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Cisco WebEx is a web conferencing software that aids users to hold online events and meetings, and serves as a team workspace as well. The software features flexible solutions aimed to accommodate businesses of all sizes, and offers different plans to conform to different requirements. With Webex, you get more than just a video conferencing solution. You get a full featured messaging platform to keep your team connected and your work moving even after the meeting ends. One-on-one and group messaging lets you quickly chat with the people you work with every day.

Collaboration, efficiency, and transparency are essential to the modern workplace experience. And since working from home has become the new normal in today’s business landscape, technology is bridging the gap to ensure employees stay more connected and engaged than ever.

Thankfully, there are plenty of collaboration platforms to choose from, whether you’re focused on communication or project management. However, the ones that have stood the test of time come from two of the world’s top tech heavyweights—Cisco and Microsoft.

From large feature sets to tiered pricing plans, each tool has something to bring to the table. In this article, we will explore how both platforms compare based on key features, what the future of these tools holds in store, and how to select the right one for your business.

Get ready for the ultimate showdown of Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex.

Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex Teams Features and Capabilities

When searching for a new digital workspace solution, you want it to be robust and feature-rich. The more benefits you can derive from a single application, the better. Let’s take a look at some of the basic features that Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams offer.

Join Webex From Skype

Microsoft Teams

Group Conversation: In Microsoft Teams, users can organize chats according to groups of people or topics. These conversations live in the application and are not automatically deleted once you log out. You can access your history from the previous day, week, or month, plus images, files, links, emojis, and GIFs will be retained as well.

Meetings: The consensus regarding Microsoft’s meetings is that they’re simple and intuitive. You can either instantly launch meetings or schedule them out for a later time. Microsoft Teams also lets you customize your backgroundand add live captions during meetings.

File-Sharing: Microsoft Teams allows you to share, save, and organize files your way. Users can even work collaboratively on Word documents or PowerPoint presentations right from inside the application. What’s more, you can share files in several locations like Chat, Teams, and Meetings.

Integrations: By supporting more than 250 third-party integrations like ServiceNow, Trello, Polly, and Jira, Microsoft Teams can help boost your staff’s productivity and simplify workflows.

Video Conferencing: Microsoft offers video conferencing for both mobile and desktop users, supporting up to 250 participants. However, integrating Microsoft Teams with non-Teams room systems does require installing additional software from partners such as BlueJeans, Pexip, or Poly.

Audio Conferencing: With Microsoft Teams’ audio conferencing services, attendees can join meetings using their smartphones instead of the Teams app on desktop or mobile. These meetings also include a dial-in number, making it easier for mobile users and those with spotty internet connections.

Cisco Webex

Group Conversation: Similar to Microsoft Teams, you can have ongoing conversations categorized under various topics or agendas in Cisco Webex. These conversations are saved in the application and can be referred to later.

Meetings: With Webex Meetings, you can either communicate one-on-one or in groups, with users inside or outside your company network. Though, the relationship between WebEx Teams and WebEx Meetings isn’t 100% consistent. After all, using two different tools for meetings and team collaboration can disrupt overall meeting cohesion. But, what sets Webex Meetings apart is the ability to host online events like webinars.

File-Sharing: WebEx allows you to share files with others, all while ensuring your information is secure and encrypted. You can even share documents in a chat with your team, and refer back to them whenever you want.

Integrations: Like Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex allows seamless collaboration byintegrating with popular productivity, project management, and social applications—over 2,000+ to be exact.

Video Conferencing: Cisco is a market leader in online meetings and video conferencing solutions. Currently, Webex Meetings supports up to 200 video users and offers a host of AI capabilities spanning real-time transcriptions, automated closed captioning, voice commands, note-taking, and recorded transcripts.

Audio Conferencing: Cisco is known for its in-depth audio conferencing features. Using Webex’s cloud-based PSTN audio option, audio can operate on a wide range of devices, such as smartphones and IP phones.

Security and Compliance

Microsoft Teams

Since Microsoft has already been developing large-scale solutions for decades, it’s no wonder that security has become second nature. Overall, you can expect the same level of protection that you receive with the rest of the Office365 platform. According to Microsoft, Teams “meets ISO 27001 and 28018 Standards, is both SAAE 16 SOC 1 and 2 Compliant, HIPPA Compliant, and meets EU Model Clauses compliance regulations.”

In addition to the standard two-factor authentication and encryption tools, Microsoft also offers what is called eDiscovery. It is defined as “the electronic aspect of identifying, collecting, and producing electronically stored information in response to a request for production in a lawsuit or investigation.”

Protection Tools:

• eDiscovery
• Compliance content search
• Review
• Export
• Hold

Cisco Webex

Cisco boasts general features like TFA and SSO. Plus, it includes eDiscovery and other security features that promise to deliver a secure web conferencing experience like flexible password management capabilities, advanced encryption options, individual and unique device PINs set by users, and adjustable retention of content. Unlike Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex aimsto put the users in the driver’s seat, giving them ultimate control over what content is stored, how it is stored, and when.

In addition to physical security, role-based access has proven to be effective in reducing cyber threats. With Cisco giving hosts and administrators more permissions, they can choose to grant or revoke access to content and control what specific users do.

Protection Tools:

• eDiscovery
• Encryption technologies
• Firewall compatibility
• Transport layer security
• Single sign-on

Pricing Structure

The adage goes that “nothing in life is free.” This doesn’t ring true here. Like many other team collaboration solutions on the market, Microsoft and Cisco offer varying pricing plans for their respective platforms, as well as a free option.

Microsoft Teams

Because Microsoft Teams is part of the Office365 Business platform, there’s no need to worry about accessibility.

For no cost at all, you can invite up to 300 users. Members of your team can be grouped into channels that include audio and video calling, as well as 10 GB of cloud storage.

If you’re looking for a plan that offers more storage, improved security, and integrations with other Microsoft Office applications, expect to pay $5 per user per month.

Beyond that, access to desktop versions of Outlook and Word, along with higher data caps, will cost $12.50 per user per month.

For $20 per user per month, you can install Office mobile apps on up to five Macs or PCs, five tablets, and five mobile phones per user.

These prices can go up if you opt for a monthly subscription instead of renewing annually.

Pricing Plans:

• Microsoft Teams Plan: Free (no-commitment)
• Office365 Business Essentials Plan: $5.00/user/month (annually)
• Office365 Business Premium Plan: $12.50/user/month (annually)
• Office365 E3 Plan: $20.00/user/month (annually)

Cisco Webex

When compared side-by-side to Microsoft Teams, Cisco’s pricing set-up is a bit easier to break down.

The Starter is the baseline plan for smaller teams and individual users, offering up to nine host licenses and1 GB of file sharing storage for $13.50 per host per month.

Next is the Plus Plan, which is ideal for mid-sized teams, providing up to 50 host licenses, 5 GB of file sharing storage, and unlimited integrations all for $17.95 per host per month.

For optimal storage and premium support for larger teams, you can’t go wrong with the Business Plan. One hundred host licenses, 10 GB of file sharing storage, and interactive whiteboarding are just a few features that come with this option, costing you $26.95 per host per month.

Finally, Enterprise offers flexible subscription plans best for larger meetings, events, training, and support. Users can enjoy unlimited messaging and file sharing, end-to-end encryption, and administrative controls like single sign-on and organization analytics.

Pricing Plans:

• Starter Plan: $13.50 per host/month (annually)
• Plus: $17.95 per host/month (annually)
• Business: $26.95 per host/month (annually)
• Enterprise: Requires Quote

Compare Features, Security, and Pricing for Teams vs. Cisco Webex

Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex: What does the Future Hold?

As we’ve demonstrated, both tools have a lot to offer and remain at the forefront of innovating and improving the current state of remote work. In the months and years to come, Cisco and Microsoft will stay head-to-head in the race for the most popular collaboration platform.

There’s no doubt that each tool offers excellent team collaboration applications that can be an asset to any business, regardless of size or industry. Both are built and maintained by world-leading developers and provide an intense levelof reliability, security, and features.

But in the battle of Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex, who will emerge victoriously? When it comes time to choose, your decision ultimately boils down to which factor(s) matter(s) most to your team. Going with Microsoft Teams is a no-brainer for organizations that are already utilizing Office365 and its related software. If your company places a strong emphasis on meetings, conferences, and visual collaboration, your workforce might prefer Cisco Webex.

With NextPlane, You can Connect. Any Team. Any Platform

Our recent survey shows 79% of companies are operating in a mixed collaboration environment, which can include legacy UC platforms such as Microsoft Skype for Business and Cisco Jabber.

NextPlane enables mixedcollaboration environments to deliver the same seamless functionality as email; users can send messages, share presence status, participate in channels, or share files, without leaving their preferred clients.

By using NextPlane, companies with mixed environments, such as IBM, Merck, Nokia, and others, have reduced their total cost of ownership and administrative burden by 50%.

This video shows users on Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Teams communicating while the two platforms can share the same domain.

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.

With Microsoft Teams, you get rich online content collaboration in meetings that include audio, video, and content sharing. This can be enjoyed through the desktop and web client, as well as through many partner devices that integrate natively with Microsoft Teams. However, many customers have already invested in video teleconferencing and personal video communication devices, which can be expensive to upgrade. Cloud Video Interop provides an easy solution, allowing you to keep using your existing solutions until you are ready to upgrade.

With Cloud Video Interop, Microsoft Teams delivers a native meeting experience for all participants – in meeting rooms or inside of Teams clients.

Is Cloud Video Interop for me?

Cloud Video Interop provides an intermediate service while you transition to a full native Microsoft Teams Solution, using Teams endpoints. The service provided should be part of your migration path.

Cloud Video Interop is intended for customers who meet the following criteria:

• Have a large deployment of meeting room devices and personal video devices deployment (50+ devices) that are not qualified for direct integration with Microsoft Teams
• Are supported by one of our Cloud Video Interop partners
• Want to retain the value of their investment in their current meeting room devices and personal video devices during the migration to a native Microsoft Teams solution

While Cloud Video Interop provides a great intermediate solution, we encourage our customers to look into our native Teams Meeting solutions, such as Teams Room Systems, for the long term.

Office 365 US Government and third-party services

Office 365 provides the ability to integrate third-party applications into SharePoint Online sites, Skype for Business, Teams, Office applications included in Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), and Outlook Web App. In addition, Office 365 supports integration with third-party service providers. These third-party applications and services might involve storing, transmitting, and processing your organization's customer data onthird-party systems that are outside of the Office 365 infrastructure and therefore are not covered by the Office 365 compliance and data protection commitments. It is recommended that you review the privacy and compliance statements provided by the third parties when assessing the appropriate use of these services for your organization.

Partners Certified for Microsoft Teams

The following partners have video interop solutions for Microsoft Teams. Your company may choose to work with any combination of these partners within your enterprise.

Cloud Video Interop overview

Does Webex Work With Zoom

Cloud Video Interop is a third-party service that is offered by our partners to provide interoperability between existing video conferencing and personal video device solutions on premises, and Microsoft Teams.

The solutions offered by our partners consist of components that can be deployed either fully cloud based or partially/fully on premises.

The following diagram shows the high-level architecture of our partner solutions.

Deploy Cloud Video Interop

When deploying a Cloud Video Interop solution, it's important to understand that you are deploying a partner solution. The general steps you should take to deploy Cloud Video Interop are listed in the following diagram.

Plan

During the plan phase, you should identify the devices that you will not replace with a native Teams device, and find a Cloud Video Interop partner that can support these devices.

Does Skype Work With Zoom

It's also important to understand that you will need a license for each user who will schedule meetings in which you want a Cloud Video Interop-enabled device to join. Note that exact licensing requirements can be obtained from the Cloud Video Interop partner. Ensure that this is clear before you start your deployment.

Configure

The partner that you have chosen for your CVI deployment will provide you with a full deployment document that consists of all the steps needed to deploy successfully within your organization. This will include firewall ports and IP ranges, configuration changes for your devices, and other settings that need to change.

Provision

During the provision phase, you will assign licenses to the appropriate users according to the partner configuration guide. You will also need to go through the Azure Consent process to provide the partner access to your Teams environment. See Permissions and consent in the Microsoft identity platform endpoint for more information about the Azure consent process.

Schedule

After a user is enabled for Cloud Video Interop, any meeting scheduled using either the Teams Meeting Add-in for Outlook or the Teams Client will have the appropriate additional information automatically added into the Teams meeting so that Cloud Video Interop-compatible devices can join these meetings.

Join

Skype Teams Webex Login

Depending on the partner solution, there are several ways to join a Cloud Video Interop-enabled meeting. Exact meeting join scenarios will be provided by your Cloud Video Interop partner. We've listed some examples below:

Join Webex Meeting Using Skype

• IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
  • You can dial in to the partner's IVR using the tenantkey@domain.
  • When you are in the partner IVR, you will be prompted to enter the VTC conferenceId, which will then connect you to the Teams meeting.
• Direct dial
  • You can directly dial in to the Teams meeting without interacting with the partner's IVR by using the direct dial feature, using the full string of tenantkey.VTC ConferenceId@domain.
• One-touch dial
  • If you have an integrated Teams room, you can use the one-touch dial capabilities offered by your partner (without needing to type any dial string).

Manage Cloud Video Interop

After Cloud Video Interop is deployed, you can manage the devices using the solutions provided by our partners. Each partner will provide you with an administrative interface that will include both license and device management.

Reporting is also available directly from the partner administrative interface. For more information on reporting capabilities, contact the partner of your choice.

Troubleshooting Cloud Video Interop

Cloud Video Interop is a partner-provided service. If you are experiencing issues, the first step is to connect a device that has the Teams Client installed and connect it to the same segment as the Cloud Video Interop device that is causing problems.

If Teams functions correctly on this segment, and you have also followed all the networking and configuration guidelines the partner has provided, you will need to contact the partner for further troubleshooting.

PowerShell for Cloud Video Interop

The following PowerShell cmdlets are available for you to (partially) automate the Cloud Video Interop deployment.

• Get-CsTeamsVideoInteropServicepolicy: Microsoft provides pre-constructed policies for each of our supported partners that allow you to designate which partner(s) to use for Cloud Video Interop.
  This cmdlet allows you to identify the pre-constructed policies that you can use in your organization. You can assign this policy to one or more of your users by leveraging the Grant-CsTeamsVideoInteropServicePolicy cmdlet.
• Grant-CsTeamsVideoInteropServicePolicy: This cmdlet allows you to assign a pre-constructed policy for use in your organization or assign the policy to specific users.
• New-CsVideoInteropServiceProvider: Use this cmdlet to specify information about a supported CVI partner that your organization would like to use.
• Set-CsVideoInteropServiceProvider: Use this cmdlet to update information about a supported CVI partner that your organization uses.
• Get-CsVideoInteropServiceProvider: Use this cmdlet to get all of the providers that have been configured for use within the organization.
• Remove-CsVideoInteropServiceProvider: Use this cmdlet to remove all provider information about a provider that your organization no longer uses.