoperability options for our customers as they adopt Cisco Webex Teams and Webex Meetings solutions within their organizations. For more on the announcements, read Cisco’s Blog from SVP Sri Srinivasan.

Analyst Take: I believe that this partnership is very good for both companies. While we have entered an age where technology companies have become quite proficient at vacillating between competitor and partner, this is one of those cases where two is better than one.

An Era of Choice and Interoperability

As it pertains to collaboration, we are in an era where collaboration still isn’t ubiquitous in most organizations and this has been a byproduct of things like choice, shadow IT, device preference, legacy equipment, technical debt and user experience — to name a few.

Cisco leads in end point technology for collaboration and Microsoft has the volume of desktop. Of course Webex has a strong desktop product as well, but this partnership is rooted in Cisco and Microsoft wanting to deliver a consistent user interface to MS Teams users that have room system requirements.

In most organizations there will be a significant distribution of tools used for collaboration (Check out our research that looks at collaboration tool usage), and while Cisco and MS lead, this partnership may be the beginning of a growing trend to enable more interoperability between room based collaboration and software video/collaboration platforms.

Office Volume Drives Adoption, Zoom Also a Factor

Microsoft Teams, will inherently be heavily adopted simply based upon its massive deployment volume within the Office 365 suite. However, room based collaboration is still a necessity for larger group settings in classrooms, boardrooms and even larger huddle spaces where desktop based video is at best a crutch and at worst unusable. With Cisco and Microsoft working together here, the companies can deliver a better hardware based room solution. This is also something that can help both companies compete with Zoom; something that may not immediately come to mind for many hearing about this partnership, but I promise this ability to compete is important as Zoom has been a surprisingly stout competitor to both Cisco and Microsoft.

All in all, It will be interesting to watch how both companies build on this partnership. I’m optimistic that these two companies working together will drive improved collaboration from mobile to desktop to room based systems.

Futurum Research provides industry research and analysis. These columns are for educational purposes only and should not be considered in any way investment advice.

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.

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.

Cisco Cloud Video Interop

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.

Cloud Video Interop Microsoft Teams

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.

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

Microsoft Teams And Cisco Interop

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.

Microsoft Teams Interoperability Cisco

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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