By Sonya Mazzaferro, Director of Global Virtual Sales at Cisco Canada 

The pandemic has exacerbated the digital divide that was already present in the small and medium-sized business market, forcing many organizations to accelerate their digitization.

Last year, to better support small and medium-sized customers Cisco launched Webex Work, a single, cloud-based collaboration bundle that captured everything needed for remote work and business continuity in these uncertain times. 

As collaboration tools have become a lifeline for businesses and employees to stay connected and productive, we’re providing partners and customers with immediate access to the value of Webex through a more flexible model. The full cloud suite supports SME by connecting their teams across organizations and firewalls, securing their business, and automating their processes in a way that rivals in-person work.

As we look at the year ahead, here are three core benefits of Webex Work that small and mid-size customers can embrace to adapt, thrive and grow.

Providing flexibility for unpredictability

According to the 2020 Small Business Digital Maturity Study, 70 per cent of SMEs said COVID-19 is going to accelerate the digitalization of their businesses, and 93 per cent of small businesses said that COVID-19 has made them more reliant on technology. 

It’s no wonder these businesses are specifically looking for solutions to help employees work remotely, improve processes automation and digitalization to be less dependent on human intervention. As SMEs around the world are learning how to adapt to the current climate, the question for many is where to start. The answer? With Webex Work. 

Not only has Cisco focused on creating aggressive competitive pricing for Webex Work to meet the needs of SMEs, but its added flexibility, ease of use and ability to make remote or hybrid meetings 10x better than in-person enables customers to: 

• Keep work moving forward by giving users the ability to connect safely in 1-to-1 settings, with teams, or business-to-business while also sharing and collaborating on files with whiteboarding.
• Add options such as Webex Events, AI and Video Endpoints; and
• Enjoy Webex Meetings with high-definition video conferencing, seeing up to 25 people at a time in highly secure meetings with up to 1000 participants.

Preparing customers for the future of hybrid work

At our Webex One event in December, we introduced new collaborative tools for Webex. These tools, such as transcription, immersive sharing, gestures, and real-time translations, ensure that remote and hybrid experiences are equal to, or better, than in-person meetings. 

Continuing to build on our commitment to deliver inclusive collaboration for SMEs, we recently announced the new Webex App Hub, making it even easier to use and find integrations within Webex messaging and meeting spaces.

These tools will provide a flexible platform experience that continues to drive business resiliency for partners and customers. Now, users will be able to easily add and collaborate with third-party applications while in a Webex meeting, all while providing the most accessible and efficient virtual experience.

New integrations that are now possible with Webex include Box, Salesforce and ServiceNow, eliminating manual repetitive tasks and context switching so it’s easier to schedule meetings, work with your team and share content seamlessly   

A crucial building block

As workplaces continue to evolve, security, networking and collaboration are front of mind for every SME. Webex Work can act as a foundational block that customers can combine with these IT priorities, allowing them to focus on what matters most: their business. 

As part of our Designed for Business portfolio, we’ve also expanded SME security solutions. These include Meraki Cloud-managed Smart Cameras, helping with occupancy monitoring as well as physical security, and Cisco Business Switches that provide secure connectivity for businesses powering connections across a remote and in-office workforce.

With strong encryption, compliance visibility and control, 1:1 and team messaging, file sharing, digital whiteboarding, and video calling, Webex is a hardened collaboration platform that helps keep your data secure while keeping work moving continuously. 

As we look at the year ahead, a collaboration tool should support more than just video conferencing and meetings — and with Webex Work, SMEs can access a powerful connection platform to help get work done wherever they are, with integrations that support working more effectively.

For more information on Webex Work you can visit our website here. 

Sonya Mazzaferro is the Director of Global Virtual Sales at Cisco Canada.