Webex Connect

Many users are not as tech-savvy as system programmers or system administrators. Being able to then share and take command of the client's desktop to investigate, review, troubleshoot, and make changes via Webex is extremely handy, timesaving, as well as cost-effective, since without it would require an on-site visit to be able to do the same thing one can do remotely with Webex. With AI integration, it can also help the user troubleshoot not only their own connectivity, but also that of other collaborators by suggesting clarity in texting, suggesting setting changes, etc. I can't count how many times in online meetings, AI was able to pinpoint to a user a setting or even something as simple as the user's microphone being muted to help expedite the online meeting past all of the initial nuances of communication interfaces. Also, nothing beats the fact that you can see the other person's reaction to ideas, presentations, resolutions, as well as being able to see the user's satisfaction upon resolving their key issues.

Once configured, the platform is very stable and supports multiple communication channels as well, which is very convenient. The documentation has also become a lot better with time APIs are very flexible.

The reliability and consistency of its performance, especially during the larger calls or webinars made me so impressed. The audio and video quality is usually really solid and I don't have to worry about connection interruption or lags nearly as much as with some other applications. Screen sharing, recording and breakout rooms are all easy to use and even work well when there are a lot of participants. I also appreciate the security features that WebEx bakes in, there's a clear sense of enterprise grade protection. Overall, it's a dependable, professional platform that handles our collaboration needs well.

That being said, in a perfect world, one would think that Webex would make itself more available to its customer base. Many companies are frightened or turned off by the high cost of using Webex, especially in economic uncertainty, and turn to lesser costing alternatives that provide some, but not all of the key features Webex has. Also, performance issues will arise exponentially with the number of users that are collaborating on the same online call. Stuttering on video calls can occur, especially if they are connecting from regions where technology might not be as readily available. Finally, although Webex is versatile, it also comes with a learning curve that someone who is less technically inclined may not have time to learn when introduced to the product.

UX and configuration workflows are a bit unintuitive at times, especially for the first-time users. Also, debugging failed messages for automation flows is a pretty complex task.

One thing I hate is that the software update decides to run right when I launch it to join a meeting, usually when I'm running late or it's an urgent call. It doesn't happen every single time, but it's just often enough to be annoying, and it sometimes makes me miss the start of important meetings. It would be a lot better if the updates happened in the background or gave more control over when they install, instead of kicking in at the worst possible moments.