Cisco teams up with Samsung and Microsoft to boosts video calling tools — but will it be enough to topple Zoom and Google Meet?

Cisco, Microsoft, and Samsung have teamed up to offer new meeting room solutions that they hope will attract even more businesses.

The announcement, which is geared toward supporting and improving hybrid collaboration experiences, consists of new integrated video conferencing solutions for Cisco Room Series.

The trio say that the joint effort comes as a response to the fact that an overwhelming majority (98%) of meetings now involve remote participants, a trend that has seen significant growth since the pandemic.

Cisco teams up with Microsoft and Samsung

The new collaboration combines Cisco’s RoomOS-powered appliances, Samsung’s Smart Signage displays, and Front Row, a feature that’s supported by Microsoft Teams Rooms certified devices. Together, the companies reckon that the deep integration of software and hardware will “[eliminate] distance between meeting participants.”

Cisco EVP and General Manager for Security & Collaboration, Jeetu Patel, added: “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.”

Hardware that works with the new solutions is already available, and the full functionalities are expected to be available in the coming months.

Devices include Samsung’s 5K and 4K UDH displays and the new 105-inch Samsung Smart Signage. Cisco devices and those using Microsoft Teams Rooms will also benefit from camera, audio, and speech-boosting artificial intelligence.

The partnership promises scalable, manageable, and secure solutions for meeting rooms, as well as interoperability between Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams.

However, Cisco isn’t the only company working with others to provide greater interoperability. More than a year ago, but in the wake of the pandemic, Google Meet and Zoom revealed that customers would be able to join calls on the opposing platform from their chosen tool.

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