Cisco may be an old fox in IT and automation, but the company is betting heavily on new tech like agentic AI for its collaboration platform Webex. With the latest tools, Cisco promises to make work easier for customer service agents and meeting enthusiasts.
Both additions to the product offering were presented at the Webex One event, taking place this week in the U.S. state of Florida. The Webex AI Agent handles slightly more complex customer queries, from rebooking flights to replacing lost bank cards.
Unless really odd things happen (and when is that, really?) no human needs to get involved. Cisco promises its latest tool will increase efficiency and customer satisfaction. The service boasts a customer satisfaction rate going up by 39 percent with early users.
Building an army of AI agents
For Webex users who want more control over their AI agents, Cisco is also releasing the AI Agent Studio. This is part of the overall Webex AI Agent functionality. It allows companies to build and train their own custom AI bots in addition to Cisco’s standard agent. By training them for specific use cases and feeding them proprietary data, Cisco customers can build an army of AI agents—one for every situation, if need be.
Then there’s the AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center, which is now generally available. This addition helps human customer service agents by summarizing interactions with customers and suggesting answers. Employees don’t have to keep looking back through documentation or notes and can focus entirely on the more difficult customer issues.
Wellness programs
Fortunately for those same customer service representatives, Cisco is thinking of them, too. Even when assisted by an army of AI Agents, human employees can still hit their limits. For this reason, Webex is being equipped with new wellness features such as automated break schedules, designed to combat burnout.
In videoconferencing, Cisco has a few new tricks up its sleeve. The Spatial Meetings feature transforms simple virtual meetings into more immersive experiences, complete with spatial audio. Of course, you need the right hardware, such as Cisco’s new ceiling microphone that tracks voices in space, eliminating the need for separate microphones.
Also read: Cisco reorgs its upper management: platform vision extends further