Latin America. Cisco unveiled a preview of its next-generation hybrid work collaboration product: Webex Hologram, the industry's only real-time meeting solution that leverages augmented reality glasses to combine the rich functionality of Webex meetings with immersive 3D holograms.
64% of employees agree that the possibility of working remotely directly influences the permanence or abandonment of the job. (source: Cisco Hybrid Work Index). Companies will increasingly offer flexible working arrangements. However, this is a challenge for teams that require practical collaboration, such as designing or training with a physical object. With the holographic capabilities of Webex Hologram, participants can now interact in ways that were previously only possible in person.
The security protocols of the global COVID-19 pandemic have also increased the need for companies to offer immersive virtual meetings. For example, in healthcare, when a new surgical device is introduced, doctors, technicians, and sales and support teams must be trained quickly. With Webex Hologram, this training can be conducted remotely to save time and travel, while offering the ability to view the surgical device from all angles and at its actual size as if a doctor were in the room.
Additional capabilities of Webex Hologram include:
∙ Immersive technology in current use: Unlike the 2D and virtual meeting experiences that exist in the market today, only Webex Hologram allows a sense of co-presence by offering photorealistic holograms in real time of real people. For participants, this means a more engaging and realistic experience, as opposed to using avatars. This can make all the difference when it comes to training and problem solving.
∙ Ability to share physical and digital content: With Webex Hologram, the presenter can share both physical and digital content, allowing users to truly co-create and collaborate. For example, an automaker. Participants can interact with a physical prototype of a vehicle that is shared in the AR experience to examine and give feedback on the engine and other vehicle data. During the immersion experience, representations of the car's design and other digital content can also be shared.
∙ Multi-user multi-user experience: Support for a "1:many" presenter experience that allows remote participation of multiple users. Each user simultaneously receives a multi-dimensional experience, unlike other offerings that limit usage to single-angle views.
∙ Headset agnostics: Webex Hologram is compatible with industry-leading AR devices such as Magic Leap and Microsoft HoloLens.
Webex Hologram will soon further strengthen the Webex suite, allowing remote and hybrid workers to participate in immersive experiences using the AR devices of their choice. In the past year, Cisco Webex has introduced nearly 1,000 new features and devices to the market, and continues to innovate with emerging technologies.
