Cisco expands its cloud calling portfolio
Cisco on Tuesday announced enhancements to Webex Calling, the cloud calling service that's part of the Webex Suite of collaboration tools. The new capabilities and expanded global footprint should better serve organizations that are trying to offer unified communications tools for hybrid workforces.
Cisco initially rolled out Webex Calling in the US and Canada in December 2020. It's now extending domestic calling coverage to the UK, bringing Cisco Calling Plans and Cloud Connected PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) to more than 65 countries.
The PSTN -- the worldwide circuit-switched telephone network -- is an old but critical piece of any telephony and communications service. Cisco's Cloud Connected PSTN is now directly integrated into its Control Hub, allowing customers to provision new numbers quickly and easily from IntelePeer. They can customize their PSTN options based on their location and operational needs.
While a number of vendors offer competing cloud calling services -- Zoom, for instance, is looking to Zoom Phone to keep its business steady as its pace of growth normalizes -- Cisco on Tuesday touted its wide reach. Cisco is now hosting a record 8 billion calls monthly across its cloud calling platforms, and Cisco Webex supports more than 39 million cloud calling users worldwide.