The Powerful Trio: Cisco, Microsoft, and Samsung Elevate Meeting Experiences

Cisco, Microsoft, and Samsung have joined forces to transform hybrid meetings by introducing integrated video collaboration solutions for the Cisco Room Series. With a shared commitment to fostering seamless and inclusive meeting experiences, the collaboration leverages Cisco's RoomOS-powered collaboration appliances, Samsung's Smart Signage displays, and the Front Row layout featured on all Microsoft Teams Rooms certified collaboration devices.

"In today's era of hybrid work, it is essential that workspaces are reimagined to enable great collaboration. This means outfitting conference rooms with intelligent video systems designed to bring immersive collaboration experiences to all participants, regardless of their location. Through our collaboration with these industry leaders, we're delivering something we call Distance Zero, eliminating second-class experiences no matter where you are working," said Jeetu Patel, EVP and General Manager, Security & Collaboration, Cisco.

In January last year, Cisco collaborated with Microsoft Teams to enhance hybrid experiences.  

In a landscape where 98% of meetings include remote participants, and only 15% of meeting spaces are equipped with video conferencing technology, the trio aims to enhance meeting experiences as companies strive to entice employees back to physical offices. Workers now expect technology that surpasses the ease and quality of home setups.

"Our vision is to deliver enhanced collaboration experiences that meet the needs of today's hybrid workforce for all organizations and workspaces. We are pleased that the collaboration between Cisco and Samsung supports this vision, with integrated solutions supporting equitable meeting experiences that organizations can deploy and manage at scale," said Ilya Bukshteyn, VP, Microsoft Teams Calling and Devices, Microsoft.

This partnership offers a new benchmark for fully scalable, manageable, and secure solutions for flagship meeting spaces. Key benefits include immersive views provided by Samsung's 5K and 4K UHD displays, advanced AI-powered collaboration through Cisco's device capabilities and Microsoft Teams Rooms, simplified management and deployment via the Microsoft Teams Admin Center and Cisco Control Hub, increased scalability, and seamless interoperability that allows users to join Microsoft Teams or Webex meetings on the same device without reconfiguring the system.

"Our partnership with Cisco provides users with an accessible work environment, and at the center of that is our 105-inch QPD-5K display that gives users the feeling they are sitting in the same room as their colleagues," said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics

These solutions are now generally available, and Cisco's support for 21:9 displays is set to roll out in March 2024.