Cisco Webex vs Slack

Comparing Cisco Webex vs Slack is still a massively hot topic.

In fact, it's been a hot topic since Cisco announced Spark was becoming Webex. This seemed the perfect option for Spark users requiring Slack-like functionality.

However, comparing the two doesn’t really solve the problem most of us face today. 

It's one thing moving from Spark to Webex but what about those that already use Slack?

What does picking apart these apps really achieve and what is the alternative?

Webex vs Slack

At Mio, we always have an eye out for content in the Unified Comms and collaboration realm.

Since Cisco announced its decision to turn Spark into Cisco Webex, there has been seemingly an unlimited amount of content produced comparing Cisco Webex and Slack. 

Naturally, businesses will want to learn what they can get with each product - and what comes within each tier of each product. For example, Slack Enterprise Grid comes packed with features that you don't see in basic Slack. 

As businesses become more curious as to how the two products differ, there will be more and more of these comparison articles.

Slack has also added a new drop-in audio feature, Slack Huddles.

Key factors when comparing Webex vs Slack

Meetings

Meeting solutions scream Cisco Webex.

But...

The requirement to minimize meetings screams Slack.

Both Slack and Cisco Webex offer incredibly different types of meeting. Some businesses will prefer one over the other. But, most businesses will still require a mix.

Cisco Webex powers 20 million meetings per month. That's before you take into account the UC-One Meet customers Cisco has acquired via their acquisition of BroadSoft last year. As well as all the voice platform seats, no doubt meeting minutes and interoperability were on Cisco's agenda.

Slack doesn’t have a set meeting function but is rather good at getting people together and collaborating.

Sounds like a meeting, right?

Slack promotes what does and doesn’t work when it comes to meetings. Instead of getting people to down tools and login to a meeting space, Slack encourages a 30-minute session to collaborate in a specific channel. Just like in a face to face or Webex meeting, you have a facilitator to run the "meeting." 

If you have both Slack and Cisco Webex in your business, you're going to have some cross over.

What happens when you’re a Slack user and you get a Cisco Webex meeting invite? Do you have a strategy for this? Maybe you just wing it.

You might as well have a Cisco Webex login anyway - but then how would your colleagues know what to message you on? 

Comparing Cisco Webex vs Slack does not solve the problem of meeting collaboration.

Collaboration

Apps like Slack and Cisco Webex should enhance collaboration in business.

However, when both instances occur, we often see the battle to collaborate across departments.

There is no primary runner in collaboration so it's tough for enterprises to dictate which app is best.

Because of this personal preference and functionality battle, we regularly witness both apps having their place.

A rich collaboration stack must be - and is - the core for Slack and Cisco Webex. Without this, it's just another app added to the IT Manager inventory, and productivity dwindles.

With the app inventory growing more and more, research points to enterprises best managing larger amounts of apps.

More Means More
"3+ collaboration apps are used in enterprises. The larger the company, the greater the chance of multiple apps in use." - No Jitter.

Perfect collaboration cannot be achieved using one platform.

In this nirvana where you can buy one platform and please everyone on day one, forcing collaboration almost always drives failure and users will always find a new favorite.

Our own research with the Pro Football Hall of Fame highlighted that the regularity of users introducing their own messaging platforms. Chad Reese, Director of IT said:

"We always refer to this challenge as shadow IT. At one point we didn’t offer a lot phone-wise. People didn’t know you could install Microsoft Teams or Glip on your phone. We saw the younger generation start using WhatsApp groups.”

All in one

Look at other all-in-one solutions when shopping for tech.

The smartphone is a perfect example. Over time, we have combined calling, email, messaging, browsing and a whole host of functionality to arrive at a superphone experience.

Now, ask yourself these questions:

• Does your smartphone work best when left alone in its own silo?
• Is the experience enhanced when you add something to it - maybe an app?
• Would everyone be productive if they all had the same smartphone?

When defining the business tools you need to be productive, it’s simple to choose an all in one solution.

Reality, however, is that you end up with several all-in-one solutions that each does bits of what you were trying to achieve.

An iPhone doesn't work best when restricted to iMessage and FaceTime. In fact, if you couldn't communicate across platform to Android or Windows users, you'd be pretty stuck.

Defining your "all in one" needs to do is a key element when planning your collaboration strategy. Slack could be all in one messaging app but you'll also have Cisco Webex as your primary meeting solution.

The Internet Trends report for 2017 revealed that the average enterprise uses 70 collaboration services. Making the list was both Cisco Webex and Slack. These are both all in one solutions in their own right. But, ask yourself those three questions again.

• Do they work best when they are left alone in their own silos?
• Is the experience enhanced when you add something to them?
• Would everyone be productive if they all had the same smartphone collaboration app?

Comparing Cisco Webex vs Slack does not solve the all in one problem.

Bridges, not islands: Mio features in Cisco Live keynote

Interoperability is a significant concern for all leading brands in the collaboration space. In the age of the diverse and evolving workforce, interoperability is key to harnessing productivity, enhancing security, and eliminating silos.

Cisco's Senior Vice President of Collaboration, Amy Chang said as much in her keynote speech for Cisco Live 2019.

Every year at Cisco Live, Cisco introduces the latest products, trends, and considerations in the Communication space. This year, Amy Chang explained that Cisco is committed to creating bridges between different the various islands in a company's communication stack.

Whether it's being able to join a meeting with one click from an iOS app, or linking Cisco to your Google calendar to track your meetings, everything needs to be seamless.

Mio is playing a crucial part in making this vision a reality.

Amy showcased how Mio enables Slack interoperability within Webex so that you can sync your employees, no matter which tools they're using.

Mio syncs file sharing, private messaging, and group conversations between Cisco Webex, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.

When you're working on the Webex Board, for instance, Mio can grab a static image of your session and share it with your Webex group.

If that channel is synced with Slack through Mio, Slack users will also be able to see the same board image in front of them.

However you prefer to collaborate, wherever your teams might be, Mio keeps people connected.

Enterprise messaging

The most common function of both apps is messaging. Be it direct messages on Cisco Webex or sharing information on a Slack channel, messaging – in one format or the other- is the core.

The good news? No longer do you need to compare these services for messaging.

Mapping the needs of your business takes time. You then need to revisit as a new piece of software comes out. And then, you still haven't pleased everybody as you're taking away the tool they knew and loved.

When developing a messaging strategy, there is a much simpler solution. Just use Mio.

When multiple messaging platforms exist in your organization, Mio provides messaging interoperability by connecting the platforms of your old and new employees across the platforms of their choice. This means you can finally stop comparing Cisco Webex vs Slack.

Stop comparing Webex vs Slack and use Mio

Mio is simple to set up

• Sync all the chat apps your teams use by creating your Mio Hub
• Add all teams, spaces & channels
• Team members in your Mio Hub can immediately chat in DMs or groups with members on other platforms
• File sharing, threaded messages, reactions and the ability to edit and delete messages are all supported
• New channels or spaces are synced in the primary chat platform they prefer to use

If you are interested in exploring these options, we are here to discuss.

Learn more at m.io