Cisco Brings Augmented Reality to Meetings with Webex Hologram
Webex Events, support for third-party apps and enhanced iPad integration are also coming soon.
October 29, 2021
![Webex Hologram Webex Hologram](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt4dbed6d13d957ed0/65243f8554b4aae0aa03c0df/Webex-Hologram-Feature.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Cisco
Webex now supports holding different types of virtual events, building on its acquisitions of Socio Labs and Slido. It supports simple webinars with few attendees to hybrid trade shows. Cisco used the new Webex Events to host his week’s WebexOne.
Embedded third-party apps can now run natively within Webex meetings, eliminating the need for toggling between apps. When a meeting presenter wants to share content, participants can view and interact with it without having to download the app. More than 60 partners are enabling their apps in this manor for Webex. Among those now available are Smartsheet, Hacker Rank, Thrive Reset, Miro and Mural, with others slated to roll out in the coming months.
The new Webex Board Pro is a video conferencing system with whiteboarding that is designed conference rooms. Available next month, the White Board Pro is available with responsive displays in 55-inch and 75-inch models that are priced respectively at $8,995 and $14,995. The units accept inputs from tablets, laptops or touch enabled Webex devices. The White Board Pro includes dual 4K cameras, directional audio and two active styluses.
Adding to its Webex Desk line, is the Desk Mini with a 15.6-inch, 1080p display, which includes a 64-degree HD camera and speaker. It is designed for use in small workspaces at home, perhaps in a kitchen. Cisco also said both the Webex Desk Mini and the standard 24-inch Webex Desk will be available in multiple colors early next year, priced at $995 and $1,249, respectively.
Cisco touted its partnership with Apple at WebexOne, announcing that it will have an improved iPad experience that will add support for native Webex features including Split View and Center Stage. It will also support picture-in-picture and support for the Apple Pencil. It’s set for release next month.
The Webex App has a new room scheduling capability to reserve meeting rooms. The app can display characteristics of different meeting rooms such as capacity, devices and locations.
Webex users will be able to record, view and comment on videos Vidcast, starting next spring. A public beta now available at vidcast.io.
Webex users will be able to record, view and comment on videos Vidcast, starting next spring. A public beta now available at vidcast.io.
Cisco plans to bring 3-D holographic experiences to online meetings, communications and training sessions with its new Webex Hologram.
The augmented reality (AR) capability, previewed at this week’s WebexOne, is available to a limited number of customer pilots. It will appeal to designers, engineers, scientists and medical professionals, and others who could provide simulations using holograms.
Support for holograms is among various updates and features in the pipeline revealed by Cisco during its WebexOne virtual event. Cisco also showcased its new Webex Events option, support for third-party apps, enhanced integration with Apple iPads and the new DeskPro Mini. As reported, Cisco also revealed that it is working to improve interoperability of Webex systems and Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
Cisco’s Jeetu Patel
Among various announcements at WebexOne, Jeetu Patel, EVP and GM of Cisco ’s security and collaboration business units, described Webex Hologram as “one of the most breakthrough events you will see not just at this event but in general,” during a media and analyst briefing.
“This is no longer a research project,” Patel said. “We believe that this will actually make its way into practical use in faster time that you might have thought about.”
Use Cases
Patel said he envisions customers using Webex Hologram in health care for treating patients, manufacturing and training.
Cisco describes Webex Hologram as a real-time meeting offering that adds 3-D holographic images to headsets designed for AR. It will work with different vendors’ AR-capable headsets including Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap.
Webex Hologram will let presenters share physical objects and digitally enhanced images. Webex Hologram will allow presenters to create and share multidimensional images. Cisco claims most offerings only provide single angle views.
The slideshow above provides some of the other capabilities Cisco said are coming to the Webex Suite.
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