Cisco Goes All Web 2.0 on UC and VzB Signs On

Wikis! Blogs! Facebook! Microblogs! Mashups! WebEx! Wait, what was that last bit?

WebEx, heretofore known as being a business-class Web conferencing service, is a linchpin in Cisco Systems Inc.’s release 7.0 of its unified communications system. The vendor aims to take the best principles of social networking and Web 2.0, and using WebEx as a sort of mash-up platform, transform the UC-for-business landscape into something more collaborative than previously seen.

The new WebEx Connect is essentially an open development platform that programmers can use to create customized, hosted collaboration clients filled with standard UC applications like click-to-x, instant messaging, team spaces, document management, calendaring and Wikis, but which also can be customized with third-party widgets for things like visual voice mail, say (free or charged for by developers), built using Cisco’s new open Web services-based APIs. It’s Web 2.0 SaaS.

The result? Well, say you’re a local television station. Let’s say traffic monitoring, weather updates and breaking headlines are critical to the delivery of a decent news broadcast. Your WebEx collaboration client might want to include a widget that feeds you information from the National Weather Service, or competitive news bulletins from the cross-town rival, or information from video surveillance cameras mounted on the roof of the building. Then, using the click-to-video functionality or new embedded IM (courtesy of the recent Jabber buy), reporters and weathermen/women alike can discuss, screen-popping the information to each other.

That’s pretty slick. So maybe it’s no wonder that in conjunction with the launch on Wednesday, it was revealed that Verizon Business has already sent Cisco a friend request.

Specifically, Verizon plans to tap SMBs with hosted applications written to Cisco WebEx Connect. It also said that it’s adding managed services support for Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unified Contact Center for large-business and government customers.

Cisco also has added deeper integration with IBM and Microsoft, and better support for mobility with Cisco's Unified Mobile Communicator now supporting Windows Mobile, Symbian and BlackBerry devices. A new TelePresence Expert on Demand system was announced, too, for companies like retail storesb— customers can go to a telepresence endpoint in the store and receive “in-person” tech support or product information.

“This is a major launch of our collaboration portfolio,” explained Rick McConnell, Cisco’s vice president and general manager of the UC business unit. “This is the evolution of technology, which will continue to improve collaboration for organizations. And rather than just be a cost-savings event we’re moving to real business transformation. This is going to do a heck of a lot more than just save people money.”

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