Webex Teams App Store
Introducing Web Apps on the Webex Board
Subsequent log ins: Open the desktop App on your computer (recommended) or access in a browser at Step 4. Connect on any device (Optional)—use your phone or tablet for accessibility and convenience. Conduct meetings on the go, connect with your team or students quickly and easily, and access documents and messages. I downloaded this App and it did not work on my Amazon Fire 10. Trying to join a meeting was a nightmare. Even when I did this via the Webex page it demanded I access through the App, which It would not recognise. To add insult to injury I now receive emails from Webex inviting me to set up my own meeting via the App. Go to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center and click Teams Apps. Click on Manage Apps and search for Webex Calls. Toggle the app on. Remember to update your permissions policies in the Teams app menu. Smartphone users may download Webex Teams from their app store. Once you install the app, you will sign in to the application using your netid@gmu.edu. Note: Students, do not use your full @masonlive.gmu.edu address. Once redirected to Mason, you will authenticate with your NetID and Patriot Pass password. Webex Teams can be used with.
In my previous blog post Use your Cisco Webex Video Screens for More—Put Them Into “Signage Mode” I explained how we use a web engine to enable state of the art digital signage solution across our endpoints. But we are not stopping there. Now you can start to put your own apps on your Webex Boards!
Watch this demo to learn about adding your favorite productivity tools to the Board:
We use the same underlying mechanism as signage, a powerful web engine. This means that you can basically use any web-based tool on the Board – so take a minute to think about what that means in terms of a flexible workflow for your team!
All-In-One Device for Team Collaboration
We are serious when we say that we are a platform for collaboration. That includes providing world class real-time collaboration solutions for meetings, interactive whiteboarding, and content sharing. But it also means that we allow you to keep using the tools that are already an integrated part of your workflow. So expand your range and add these to your team collaboration toolbox:
- Run agile work processes: You can run your web-based Kanban Board directly on the Webex Board and use that for your daily stand-ups. No more facilitating and updating after the huddle, you do it right on the Board – together!
- Review a document from a Web-based productivity tool (like Office 365 or Google docs): If you need to review a document from a Web-based productivity tool, then you can bring that document up on the Board to review it and edit it together – as a team.
- Enable a specific tool for your industry, like health care or manufacturing: No more waiting in line for us at Cisco to get around to your feature request. You can go ahead and create the tool you need, using a standard development framework for web apps, known to millions of developers everywhere.
- Make interactive education tools: If you need to make interactive education tools for toddlers or university students available for the next generation of teaching and learning, you can go ahead and find that tool. From basic visual programming to advanced CAD viewers, it will all run on the Webex Board.
Cisco Webex Meetings App Store
What’s Next?
If you read this far, you will probably want to know about the caveats of the solution as well. What we are releasing in this first phase, is the ability to set up web apps on the home screen of the Webex Board, using the existing in-room controls and macro framework. In a later release we will also add full support for setting up web apps from Control Hub, without the need to understand how customizations work in RoomOS.
Web apps will initially work only out of call. We are working hard to get to the next phase, where we will be able to scale this experience to in-call experiences. The implications for how we can support even more workflows when you can bring up interactive web tools in call is quite mind boggling, so stay tuned for updates on that!
Interested in how to set up web apps? Watch this video:
I can’t wait for your feedback to flood in! We are just getting started in this area, so everything you tell us about what you want to use it for, is valuable input when we are shaping the future of apps for your “tablet on the wall”.
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Strategic Alliances and Integrations Enable Comprehensive Calling, Meetings, and Messaging Capabilities
In my role as a product manager here at Cisco, I regularly talk to customers about their collaboration environments. One question I get asked is what they can do to bring together collaboration tools from different vendors…
The Webex unified app is providing our customers with comprehensive calling, meetings, and messaging capabilities that integrate with our award-winning video devices and IP phones. The result is seamless and consistent workflows.
But we are also aware that many customers have existing investments in place with collaboration tools from other vendors, and we are committed to making sure that Webex is an open platform, that integrates with 3rd party applications to ensure our mutual customers have a solution that delivers the best possible outcomes.
Earlier this year one of my colleagues talked about how we are enabling organizations with Microsoft Teams and Slack messaging users to start Webex Meetings from these applications.
Now, new Cisco calling integrations allow you to use all your enterprise-grade voice and video calling features in combination with these messaging platforms.
Cisco Calling Integrations
Calling integrations allow you to expose Cisco calling buttons directly in other vendors messaging apps. We’ve built the Cisco calling integrations to provide you with flexible solutions plus we’ve made them very easy to deploy. We started with Microsoft Teams and Slack messaging apps. To deploy a Cisco calling integration you simply select the Cisco client you are using for calling and the calling platform you want to use.
When you have added the Cisco calling integration, you can launch a Webex Teams or Cisco Jabber call directly from your messaging app. When you click the call button, the integrations identify who you’re chatting with, resolves their calling address, and passes this information to your installed Cisco client which starts a Cisco voice or video call. The integrations support all Cisco calling platforms including Cisco Unified Communication Manager (UCM) based on-premises and hosted deployments, and Webex Calling for cloud.
There are no complex back end changes to make as these are client integrations. There are no call routing policies or dial plan changes to make, no additional licenses required, and no new hardware to manage. You can even use the calling integrations with desk phone control, which means your users don’t have to replace their handsets.
Cisco Calling from Slack
Slack has made its messaging platform very open to integrating calling providers like Cisco. Adding the Cisco calling integration to Slack means you use the native Slack call button to start a Cisco call directly from Slack.
This could be using Webex Teams or Cisco Jabber as your softphone or controlling your desk phone. If your Cisco client is controlling your Cisco desk phone clicking the call button in Slack causes your Cisco desk phone to go off-hook and call your colleague.
Slack is popular with developers where users tend to like keyboard commands to take actions like making calls. Talking to Slack users it becomes clear this is a requirement for Slack users so we implement “/jabber” and “/webexteams” slash command allowing you to make calls at the command line.
We are continuing to work in partnership with Slack and plan to implement Slack’s new shortcut controls shortly. This will give you more calling destination selectable directly in Slack.
Cisco Calling from 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. We also added new contact search capabilities, you can now search your Microsoft 365 Outlook contacts and call them using your Cisco calling platform via the integration.
Building Bridges with Webex
These two new calling integrations are just examples of the many integrations that the Webex platform supports, enabling people to enhance their communication and collaboration within their everyday workflows. For example, we’ve also worked with Microsoft to integrate Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions into Webex team messaging services to streamline collaboration on documents.
What Next…
If you’re interested in learning more about Cisco calling integration contact your Cisco account team to discuss how to build on your current Cisco UC investments with Webex to enhance the collaboration experience for your users and/or integrate with 3rd party collaboration tools.
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Cisco Webex Teams Apps