posted by: Mark Cortner
Earlier this week, Cisco unveiled a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture and related enhancements to its cloud-based WebEx Connect collaboration platform. The announcement emphasizes Cisco’s vision of “everything as a service”, providing customers the ability to extend on-demand services into the on-premises network. Cisco’s vision, not surprisingly, is network-centric … where “the network is the platform.”
I have made several posts related to progress of SaaS-based UC services over the last few months. Last year, when Cisco announced the evolution of the WebEx application to a broader SaaS-based collaboration platform, they prefaced announcements from other key UC vendors including IBM and Microsoft. The Cisco WebEx Collaboration Cloud is a purpose-built network designed to deliver high-quality, highly-secure, and reliable collaboration experiences within and between companies—extending the collaborative experience beyond the enterprise to connect with business partners and customers.
Cisco announced that it is currently delivering on-demand services via the WebEx Collaboration Cloud with service levels of 99.99% availability. The underlying “cloud” consists of a purpose-built network (i.e., the MediaTone content delivery network asset acquired as part of Cisco’s acquisition of WebEx) that utilizes intelligent routing and load balancing across eight global datacenters. Last year, our research predicted that Cisco would leverage this asset to drive new UC service delivery options to augment or substitute for on-premises platforms—and Cisco has done just that and more within the context of its broader cloud-based strategy.
In the last year, Cisco has advanced the integration between the WebEx application and its other on-premises products including Unified Communication Manager, Unified MeetingPlace, and its expanding product line of video offerings, aka TelePresence. The WebEx application has simply become one application within a broader SaaS-based collaboration platform (WebEx Connect) that supports conferencing, instant messaging, and team spaces but ultimately will also deliver other core UC services including SaaS-based e-mail and presence services … how far behind is hosted, SIP-based telephony services?
Comments