How Webex Calling Enhances Business Communication

Calling features are now part of Webex’s suite of applications designed to facilitate communication and collaboration in the workplace. The applications support a hybrid work environment through cloud-based calling, messaging, meetings, and webinars. Webex Calling offers IP connectivity and is often bundled with the collaboration platform and meetings.

As a cloud-based calling application, Webex requires a compatible communications infrastructure. Combining the application with a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution maximizes cloud-native capabilities, such as scalability and global access. It can also enhance Webex Calling functionality. When partnering with a managed service provider (MSP), your organization can benefit from seamless integration, 24/7 support, multi-vendor expertise, and more, ultimately contributing to a robust unified communications strategy.

BCM One, as a Certified Calling Provider on Webex Calling’s Cloud Connect program, offers expertise in implementing and managing Webex Calling solutions, ensuring businesses can fully leverage this powerful communication tool.

Why Consider Webex Calling?

The cloud telephony market grew from $27.20 billion in 2023 to an expected $31.88 billion in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2%. Much of the growth rests on the rising demand for flexible communication solutions, real-time analytics, and a mobile workforce.

Organizations are moving to cloud-based solutions to support a hybrid workforce, requiring tools that enhance communication and encourage collaboration. The growing interest in VoIP technology and virtual phone numbers has moved the market towards various cloud-based solutions like Webex Calling.

The market is expected to grow through 2028, reaching $60.77 billion. Experts predict major trends to fuel the ongoing growth:

• Voice Recognition. Improvements in voice recognition and natural language processing will make auto-attendant functionality more reliable.
• E-commerce Businesses. Online retailers will need cost-effective solutions to address global communication needs.
• Collaboration Tools. Integrating voice and call recording with collaboration tools will improve productivity, reducing employee documentation tasks.
• Subscription Models. Removing the upfront costs for hardware and software makes cloud calling more attractive. Shifting ongoing support and maintenance reduces the long-term costs of an in-house solution.

Organizations should consider solutions like Webex for business communications to remain competitive and accommodate employees’ desired flexibility.

What Are Cisco’s Calling Features?

The popular platform has an extensive list of features designed to enhance business communications.

• Public switched telephone network (PSTN) connectivity
• Unlimited extensions
• Call waiting, forwarding, and transferring
• Phone Menu (Auto Attendant)
• Conference calls (6-way calling)
• Visual voicemail
• Contact list
• Call barging, queueing, and recording
• Group paging
• Voicemail-to-email    
• Webex Go Mobile App 
• Push-to-Talk for walkie/talkie and workspace setup

With voice over IP (VoIP) phones and cloud calling, organizations can deploy a cost-effective solution to support a hybrid workforce worldwide. With Webex Calling services, they can enhance their business communications to keep their employees connected and collaborating efficiently. 

How Webex With Calling Features Enhances Business Communication

Today’s workforce is mobile and demands flexibility. Employees work at home and in the office. They connect with customers while waiting in airports or attending conferences. Connecting with customers requires not only 24/7/365 availability but also shared workspaces for collaboration and on-the-fly conferencing. Organizations of all industries gain the following benefits from adopting cloud-based calling.

Scalability

Cisco calling solutions allow organizations to add or change employee numbers without installing additional hardware or infrastructure. The application can grow seamlessly when Webex UCaaS integration is in place, making it easy for businesses to meet changing needs quickly.

Flexibility

Cloud-based calling goes beyond changing the number of end users. With a virtual infrastructure, companies can manage traffic to support multiple connections, including softphones, for enhanced mobility. Webex calling offers Webex Go for mobile phones or tablets. The calling solution can also connect to PSTN for external calls.

Productivity

Employees are productive when they have tools that integrate into their workflow. Simple phone calls that turn into brainstorming sessions with three or four people can be quickly accommodated. When employees can stay within a single platform, they benefit from optimized workflows that encourage innovative thoughts and creative processes. 

Resiliency

Webex Calling runs on Cisco’s collaboration platform, which uses automatic replication among its ten data centers on three continents. This configuration ensures maximum uptime even during natural disasters or other emergencies.

Security

Webex solutions encrypt data while in transit and at rest. The application maintains strict access controls, such as least privilege access, user passwords, and user identification standards. Security updates are applied automatically. Organizations can gain added security by partnering with a UCaaS provider.

Efficiency

Features such as call recording, voicemail to email, and call barging make communication more efficient. If a voicemail is recorded and transcribed, employees don’t have to listen to it multiple times to understand the message. Turning a message into an email allows team members to share information without hours of rewriting. Call barging can make call center training more efficient, as supervisors can respond in real time to agent interactions.

Cloud calling not only enhances business communications but also makes them cost-effective. The cost of setting up and maintaining an in-house communications network is no longer required. Monthly subscriptions make budgeting easier because contingencies for unplanned equipment replacements aren’t necessary. Bottom lines become more robust as productivity increases. However, realizing the financial benefits of Webex Calling means following the best practices for cloud-based voice services.

Best Practices for Cloud-Based Calling

The Webex application requires a supporting infrastructure. Organizations looking to migrate connectivity require an implementation plan to minimize disruptions while gaining faster access to cloud capabilities. International enterprises may focus on implementing collaboration features for improved workflows, while individual locations may prioritize advanced calling features.

When considering adopting Webex Calling, businesses should consider the following best practices.

Use Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN)

SD-WAN is infrastructure agnostic, allowing organizations to control network traffic regardless of provider or environment. Unlike multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), which is hardware-based, SD-WAN operates as a virtual overlay to the physical network, forming a unified WAN that automates real-time traffic management. 

Moving to Webex Calling often increases network traffic. When a circuit becomes overloaded, performance degrades. In traditional networks, redirecting traffic is a manual process, limited by the physical links for data and voice. SD-WAN technology evaluates network performance in real time and adjusts traffic to minimize roadblocks, ensuring call quality and reducing latency.

Consider Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking

SIP technology enables voice and multimedia communications over an IP network. It operates at the application layer to manage connections between endpoints. SIP trunks enable VoIP connectivity between a PSTN and an on-premise phone system. Organizations don’t have to give up existing telephone numbers with SIP trunking.

Business telephone numbers are used in marketing materials, websites, and social media. Changing the numbers to implement Webex Calling means updating all marketing channels with a new number. With SIP trunking, companies can retain their existing numbers at local offices or branches without losing the VoIP that Cisco’s calling solution provides.

Develop Proactive Security Policies

Webex Calling offers end-to-end security at the application level. Communication providers are responsible for link-level security. If businesses manage their connections in-house, they are responsible for securing the network through audits, testing, patching, and firewalls. When choosing MSPs, companies should ensure their providers have a proactive security strategy.

Proactive strategies establish deterrents before a cyber attack is initiated. This includes monitoring, threat hunting, and security assessments. In-house security personnel are responsible for configuring firewalls, deploying antivirus software, and endpoint security. Whether managed or unmanaged, cybersecurity at the link level should be in place before Webex Calling goes live. 

Consider Managed Services

Moving to Webex doesn’t eliminate an organization’s network management responsibilities. Companies need end-to-end visibility to understand usage and call volume. They can use network management tools to collect data and provide insight into operations. Alternatively, businesses can look to managed network service providers to deliver the oversight functionality. UCaaS providers have portals that users can access to gain insights into their communication networks.

Working with an MSP that supports Webex Calling, SD-WAN networking, and SIP trunking can reduce the strain on existing IT resources without compromising quality. Implementing Webex Calling with a reliable MSP ensures a feature-rich cloud-calling solution operating on a reliable communications network.

Implementing Best Practices to Enhance Business Communications

Best practices for cloud-calling solutions focus on the communication infrastructure and its management. Because Webex is an application, its security stops before the link level begins, leaving organizations open to attack. The Webex user is responsible for security beyond the application. Securing the infrastructure is a crucial best practice.

Organizations should prioritize finding a communications provider that supports SD-WAN and SIP trunking. Current SIP users can lose their existing telephone numbers if the infrastructure doesn’t support the technology. Only with SD-WAN can organizations realize the full benefits of a cloud-based calling solution. The best practice is to find a communications provider that integrates seamlessly with Webex Calling.

BCM One is a leader in communication network infrastructures and managed services. As a Certified Calling Provider on Webex Calling’s Cloud Connect program, BCM One specializes in implementing and managing Webex Calling solutions. From SD-WANs to SIP trunking, we support NextGen Communication technology to ensure clients are well-positioned for the future. 

With over 50 technology partners, BCM One offers integrated solutions with a single point of contact. Our solutions provide visibility on network performance, while our platform helps manage technology spend. Contact us today to find your trusted partner in implementing and managing Webex Calling solutions.