Cisco Webex Calling is finally coming to the UK! The service has been available in the US for quite some time now and has garnered a lot of praise. Since the launch of Spark in 2015, the calling feature has always been a priority for Cisco. There were a few bumps along the way that pushed the release date back, but Cisco overcame these challenges through their purchase of Broadsoft last year. Cisco can now officially release Calling as a feature on their hugely popular platform, Webex.

This is big news and will shake up the calling market in the UK as it positions Webex in a whole new market competing with the likes of RingCentral and 8×8. In this article, we’ll take a look at what Webex Calling is, what it can do, and why you might choose it over another option.

Webex Calling is a Calling SaaS platform that sits completely in the cloud. This means there is no need to concern yourself with the expense and problems that come with managing an on-premise phone system. This type of service is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses because it has less of the problems whilst still being capable of all the best calling capabilities that office employees need every day! Cisco say that they will take care of the Webex Cloud so businesses can focus on what matters most.

The Webex Calling service is a strategic addition to Cisco’s UC portfolio. Over the last few years, Gartner has placed Cisco at the top of their matrix for both Contact Center and rich media conferencing. Cisco will continue to grow and evolve Webex Calling until they can achieve this reputation in the cloud calling market also. This true cloud transition lays the foundation for exciting new features such as iOS integrations to enable mobility, HD calling, and intelligent routing with online administration.

As the final piece in Cisco’s cloud Unified Communications puzzle, the Broadsoft acquisition really does bring the whole vision together. The new capabilities combined with Cisco’s expertise in collaboration has produced a cloud service with tonnes of features and abilities!

The default version of Webex Calling possesses all the standard cloud PBX functionality such as call transfers, voicemail, hunt groups, call pickup, and many other useful features. Management of Webex Calling is all done through the immensely popular Webex Control Hub. The Webex Control Hub is a sleekly designed portal where administrators can completely manage their entire Webex portfolio. You can add users, activate/deactivate numerous features, grant permissions, all from wherever you happen to be located, via the cloud. This is vastly simpler than the configuration methods of the past, you really don’t need to be an expert!

If you’re a fan of hard phones, do not fear! Cisco Webex Calling does not only work on your PC. You can connect any Cisco desk phone from the 7800 and 8800 series to your Webex account and use the phone just as you always have.

Webex Calling is also heavily integrated with Cisco’s cloud messaging platform, Webex Teams. Webex Teams is a modern client that businesses will have access to when they deploy Webex Calling. It allows employees to instantly message, share files, set up group chats, and much more on a completely secure and encrypted connection. You can think of it as WhatsApp for business. Your Webex Calling IP phone can be paired to your Webex Teams account so that you can make and receive calls with the Webex Teams application. Currently, the platform works as two separate windows on your screen that integrate with each other, but we have been told by Cisco that this will all be transformed into one program in the coming months.

The release of Webex Calling took longer than anticipated in the UK but now that it is officially available, we expect it to leapfrog other competitors in the cloud calling market. This is because businesses across the country rightfully trust the Cisco name to provide them with the optimal experience when it comes to collaboration. It likely won’t be long until Cisco is the frontrunner in yet another sector of collaboration.