Redefining Workplaces: Intelligent, More Sustainable, and Future-Proofed

AI is Transforming Employee Experience—And We are Just Getting Started

The workplace is undergoing a significant transformation unlike anything we have seen before. AI is ushering in a new era of productivity, where technology does not just support work—it actively enhances it. From intelligent automation to AI-driven insights, businesses are experiencing new levels of efficiency, collaboration, and decision-making power. But with these advancements come new challenges: managing fragmented systems, ensuring seamless user experiences, and keeping IT in control of an increasingly complex ecosystem.

At Cisco, we know that successful hybrid work is not just about better technology—it is about creating an AI-powered experience that seamlessly brings software and hardware together to unlock new possibilities. When these elements work in harmony, we can elevate collaboration, making it more intelligent, more intuitive, and more human.

Our focus has always been on exemplifying the employee experience, ensuring that every innovation we bring to market empowers individuals to do their best work—wherever they are. That means delivering seamless, intelligent collaboration tools that not only simplify workflows but also provide IT with a centralized view of the entire workplace—users, devices, networks, software, and third-party integrations—all while maintaining enterprise-grade security and manageability.

And because sustainability is an important part of our strategy, we are designing solutions that drive efficiency, reduce waste, and support long-term environmental goals. Today, we are introducing new innovations that take this strategy even further—helping businesses stay ahead in an evolving digital landscape while fostering a more connected, more sustainable, and inclusive future.

What’s New for Workplaces?

We are rolling out five major innovations that push the boundaries of flexibility, intelligence, and sustainability:

1. Webex Suite: The key to a new era in collaboration
2. Expanded Webex innovations for EMEA—bringing AI, security, and calling enhancements to more businesses worldwide.
3. Sustainability-driven enhancements—including updates to our 9800 Series Phones.
4. Simplify complex configurations with Workspace Designer
5. The new Cisco Room Bar BYOD—offering next-level meeting flexibility.

Here is how these advancements are elevating collaboration and future-proofing workplaces.

Webex Suite: The key to a new era in collaboration

In today’s fast-paced world, collaboration is no longer just about getting people together in a room—it’s about creating connections that drive innovation and productivity. As we move into a world where hybrid and remote work are becoming the norm, seamless, intelligent collaboration tools are no longer optional—they’re essential. That’s where the Webex Suite comes in. It’s a powerful set of software collaboration ecosystem designed to help teams work more efficiently, stay engaged, and create real impact, all while leveraging the power of AI and cutting-edge technology. The Suite supports every type of interaction, like messaging and whiteboarding to collaborate and ideate.

At the heart of the Webex Suite is the AI Assistant, a tool that feels less like software and more like your own personal meeting partner. Think about it: how many times have you left a meeting and struggled to remember the key action items? Or worse, forgotten to follow up on something important? That’s where the AI Assistant comes in. It listens and organizes everything for you, automatically summarizing key points, decisions, and follow-ups in real-time. It’s like having a meeting assistant who never forgets the details, allowing you to focus on the big picture—whether that’s brainstorming new ideas or making important decisions. With the AI Assistant in your corner, you can walk into each meeting knowing you’re set up for success, while streamlining management, every time.

Now, let’s talk about Slido—the tool that turns passive meetings into interactive experiences. In the past, meetings could often feel like a one-way street, especially in a hybrid setting. Some voices dominate while others go unheard. With Slido, it’s a game changer. Whether it’s a live Q&A session, a poll to gather opinions, or a quick feedback loop to gauge your team’s thoughts, Slido makes sure that everyone gets a voice. The power of engagement is real, and Slido ensures that no matter where your team is, they can participate actively. This shift from passive to active participation makes collaboration more dynamic, engaging and helps to bring fresh insights to the forefront.

Behind the scenes, Control Hub quietly ensures that everything runs smoothly. It’s like the backstage crew at a concert—ensuring that everything is in place so the show can go on without a hitch. With Control Hub, managing your Webex environment becomes intuitive and seamless. You can easily track usage, adjust settings, and ensure security, all from one place. But what really makes it special is the visibility it provides, giving you the ability to make data-driven decisions that improve your collaboration experience. It’s the kind of tool that takes the stress out of managing complex workflows, letting you focus on your team’s productivity instead of the technicalities.

Then there’s ThousandEyes, which adds an extra layer of confidence when it comes to network performance. Let’s be honest: we’ve all been in that frustrating situation where a video call drops, or the connection lags just when things are getting good. ThousandEyes helps you avoid those painful moments. It continuously monitors and analyzes your network’s performance, giving you deep insights into potential issues before they disrupt your workflow. Whether it’s a slow connection or an unexpected outage, ThousandEyes gives you the visibility to take proactive action, so you can keep the collaboration flowing without interruptions.

Finally, Vidcast makes sharing and consuming video content as easy as hitting ‘play.’ It’s perfect for today’s world, where asynchronous communication has become the norm. Instead of waiting for everyone to be in the same room at the same time, Vidcast lets you record, share, and view video content whenever it’s convenient. Whether it’s a product update, a training session, or an important team briefing, Vidcast ensures your content is easily accessible to everyone who needs it, empowering teams to stay connected and informed, no matter their location or schedule.

The Webex Suite isn’t just about connecting people—it’s about creating a smarter, more immersive experience that adapts to the way you work. With its AI-powered tools, real-time engagement features, and seamless management, it’s the ultimate collaboration solution for today’s dynamic and future-proofed workforce.

Innovation in EMEA: expanding our Webex capabilities within the region

Across Europe, industries are embracing the cloud, eager to tap into its innovative capabilities. But for many sectors—particularly those in public service, healthcare, finance, and other regulated industries—adopting technology is not just about innovation. It is about trust, security, and control. How do you gain the flexibility of the cloud while ensuring data remains protected, compliant, and within regional boundaries?

At Cisco, we understand that one-size-fits-all solutions do not work in today’s complex digital landscape. That is why we are expanding Webex’s capabilities across EMEA, giving customers more choice, control, and compliance-ready solutions tailored to their needs.

Unlike other cloud collaboration providers that push a single cloud model, we know flexibility is key. That is why we are investing in cloud, hybrid, mobile, and on-prem solutions, ensuring that every customer—from multinational corporations to public sector organizations—can collaborate securely and efficiently.

We are expanding our regional cloud infrastructure, with new data centers in the UK (Manchester), Saudi Arabia, UAE, and South Africa, helping businesses meet data residency and sovereignty requirements without compromising on performance. At the same time, we continue to enhance on-premises and air-gapped solutions to support organizations that require full control over their data and operations.

Collaboration today is global, and language should never be a barrier. That is why Webex now supports real-time translations in over 120 languages, ensuring that teams across different regions can communicate effortlessly. And with the expansion of our AI Assistant, users can leverage intelligent summaries, transcription, and voice commands in more languages than ever before.

In today’s mobile-first world, professionals need seamless, enterprise-grade communication on the go. Webex Go, our secure and compliant mobile collaboration solution, is now expanding into 10 new countries across Europe, adding to our existing coverage in the UK and France. This expansion ensures that employees can make business calls with the same security and compliance standards they expect from Webex—directly from their mobile devices.

Our approach is simple: innovation should never come at the cost of security, compliance, or choice. While others offer limited alternatives to the public cloud, we continue to invest in hybrid and on-prem solutions, giving our customers the ability to choose what works best for them.

With expanded cloud infrastructure, AI-powered capabilities, and secure mobile solutions, Webex is leading the way in flexible, secure, and intelligent collaboration across Europe and beyond.

Sustainability at Cisco: Driving Impact with Smarter Devices

Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have—it is a strategic priority. Companies worldwide are setting ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, but achieving them requires smarter workplace technology that actively reduces energy consumption, extends device longevity, and minimizes waste.

At Cisco, sustainability is not just a feature—it is woven into our product design process. The Cisco Desk Phone 9800 Series is a perfect example. The 9800 Series was designed with circularity in mind. 93% of the product’s major components can be disassembled using common tools, which can improve the repair and recycling processes while extending material life cycles. It uses at least 74% post-consumer recycled plastic resin, reducing virgin material use. Furthermore, the phone’s packaging uses 100% recycled plastic bags or fiber-based alternatives. But sustainability is not only about materials—it is about intelligent energy management. Several devices in the 9800 Series are ENERGY STAR® certified, and now all 9800s can offer even more energy savings with deep sleep mode. This mode allows businesses to automate power-down periods during non-office hours. The result? Helping to lower energy consumption, reduce costs, and lengthen the device lifespan.

For IT leaders, the ability to track, analyze, and optimize energy use is critical—which is why we have integrated Sustainability Insights into Control Hub. Organizations can monitor real-time greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy usage, making data-driven decisions to help reduce their environmental footprint.

The impact goes beyond individual devices. Smart energy management across the workplace—from IP phones to collaboration endpoints—helps reduce heat output, lowering cooling demands and amplifying energy savings across entire office spaces.

Sustainability is not just about using less—it is about using technology smarter.

Simplify Complex Configurations with Workspace Designer

Walk into a training room, an auditorium, or a large classroom, and you will immediately see the challenge: how do you create an experience that works just as well for remote participants as it does for those in the room? In the age of hybrid work and learning, spaces like these are more critical than ever. They host seminars, corporate training, and community events, yet too often, poor audio, awkward camera angles, and ineffective screen placement make it difficult for remote participants to truly engage.

Here at Cisco, we have spoken with countless customers about these challenges. The common thread? Traditional AV setups simply were not designed for hybrid collaboration. That is why we are excited to share the availability of training room and auditorium scenarios and important new features in our 3D space configurator experience.

With Cisco Workspace Designer, IT teams, facilities managers, real estate planners, and architects can now visualize and optimize these spaces in 3D while leveraging guided tips and recommendations around how to enable the best experience in their own rooms before. Users can define room dimensions, select seating layouts, and choose AV components, while camera, microphone, and speaker coverage visualizations help fine-tune placement. Intelligent design recommendations guide decision-making to create and align on room designs that support meeting equity for every attendee-both in the room and remote.

This is not just about designing a room—it is about eliminating the guesswork from AV deployments. By addressing challenges before implementation, organizations can avoid costly mistakes and speed up decision-making. Whether planning a technology refresh or designing a brand-new facility, Cisco Workspace Designer makes it easier than ever to create seamless, high-impact hybrid environments.

The days of rigid AV setups are over—today’s hybrid learning spaces must adapt in real time. With Workspace Designer, organizations can create smarter, more immersive training rooms where presenters are always in frame with presenter tracking, adjust seating arrangements for optimal engagement, add multiple screen layouts to enhance visibility or add a stage to your setup. Learn how lecturers and training facilitators get a front-facing view of their remote audience, and what the experience will look like for remote attendees during a Q&A session. By bringing AI-powered software and hardware together, Cisco is transforming hybrid learning into an inclusive, effortless experience where everyone—onsite or remote—can see, hear, and contribute equally.

Introducing the new Cisco Room Bar BYOD: Ultimate Flexibility for Any Meeting Room

Picture this: You walk into a meeting room, laptop in hand, ready to start a call. You search for the right cable, fumble through adapters, and spend the first five minutes troubleshooting the setup. Meanwhile, your remote colleagues wait in a lobby as you struggle through starting the meeting. 

It is a frustratingly common scenario. And one we are solving with Cisco Room Bar BYOD.

With a single USB-C connection, employees can instantly access high-quality video, spatial sound, and AI-powered noise removal, transforming any room into a professional collaboration space. Whether using Webex, Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, meetings start instantly—without the usual tech struggles or compatibility concerns. And with 4K content sharing, presentations are sharper and more engaging than ever.

But Room Bar BYOD is more than just an effortless way to connect—it is built with IT in mind. Unlike other BYOD solutions that lack enterprise management tools, Room Bar BYOD integrates with Control Hub, providing IT teams with real-time analytics on room utilization, remote management, and troubleshooting capabilities. This means businesses can optimize meeting spaces while ensuring a seamless experience for employees.

What makes Room Bar BYOD utterly unique is its upgradability. By simply connecting a Cisco Room Navigator, it transforms into a fully managed room system—no need for a costly overhaul. Whether an organization needs a quick plug-and-play solution or a future-proofed collaboration investment, Room Bar BYOD delivers the best of both worlds: ultimate flexibility for employees and enterprise-grade intelligence for IT. And all our devices are built with AI, interoperability, sustainability, and of course manageability in mind.

Future-Proof Your Workplace

Here at Cisco, we do not just create technology—we create experiences. Our goal is to make collaboration effortless, intuitive, inclusive for every employee while giving IT teams the visibility and control they need to keep everything running smoothly.

With these latest innovations, we are empowering businesses to work smarter, faster, and with greater agility—ensuring that every workspace, every device, and every interaction is optimized for success and future-proofed. Because great collaboration is not about the technology in the room—it is about designing spaces that bring people together, no matter where they are.

This is the future of work. And we are building it together.

Learn More:

• Future Proofing the Workplace in the Age of AI
• Delivering exceptional customer experiences with new AI-powered Webex innovations
• Join My Team for a Live Demonstration