For over two years now, Cisco’s Spark App and cloud backend have been the inspiration for a bevy of technological products launched by Cisco. In the past, Cisco Spark was focused on team-oriented devices like phones and the Cisco Spark Board, while their Webex services were focused entirely on business meetings. This created a natural overlap of services that at times could be slightly confusing. As Webex has become the dominant force for meeting platforms, Cisco is now unveiling a dramatic rebranding where all things Spark will be integrated with the Webex technology within the common cloud backend thus creating a seamless and improved user experience.
Some insiders were left wondering, is this just a name change or is the actual Spark devices being upgraded as well? Here is a look at how the Cisco Spark Board is becoming the new and improved Cisco Webex Board.
Cisco Spark Board
The Cisco Spark Board was a piece of amazing collaborative technology designed for teams to brainstorm and illustrate ideas. It went beyond being an interactive whiteboard. With impressive handwriting recognition, audio/video capabilities and the ability to link up devices to the whiteboard using the Spark App, the Cisco Spark Board used cloud-based software that would automatically save and secure all data recorded creating an amazing tool for the communication and presentation of information.
Enhancements
The Cisco Webex Board is like the Spark Board 2.0, with all the same features and the same Spark OS operating system combined with Webex’s conferencing platform. Simple modifications as well as more complicated ones, make the Cisco Webex Board perfect for boardroom meetings. There were a few visual updates to the share screen. Designers improved the board’s capabilities for adjusting brightness, ultrasound volume for proximity detection, as well as simplifying the process of adding participants on an ongoing call. Now over 1000 people can interact and participate in a single meeting across geographical locations. If someone does enter the lobby with Webex software, the Webex Board will make a notification on the board’s screen. With added storage, analytics and beefed up security, the Webex board focused on improving the Spark Board’s video capabilities. There is a new, pleasant sounding VLAN voice as well. With the convergence of Spark and Webex, now you can seamlessly transition from one app to another which encourages users to utilize the variety of Webex products and features available to them.
Webex Future
With Webex being a prominent name as well as the dominate meeting platform for business professionals, its influence was well known. Thus it made sense that Cisco would converge their Spark technologies with that of Webex. Not only was the Cisco Spark Board revamped. Spark Teams has been successfully converted into Webex Teams, Spark Calling into Webex Calling and Spark for Developers is now Webex for Developers. This integration of systems will undoubtedly improve the user experience for business professionals wanting to create interactive and collaborative meetings for all their employees both within and outside the building. As commerce and business continue to cross international lines, meetings can become equally as seamless when Webex technology is utilized.
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