Microsoft Teams And Webex

1. Can Teams Replace Webex
2. Microsoft Teams And Webex Teams
3. Google Hangouts Zoom Microsoft Teams And Webex
4. Microsoft Teams And Cisco Webex Interoperability

The 21^st century workplace is unlike the traditional workplace where team collaboration could be confined to office spaces. The modern workplace is progressively transitioning into a space where collaboration and synchronicity are central, and team collaboration expands beyond traditional work hours and office spaces. So, the 21^st century workspace requires an asynchronous platform that gives workers the ability to communicate and collaborate. The culture of working and the workplace setting has undergone some dramatic social and technological changes over the past couple of years. But, the true potential of corporate communication via online meetings and collaboration was only realized in the wake of the current Covid-19 pandemic which has shattered economies and forced major mindsets in adopting a virtual collaborative solution. We take a look at two such modern workplace collaboration and communication solutions – Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Cisco Webex is the leading enterprise solution for video conferencing, webinars, and screen sharing. Web conferencing, online meeting, cloud calling and equipment. Install Cisco Webex Meetings or Cisco Webex Teams on any device of your choice. Get step-by-step instructions for scheduling your own Webex meetings, real-time group messaging,. Webex Meetings clinched the top spot in video conferencing solutions, outranking Zoom and Microsoft Teams and is also pegged as one of the best remote tools as per G2 list.

Team is a Microsoft's proprietary web conferencing and collaboration platform that enables you to call, chat, meet and collaborate with others in real time without being physically present at the same location. Teams is a central hub of communication that brings conversations, meetings, files, and applications into a single, easy to use tool. Teams are a collection of individuals, content and tools associated with different projects and outcomes within an organization. It is a part of the Microsoft 365 family of products and an all-in-one collaborative platform that offers everything a team needs – online meetings, group conversations, audio/video conferencing, file sharing, and more. Teams is soon to be replacing the already popular Skype for Business and is already in the process of becoming a fully-integrated, all-in-one business communication platform.

Can Teams Replace Webex

What is Cisco Webex?

Webex is yet another popular online conference platform that provides similar functionalities as Teams, allowing people to meet and collaborate virtually over the Internet without having the need to leave your home or office. Cisco Webex is a cloud-based comprehensive suite of productivity tools and Web based meeting applications designed to improve workplace collaboration and increase productivity. It was originally founded by WebEx in 1995 and later taken over by the American technology giant Cisco Systems. Webex is a cost-effective communication and collaboration service that offers flexible customization options coupled with some great features designed to increase workplace communication and workflow. With its competitive pricing structure and a host of Web meeting applications, Webex is revolutionizing the idea of audio/video/web conferencing by providing a single unified interface.

Difference between Teams and Webex

Basics of Teams and Webex

– Teams is a Microsoft's very own web conferencing and collaboration platform that brings the capabilities and functionalities of its peer Skype for Business and adds some of its own to create a fully-integrated, collaboration solution. Teams is part of the broader Microsoft 365 productivity suite that offers everything a team needs. Webex is yet another popular online conference platform that provides similar functionalities as Teams, but with a legacy hardware focus. Originally founded by WebEx in 1995, Webex is a cloud-based comprehensive suite of productivity tools and Web based meeting applications.

Architecture of Teams and Webex

– Teams is built on the Microsoft 365 Groups which hold the full suite of applications, teams and conversations together. It leverages Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to store identity information, and integrates with other services within Microsoft 365. Each time you create a team in Teams, a SharePoint Online site and an Exchange Online group mailbox is automatically created. Webex, on the other hand, is built on a worldwide network architecture called the MediaTone Network which uses the T.120 standard for real time, platform-independent data communications.

Pricing of Teams and Webex

– In terms of pricing, Microsoft Teams is a clear frontrunner for two reasons. One, Teams has a fairly robust free version which is absolutely free of cost with a fewer limitations on recorded meetings, scheduled meetings, and so on. Second, it has a budget-friendly Enterprise Plan that comes bundled with the Office 365 Suite, which costs $20 per user per month (annual). The pricing starts as low as $5 per user per month. Cisco Webex also offers a free trial version which is very limited in terms of features and the lowest you could get is with a Webex Meeting plan which starts at a basic $13.50 per host per month and goes up to $26.95 per host per month for the Business plan.

Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex: Comparison Chart

Summary

While both Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex are great business communication and collaboration platforms with similar capabilities and features, Teams is built on the Microsoft 365 Groups surrounding productivity and collaboration whereas Webex is an online meeting environment that is part of a larger Cisco suite of online collaboration tools. Teams is an all-in-one collaborative platform that offers everything a team needs and Webex is a comprehensive suite of productivity tools that keeps teams connected. So, they do have their fair share of pros and cons, but both of them revolve around the central idea of easy and seamless collaboration across different platforms from office desktops to smartphones on the road.

• Difference Between GitHub and Jira - April 25, 2021
• Difference Between Jira and Asana - April 16, 2021
• Difference Between ServiceNow and Jira - April 15, 2021

In the pre-COVID era, the collaboration software market was only growing at a decent pace. In 2020, it grew exponentially when the world was put under lockdown. While stuck in the quarantine, we all diligently used collaboration platforms, more than ever before. It took a pandemic to realize the vital importance of collaboration technology. It has allowed everyone to stay connected in testing times. Be it professional communication or personal ones, it has helped conversations get going. A crop of collaboration platforms became popular overnight including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and more.

All these products were lying under the radar under the gamut of products from their parent companies. Today, these collaboration software drive maximum attention and are flagship products for them.

Interestingly, the two big brands Cisco and Microsoft coming with reputed products: Teams and Webex. How will you determine the best collaboration platform for your organization?

We have already compared Microsoft Teams vs Zoom in our previous posts. In this article, we look to provide a feature comparison of Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex.

Let us compare the basic features of Teams vs Webex:

Looking at the table above, it seems that both Teams and Webex have all basic features. In other words, no important feature for a smooth collaboration is missing in either of the platforms. Now, we must compare enhanced features by digging deeper into the products to find differentiation.

Teams vs Webex: Telephony feature comparison

One of the standout features in the comparison between Teams vs WebEx is the way telephony solutions are offered on either platform. Microsoft offers Teams with Phone System, a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) solution for businesses with Microsoft 365 for an integrated cloud solution.

Cisco takes a different approach to fit every type of customer requirement: on-premises or one-tenant platforms hosted by a partner, and Webex calling for small and midsize organizations. Cisco's partners including West, IntelePeer, and ThinkTel offer the PSTN access for Webex.

Teams vs Webex Pricing Comparison

Determining pricing as per the licensing requirements can be a bit perplexing for Teams vs Webex comparison. When we look at the bare minimum pricing to get started with the platform, Microsoft Teams has a clear advantage. Microsoft Teams is also available for free with limited features, allowing anyone to get a taste of it without paying anything. If one gets the bare minimum Microsoft Office 365 subscription (Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $5/user), the features unavailable in the free version can be unlocked. Higher the Office 365 plan, the better the features with Microsoft Teams. Though Cisco Webex also offers a free version, in comparison, Microsoft Teams offers far more generous features in the free version. Cisco Webex's cheapest plan starts with $13.50 per user per month and calling service add-ons would be priced extra. When you must decide between Teams vs Webex with cost as a factor, Microsoft Teams wins hands down.

Teams vs Webex Security Comparison

When it came to comparing Zoom with Teams, security was a pertinent problem in Zoom. This is the reason many large organizations shied away from using Zoom. But what is the case when comparing Teams vs Webex for security?

Both Teams and Webex are products of the behemoth companies, Microsoft and Cisco, which has zero tolerance for compromise in security. Both Microsoft and Cisco have taken respective steps to strengthen security for Teams and Webex, respectively.

Difference between Teams and Webex

Basics of Teams and Webex

– Teams is a Microsoft's very own web conferencing and collaboration platform that brings the capabilities and functionalities of its peer Skype for Business and adds some of its own to create a fully-integrated, collaboration solution. Teams is part of the broader Microsoft 365 productivity suite that offers everything a team needs. Webex is yet another popular online conference platform that provides similar functionalities as Teams, but with a legacy hardware focus. Originally founded by WebEx in 1995, Webex is a cloud-based comprehensive suite of productivity tools and Web based meeting applications.

Architecture of Teams and Webex

– Teams is built on the Microsoft 365 Groups which hold the full suite of applications, teams and conversations together. It leverages Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to store identity information, and integrates with other services within Microsoft 365. Each time you create a team in Teams, a SharePoint Online site and an Exchange Online group mailbox is automatically created. Webex, on the other hand, is built on a worldwide network architecture called the MediaTone Network which uses the T.120 standard for real time, platform-independent data communications.

Pricing of Teams and Webex

– In terms of pricing, Microsoft Teams is a clear frontrunner for two reasons. One, Teams has a fairly robust free version which is absolutely free of cost with a fewer limitations on recorded meetings, scheduled meetings, and so on. Second, it has a budget-friendly Enterprise Plan that comes bundled with the Office 365 Suite, which costs $20 per user per month (annual). The pricing starts as low as $5 per user per month. Cisco Webex also offers a free trial version which is very limited in terms of features and the lowest you could get is with a Webex Meeting plan which starts at a basic $13.50 per host per month and goes up to $26.95 per host per month for the Business plan.

Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Webex: Comparison Chart

Summary

While both Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex are great business communication and collaboration platforms with similar capabilities and features, Teams is built on the Microsoft 365 Groups surrounding productivity and collaboration whereas Webex is an online meeting environment that is part of a larger Cisco suite of online collaboration tools. Teams is an all-in-one collaborative platform that offers everything a team needs and Webex is a comprehensive suite of productivity tools that keeps teams connected. So, they do have their fair share of pros and cons, but both of them revolve around the central idea of easy and seamless collaboration across different platforms from office desktops to smartphones on the road.

• Difference Between GitHub and Jira - April 25, 2021
• Difference Between Jira and Asana - April 16, 2021
• Difference Between ServiceNow and Jira - April 15, 2021

In the pre-COVID era, the collaboration software market was only growing at a decent pace. In 2020, it grew exponentially when the world was put under lockdown. While stuck in the quarantine, we all diligently used collaboration platforms, more than ever before. It took a pandemic to realize the vital importance of collaboration technology. It has allowed everyone to stay connected in testing times. Be it professional communication or personal ones, it has helped conversations get going. A crop of collaboration platforms became popular overnight including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and more.

All these products were lying under the radar under the gamut of products from their parent companies. Today, these collaboration software drive maximum attention and are flagship products for them.

Interestingly, the two big brands Cisco and Microsoft coming with reputed products: Teams and Webex. How will you determine the best collaboration platform for your organization?

We have already compared Microsoft Teams vs Zoom in our previous posts. In this article, we look to provide a feature comparison of Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex.

Let us compare the basic features of Teams vs Webex:

Looking at the table above, it seems that both Teams and Webex have all basic features. In other words, no important feature for a smooth collaboration is missing in either of the platforms. Now, we must compare enhanced features by digging deeper into the products to find differentiation.

Teams vs Webex: Telephony feature comparison

One of the standout features in the comparison between Teams vs WebEx is the way telephony solutions are offered on either platform. Microsoft offers Teams with Phone System, a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) solution for businesses with Microsoft 365 for an integrated cloud solution.

Cisco takes a different approach to fit every type of customer requirement: on-premises or one-tenant platforms hosted by a partner, and Webex calling for small and midsize organizations. Cisco's partners including West, IntelePeer, and ThinkTel offer the PSTN access for Webex.

Teams vs Webex Pricing Comparison

Determining pricing as per the licensing requirements can be a bit perplexing for Teams vs Webex comparison. When we look at the bare minimum pricing to get started with the platform, Microsoft Teams has a clear advantage. Microsoft Teams is also available for free with limited features, allowing anyone to get a taste of it without paying anything. If one gets the bare minimum Microsoft Office 365 subscription (Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $5/user), the features unavailable in the free version can be unlocked. Higher the Office 365 plan, the better the features with Microsoft Teams. Though Cisco Webex also offers a free version, in comparison, Microsoft Teams offers far more generous features in the free version. Cisco Webex's cheapest plan starts with $13.50 per user per month and calling service add-ons would be priced extra. When you must decide between Teams vs Webex with cost as a factor, Microsoft Teams wins hands down.

Teams vs Webex Security Comparison

When it came to comparing Zoom with Teams, security was a pertinent problem in Zoom. This is the reason many large organizations shied away from using Zoom. But what is the case when comparing Teams vs Webex for security?

Both Teams and Webex are products of the behemoth companies, Microsoft and Cisco, which has zero tolerance for compromise in security. Both Microsoft and Cisco have taken respective steps to strengthen security for Teams and Webex, respectively.

Microsoft Teams comes with Office 365 platform. It enjoys high-level encryption and enterprise-grade security built for the rest of Office 365. Office 365 Enterprise comes with premium security features (eDiscovery, Archiving, Legal Hold, Retention) which will be required for compliance such as HIPAA, GDPR, and more. Overall, Microsoft invests $1 billion every year in its bid for robust security.

Similarly, Cisco Webex Teams has a huge number of certifications that attest to their security promise. Like Microsoft Teams, it has compliance features such as eDiscovery, unique device PINs, idle time, content retention flexibility, and more. Marginally more control for the end-users is available in Webex, while it may be troublesome for uninitiated or IT admins if they have a strict organizational policy as compared to the end-users.

Microsoft Teams And Webex Teams

Teams vs Webex Integration with Other Software

Microsoft Teams is tightly integrated with all other Microsoft products due to the Office 365 ecosystem. If you use Microsoft Office along with Teams, it would be smooth user experience. Though Cisco has a long list of applications that can be installed and integrated from the App Hub store, Microsoft Teams is built for better integration with third-party applications.

Microsoft Teams vs Webex: Suggestions or Recommendations?

If you are looking for a simple answer, there is obviously difficult to pick a firm winner because there are a number of factors in selecting the right collaboration platform. Just comparing the fundamental characteristics of Webex vs Teams would not provide a definitive answer. But if we dig deeper to compare the peripheral features such as telephony extensions, security, room format, integration with other software, and pricing would help you decide between Microsoft Teams vs Cisco Webex.

Both Teams and Webex are excellent products coming from technology giants Microsoft and Cisco, respectively. Therefore, it is a tough choice to make. Like all other platforms including Webex, Microsoft Teams caters to all the requirements of a Unified Communications (UC) platform. Microsoft has increasingly pushed for Teams to become the numero uno UC platform in the coming time. This means that it will keep on evolving the product until it gets way better than its competitors. Keeping this perspective in mind, we recommend you opt for Microsoft Teams for the promise of the future.

Get help to get started with Microsoft Teams

Google Hangouts Zoom Microsoft Teams And Webex

Moreover, there are a plethora of Microsoft Partners who can assist you get started with Microsoft Teams with minimum disruptions. Apps4Rent is a Tier 1 CSP and Microsoft Gold Partner, which means we are handpicked by Microsoft itself for offering services and products of Microsoft. You can get started with a basic Office 365 subscription which will also include popular productivity suite such as MS Office along with Teams. Apps4Rent can help you get started with Microsoft Teams in no time. We offer 24/7 real-time support via phone, chat, and email if you have any issues on deployment, on-boarding, and operations.

Microsoft Teams And Cisco Webex Interoperability

If you want any further clarifications or have any questions, feel free to contact us now!