Today’s modern workplaces rely on collaboration to drive efficiency and productivity. With the recent push for long-term work from home options, there is a critical need for technology that ensures every employee is connected.
While you can find plenty of options for collaborative workplace platforms, Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex are two of the most popular. Coming from tech-heavyweights, each product provides a robust and reliable communication system.
When it comes to Webex vs. Teams, though, which one is better? How can you pick the right offering for your business? We’ll answer those questions and more; just read on.
Comparing Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams
With all the workstream collaboration platforms on the market today, it can be challenging to decide which service is right for your business. Most platforms today will offer staple features, such as:
- One-to-one chats
- Group chats
- Online meetings
- Video calling
- Screen sharing capabilities
The push toward mobile and work from home capabilities for businesses means the bar for what a collaboration tool can offer is quite high. Even so, the offerings from Microsoft and Cisco seem to dominate the market. Microsoft and Cisco control 63% of the Enterprise market (>1000) and 62% of the Mid-Market (100-1000).
So, what makes Cisco Webex unique from Microsoft Teams and vice versa? How can your team make an informed decision on which tool will integrate with your daily operations efficiently and smoothly? Here are some parameters to consider.
Security
Major tech companies support both Teams and Webex. Both offerings meet the growing needs and concerns of enterprise-level organizations that hold security as a high priority. Each will also provide similar security in their development and building. Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex will offer different tools for organizations to implement security policies, though.
Built on the Office 365 enterprise-grade cloud, Microsoft Teams offers the same level of security provided by the rest of the Office 365 platform. In addition to this strong foundation, Teams users can enjoy a multitude of security tools, including:
- Security and compliance center
- eDiscovery
- Compliance content search
Each tool integrates into the security architecture available in Office 365.
Cisco Webex also comes equipped with a long list of security features and tools. Webex differs from Microsoft’s offering in the level of control it gives the user, as opposed to administrator set controls. This can present challenges for untrained IT teams or organizations with strict security policies.
Features
When it comes to features, you can assume similar functionality from both Webex and Teams. Each digital workspace solutions comes equipped with standard features:
- Group conversation
- Meetings
- File-sharing
- Video conferencing
Where they differ, is how they present these basic features for users and administrators. For instance, with group conversation, both products allow users to view past conversations. With Webex, you can search across various topic categories or agendas. While with Teams, you can explore every bit of data in a conversation, including past pictures, emojis, and GIFs.
For an essential tool like video conferencing, both offerings provide reliable communication, but with slight differences. Webex supports 200 users and comes packed with other features, like advanced AI capabilities. Teams has a slight edge in numbers with support for 250 participants but doesn't integrate easily with non-Teams rooms.
Integration
Here is where things start to get clearer. Compared to competitors like Slack, which offer a broad set of integration opportunities, both Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex really shine when operating with their base systems.
Teams, for instance, is tightly bound to Office 365. If your organization already operates with Office 365, the case for Teams as your collaboration hub is much stronger. Conversely, Webex adds value to Cisco-based video and voice endpoints.
Support
Microsoft Teams comes with a robust offering of formal support, including live chat support and webinars. One major benefit from Team’s support isn’t so much the product itself but rather the community behind it. Because of Team’s extensive user base, a thriving support community exists that is quick to help anyone encountering issues.
Webex also features support materials like free training seminars and video tutorials available online. This comes in addition to Cisco’s daily demos and live events. With enterprise-level packages, a dedicated representative is available to resolve challenges fast.
Webex Vs. Teams — The Verdict
When it comes to which is the better fit for your organization, it’s more of a matter of your specific situation rather than an objective verdict. At a high level, both offerings look quite similar. Even so, both companies provide a different direction for their products.
In most cases, Microsoft Teams may be more appropriate for your business. Since it integrates into the broader Office 365 system, if your organization already uses Office 365, Teams just makes sense.
In a similar fashion, if your team is already in the Cisco environment, Webex continues the Cisco conference and meeting story. Beware, though: IT teams will often need to work with the limited toolsets available through Webex to help monitor, manage, and secure the UC environment.
Evolve IP’s UCaaS Solution
When it comes to Webex vs. Teams, it's less of a matter of which one is better, but rather how they can work with your existing system. Each collaboration environment comes packed with a list of similar features but with slight variations. The greatest difference is how easily each respective product integrates with other systems.
If Office 365 is part of your daily operations, Teams can provide a lot of value. If your organization is already using Cisco meeting and conference services, Webex might be your best bet.
Evolve IP empowers employees with next-level work anywhere productivity and security. Our UCaaS platform delivers award-winning collaboration with either Microsoft Teams or Cisco Webex. We are one of the few providers that offers a UCaaS solution natively integrated with both systems.
Ready to learn more? Reach out today for more information.
