If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of adaptability.
This couldn’t be truer than it is in the world of IT.
At The KR Group, we’ve seen many of our customers adapt to a remote workforce or hybrid workforce, even if they previously had all their employees on-site.
When it comes to collaboration, this means extending your business voice and video functions to those employees who are working from home.
There are a couple of paths you can take to accomplish this, such as implementing softphones or migrating to a cloud-hosted calling platform.
Cisco Webex recognized the need to provide collaboration solutions that offer continuity even when many factors are uncertain, so they created Webex Work Bundle.
What Is Webex Work Bundle?
Webex Work Bundle is a new way for Cisco partners to offer Webex services to small- and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 1,000 users.
This includes:
- Webex Calling, which is a cloud-hosted phone system with the most important telephony features.
- Webex Teams, which allows your users to send chats to individuals, teams, and other businesses.
- Webex Meetings, which allows users to connect with audio and video in a secure meeting space.
Before, Cisco partners could offer Webex Calling with access to the Webex Teams app, but it didn’t incorporate the Meetings app unless you paid an additional subscription fee for each user.
With Webex Work Bundle, the monthly cost encompasses all of these features at a lower price point than the two separate subscriptions.
Since even businesses that never used virtual meetings have had to embrace the technology, Webex Work Bundle provides a way for small and medium businesses to enjoy all of Webex’s features in a single package.
What Are the Benefits of Webex Work Bundle?
The set-up of Webex Work Bundle means more businesses have access to the solutions that empower remote working.
In particular, the four primary benefits of enrolling in Webex Work Bundle are:
- Affordability
- Accessibility
- Flexibility
- Security
Combined, these features make Webex Work Bundle an option that can work for a variety of businesses.
Webex Work Bundle Affordability
Before Cisco introduced Webex Work Bundle, businesses had to pay for two subscriptions to have all the features included with Work Bundle.
Webex Calling on its own costs around $15 to $25 per user, depending on your agreement. Webex Teams costs another $20 to $25 per user.
But as more businesses shifted to having a remote workforce while simultaneously becoming more budget-conscious, Webex introduced Work Bundle as a way to allow customers to have access to all of Webex’s features. And its price point ($20 to $25 per user) is more affordable.
Additionally, Webex is hosted in the cloud, which means you don’t need to add infrastructure to your IT stack. So, unless you want to purchase optional video devices, there is no additional charge for hardware.
Webex Work Bundle Accessibility
Cloud-hosting is the biggest accessibility benefit of Webex Work Bundle. It gives your users access to the solutions from anywhere with a stable internet connection.
Right now, that means your users are safe to work from home and, eventually, can work from other remote locations.
Webex Work Bundle is also accessible when it comes to how existing customers can transfer to this package.
If you are already using some of Webex’s services, such as only Webex Teams or only Webex Calling, the remaining services will be added to your contract for the price of Webex Work Bundle.
For existing Cisco on-premises call customers, you can move to the cloud and start taking advantage of the features of Webex apps.
Of course, you can also choose to switch to Webex Work Bundle from another provider’s call system.
Webex Work Bundle Flexibility
Along with flexibility when it comes to access, Webex Work Bundle also offers flexibility with subscriptions.
You can set up this solution to have utility billing, which allows you to flex your monthly subscription up and down if you add or subtract licenses.
You also have the option to add uncommitted users and have them billed monthly in arrears. This might benefit your business if you have a group of employees who are furloughed but you plan on bringing back or you hire seasonal employees.
By having these users billed in arrears, you won’t have to pay for them until you give them access to the bundle.
Webex Work Bundle Security
When virtual meetings became a necessity, not every vendor was prepared for the security implications of the increased demand.
Webex, however, has been offering secure video call services (among its other services) long before the coronavirus pandemic. As more customers started using Webex for remote work purposes, the secure infrastructure was already in place.
This security includes features, such as
- Unlisted meetings
- Password requirements for all meetings, events, and sessions
- Enforced meeting passwords when joining from a phone or video conference
- Required sign-in when joining a meeting, event, or training session
- Inability to join meetings before the host
- Personal room locking after a default time
- Restricted unauthenticated users
- Account management
- End-to-end encryption
Administrators for your Webex system have control over these security policies for hosts and presenters.
Webex Work Bundle and Your Business
Keeping in touch with your customers and colleagues is just as important now as it was before the rise in remote working. However, many businesses have had hurdles thrown in the way.
Webex Work Bundle provides a way for you to stop stressing about how you can make your call system work for your business’s evolving communication needs.Â
By being affordable, you won’t have to worry about stretching your budget too thin for the Webex Work Bundle.
By being accessible, you don’t have to worry about adding additional infrastructure to make Webex Work Bundle available to remote employees.
By being flexible, you can have Webex Work Bundle adjust to changes to your user count.
And by being secure, you can simply use Webex Work Bundle to empower your business without always having vulnerability concerns lurking in the back of your mind.
All in all, with Webex Work Bundle, you can take one thing off of your worry list in a year that’s been filled with challenges. To learn more about how Webex Work Bundle will address your communication needs, check out Cisco’s free datasheet.
