Enterprise Connect 2023: 5 Announcements From Cisco, HP And More

Here’s how some of the leading UC and collaboration providers are addressing hybrid work and remote collaboration with AI-powered solutions and capabilities.

Artificial intelligence was the name of the game this year at Enterprise Connect 2023 as some of the market’s biggest unified communications (UC) and collaboration providers showcased their offerings that have been enhanced by way of AI and machine learning.

Players like Cisco and RingCentral are trying to even the playing field when it comes to remote collaboration so that meeting attendees and those in the conference room have more of an equitable presence in meetings. To that end, Cisco showed off its Webex platform that has now been enhanced with AI-powered features such as Portrait Effect and Gesture Recognition. RingCentral, on the other hand, took to the show to debut RingSense, an AI platform that the UCaaS leader said will inject more conversation intelligence into business communications.

Then there’s the hardware. Some companies teamed up or expanded their relationships with third-party suppliers to ensure a smoother, more seamless collaborative experience for end users, such as Crestron with Microsoft Teams. Meanwhile, HP-owned Poly highlighted a new series of video bars certified for Google Meet.

Here is a roundup of some of the biggest UC, video, and contact center software and hardware updates from Enterprise Connect 2023.

Cisco Webex Enhanced With AI

Cisco’s market-leading collaboration platform Webex now comes equipped with a handful of new video AI enhancements aimed at addressing current limitations across bandwidth, video and audio quality and hardware, according to the company.

Cisco took to the show to unveil Portrait Effect, a feature that automatically adds more depth and sharpness to an attendee’s appearance. Gesture recognition, an existing feature in Webex, lets users share feedback non-verbally in meetings by recognizing gestures that display the corresponding emojis. Another new feature is Message Recommendations, which help prioritize Webex App 1:1 chat and space messages based on interactions with the people that the user engages with most often and individuals on their direct team.

For faster response times, especially in the contact center, Contextual Chat Summary, a new AI Large Language Model (LLM) feature, will be available on the Webex Connect platform to automatically summarize any long-form text across digital channels. The feature can be used with Webex Contact Center or any other third-party contact center solution, the company said.

Cisco is also bringing generative AI to Webex Campaign, part of the Webex CPaaS Solutions portfolio in the form of Subject Line Generator, which creates copy options for email subject lines that marketers and content creators can use to develop quality content with minimal human input. For developers and IT professionals, the Evaluate Node in Webex Connect simplifies the process to build new flows and applications, enabling quick, simple journey development, according to San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco.

Crestron AirMedia Connect Adaptor For Microsoft Teams

Tech software provider Crestron has once again teamed with its longtime partner Microsoft for its latest video offering: The AirMedia Connect Adaptor for one-touch, plug-and-play wireless presentation solution for wireless conferencing that’s keeping with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend.

Crestron’s AirMedia Connect Adaptor lets end users wirelessly present and conference on any connected display, in any meeting space, with dedicated Microsoft Teams bundles. While AirMedia Connect Adaptor works with various third-party collaboration platforms, the Microsoft Teams software variation adds even more convenience for businesses that use one standard meeting platform. With one click, users can instantly join virtual meeting participants using their device of choice while gaining high-quality audio and video that the in-room peripherals offer. For wireless presentation, the AirMedia Connect Adaptor allows for content transmission in up to 4K/30p. All content transmitted is encryption, the Rockleigh, N.J.-based company added.

DTEN D7X, Vue Camera Devices

DTEN, which specializes in touch-enabled conferencing products, came to Enterprise Connect to show off its brand-new line of D7X Series video devices and DTEN Vue Camera System, which the company said was designed to enhance meeting equity. The D7X Series allows for “inclusive and productive” collaborations due to AI-powered video, sound, and whiteboarding. The device requires a single USB-C charging cable to connect and includes additional HDMI and USB-C ports to add a dual screen or additional devices. The devices include a 4K wide-angle camera, along with an extra-wide 129-degree FOV for a panoramic room view. The 15-microphone array offers enhanced speaker clarity and volume four times more powerful than DTEN’s previous generation. The series is also infused with AI for noise reduction and echo cancellation, according to DTEN.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company in January rolled out its DTEN Thrive Partner Program, targeting resellers and integrators.

Poly Updates Video Bar Series, Teams With Wireless Charging Specialist

Poly, now part of HP Inc., issued a series of updates aimed at improving the hybrid collaboration experience for end users.

Poly’s Android-based Studio X suite of video bars are now certified for Google Meet. The Poly Studio X70 video bar for large conference spaces and boardrooms now certified for Microsoft Teams. The company’s latest version of its operating system, Poly Video OS 4.0, is now available on the Studio X series and G7500 video conferencing kits for medium-sized spaces to give users higher quality software and video experiences, according to the company.

The company also took to Enterprise Connect to reveal that it has teamed up with wireless charging technology maker NuCurrent to provide future-ready tools designed for hybrid work with enhanced Qi charging capabilities, Poly said.

RingCentral Rips Sheet Off RingSense

UCaaS specialist RingCentral at Enterprise Connect debuted RingSense, an AI platform which the company said brings conversation intelligence to business communications and collaboration.

RingSense uses generative AI to let businesses turn their conversation data into insights, boosting productivity and business outcomes, according to the Belmont, Calif.-based company. The first offering in the RingSense portfolio is RingSense for Sales, which analyzes interactions among salespeople and their prospects to surface key insights and performance measures. The offering arms sales leaders with insights to help them better train and mentor their teams.

RingSense for Sales’ features include automated follow-ups using AI-driven interaction summaries and notes that are automatically loaded into a CRM or productivity suite; AI-generated summary scoring of interactions and reporting helps managers prioritize conversations that need the most attention; Integration with third-party applications, such as Salesforce, Hubspot, and Zoho and calendar applications, like Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook, as well as with call and video meeting providers. The offering can also track keywords and phrases, such as competitor names or product features that may be relevant to the organization, according to RingCentral.