Windows 10 will get Android apps via the Your Phone app – but will it be exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20?
Microsoft and Samsung have teamed up again to announce a new feature for the excellent Your Phone app in Windows 10.
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Microsoft Teams vs Cisco Webex: Which video conferencing and collaboration service is best?
Cisco may not have the same standing in the consumer arena as Microsoft or Google, but in the enterprise field, it is certainly well known. That’s why its video conferencing software, Cisco Webex, has proven so popular over the past year or so.Â
With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, collaboration tools like Webex have gone head-to-head with the likes of Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and a host of others. With social distancing measures in place, virtual interactions have taken the place of face-to-face meetings.Â
Despite the fact that other solutions may have better name recognition than Webex, that doesn’t mean that it should be deemed to be inferior to any of the other platforms on the market. if you’re unsure of the exact pros and cons of using Webex, the following guide should help.
In particular, we’ll compare Webex to Microsoft Teams, one of the solutions that has experienced the biggest increases in popularity over the course of the pandemic. That growth hasn’t stopped Webex from gaining a formidable reputation for its market-leading features, however.Â
In this guide, we’ve collected all the information you need to decide whether Teams or Webex is best for your business, comparing plans and pricing, features, security and more.
Plans and pricing
While Microsoft Teams’ free offering will be suitable for many smaller businesses and individual users, Cisco Webex is really aimed at paying customers. It does provide a free plan but it is only available to a single host and provides restrictions on some of its features, including a 50-minute call limit. On the other hand, the free version of Teams comes with a slightly better 60-minute time limit on calls, as well as 2GB of personal cloud storage, and an unlimited chat service.
Teams
In terms of Teams’ paid options, users can choose from three different Microsoft 365 packages, which will deliver different levels of Teams functionality. Microsoft 365 Business Basic, for example, costs $5.00/£3.80/AU$6.90 per user per month, and gives users the ability to schedule and record meetings. It also increases the file storage capacity to 1TB per user.
The Microsoft 365 Business Standard package, meanwhile, costs $12.50/£9.40/AU$17.20 per user per month and also comes with desktop versions of Microsoft’s productivity applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). For businesses with larger budgets, Microsoft 365 Premium incorporates advanced security and privacy features but will set them back $20.00/£15.10/AU$27.50 per user per month.
It’s true that Teams is one of the more expensive video conferencing tools on the market if you are not already a Microsoft 365 subscriber. However, if your business is already an avid 365 user, Teams is a very cost-effective option.
Webex
For Webex, the pricing plans are pretty straightforward to explain. There’s the Starter plan that is suitable for smaller teams or individual users as it comes with nine host licenses and 1GB of file storage. This package will set organizations back $14.95 per host per month.Â
The Business plan, meanwhile, costs $29.95 per host per month and comes with one hundred host licenses, 10 GB of file storage, and an interactive whiteboarding feature. Finally, the Enterprise plan comes with bespoke pricing but might be the best option for companies that host a lot of larger meetings or live events. Â
Features
Webex’s features are easily categorized into three distinct areas: meeting, calling, and messaging. In terms of in-meeting features, users can enjoy personalized screen designs and top-quality HD video and audio for up to 1,00 meeting participants. Webex users also have a range of sharing options, including for their entire screen and well-known apps like PowerPoint.Â
Auto-transcribing, integration with calendars, and in-meeting personalization are also nice features. Both group and one-on-one messaging are available (even when out of a meeting), and there are a number of useful integrations, including Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and Salesforce.Â
Regarding Teams, features include screen sharing, call recording, live captions, background blur technology, and chat functionalities. The ability to integrate with other Microsoft applications is perhaps its most useful feature, however.Â
Security
Unsurprisingly given Microsoft’s pedigree, Microsoft Teams comes with a range of security features, including the encryption of all data within Microsoft data centers. Microsoft Teams also requires multi-factor authentication to defend users and businesses against unauthorized account access.
Cisco Webex also takes security extremely seriously. Encryption is again provided for all cloud recordings, and meeting passwords should help prevent any unwanted meeting attendees. Paid versions of Webex also benefit from HIPAA and BAA compliance.
Support
While Microsoft Teams comes with a robust formal support offering, including online webinars and live chat support. However, one of the support features that has received the most praise is actually nothing to do with Microsoft . Because of Teams’ extensive userbase, a community has developed that is always more than willing to help out anyone that may be encountering challenges.
Webex’s support includes video tutorials and free training programs, in addition to daily demos and live events. Although the fact that the free service only comes with online support is slightly disappointing, the Enterprise plan comes with a dedicated rep, which means you should get your issues resolved extremely quickly.Â
Verdict
Cisco Webex is a video conferencing tool that certainly comes with a strong pedigree. Although individual users are more likely to go with technology brands that they recognize from their everyday lives - such as Google Meet or Microsoft Teams - enterprises are bound to appreciate some of the high-level offerings that come with Webex.Â
In particular, the Enterprise plan has some really nice touches, including the offer of your own rep for support. That kind of service really makes a customer feel valued. In terms of features and security, the two platforms are also evenly matched, so deciding whether Teams or Webex is right for your business is a difficult call.Â
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Date
01 Nov 2021Sources
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T-Mobile confirms Lapsus$ infiltrated its systems
Read MoreTelecoms giant T-Mobile has confirmed its digital premises were breached by the notorious Lapsus$ hackers, but played down the severity of the incident.
As reported by BleepingComputer, the group of hackers was apparently unable to obtain any valuable data from the incursion.
"Several weeks ago, our monitoring tools detected a bad actor using stolen credentials to access internal systems that house operational tools software," a T-Mobile spokesperson told the publication.
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Stealing source code
T-Mobile went in to further details as to precisely what the attackers were able to access, and how the company responded.
"The systems accessed contained no customer or government information or other similarly sensitive information, and we have no evidence that the intruder was able to obtain anything of value," said the firm.
"Our systems and processes worked as designed, the intrusion was rapidly shut down and closed off, and the compromised credentials used were rendered obsolete."
However, other sources offer conflicting reports as to the nature of the stolen data.
According to a report from security expert Brian Krebs, based on leaked chat logs allegedly showing a conversation between Lapsus$ members, the group managed to steal proprietary T-Mobile source code. A total of 30,000 source code repositories were taken from T-Mobile's endpoints, the report claims.
The group is also said to have obtained access to Atlas, a powerful internal T-Mobile tool for managing customer accounts, as well as access to company Slack and Bitbucket accounts.
Read moreThe motive behind the desire to steal source code is unclear, the report further states, but Krebs suspects that it could be about extortion, or turning a profit on the black market.
In the past four years, T-Mobile has disclosed a total of seven breaches, including one in which threat actors accessed data belonging to 3% of all of its customers.
Recently, the company’s customers notified the FBI of “unblockable” SMS phishing attacks, which are linked to one of the earlier breaches.
Via BleepingComputer
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What can we expect from Apple's rumored AR/VR headset in 2022?
Read MoreEvery few years, an Apple product that's not confirmed by the company, builds momentum in rumor and speculation until it’s impossible to avoid.
The iPad had it when it was rumored to be called the iSlate in 2009, while the Apple Watch was thought to be a next-generation iPod nano around 2013. The Apple headset that’s going to introduce VR and AR to its customers is the latest in these rumors of what could be launching next from Apple.
Augmented and Virtual Reality has seen huge improvements in recent years, with companies such as Oculus and Valve refining the experience and offering storefronts where you can play a variety of VR games.
But Apple has a chance to redesign its ecosystem to adapt to VR and AR in interesting ways that have not been attempted before.
A VR iTrooper
(Image credit: Future) It’s not clear whether this rumored headset will both feature AR or VR features, or whether there are two headsets that will cater to each instead. But Apple has a way of adapting its apps into other devices while not compromising on features, while making them unique to the device in question.
With many operating systems ending with ‘OS’, we suspect that rOS, to stand for reality could be a good candidate for the software that the headset will run on, as it works for both VR and AR.
In previous years Apple lays down the groundwork for what’s coming, such as the iPhone for the iPad, or 3D Touch appearing in the Apple Watch and then seeing it debut in the iPhone. With this in mind, Siri could be a big hint towards what it’s planning for the headset.
Earlier this month, an Apple Music Voice Plan was released, where you can control your music only by Siri for $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.99 a month.
This plan could be a great fit for the headset, as you don’t need to use anything tangible to navigate your music, only through Siri. Browsing the App Store or choosing another app to use through Siri could be an intuitive way to use the headset without having to use controllers, similar to the Meta Quest 2.
Spatial Audio, a feature in Apple Music again where you can turn your head and the sound will feel as though it's coming from one specific place, could also work well for the headset.
But when it comes to games, this is where the controllers would be a must and an inspiration for developers.
A VR App Store
Apps in VR are only beginning to diverge from giving short experiences like Beat Saber, to communication and accessibility such as what META is announcing for the metaverse and avatars. Seeing FaceTime VR or AppleTV+ VR is a tantalizing thought, but developers could transform the apps they already have available, into being made into a native VR headset app.
Apps like CARROT and TikTok could benefit from what the headset may offer, especially if widgets also make their debut.
What about AR?
Then there’s the aspect of AR. Augmented Reality allows you to have certain bits of digital information in a normal lens. Imagine a pair of glasses that has a section of the lens where it shows live information, such as a widget or push notifications.
This is something we’re already seeing in some apps, especially the Measure app. Others such as IKEA can allow you to place furniture in the camera’s viewfinder on the iPhone, to see if it fits your room.
There’s no reason why this headset could have both by switching modes. Seeing live widgets in a corner of a lens as you walk around your house is a tempting prospect, as it saves you from checking your phone from your pocket, or glancing at your Apple Watch.
WWDC in 2022 could showcase what developers could do with the headset, and with Apple’s Silicon chips showcasing how much power they can achieve with far less power consumption than an Intel and AMD CPU, we could see the first-generation headset feature impressive battery life for an app store that could show what AR and VR could do in the Apple eco-system.
- Our picks of the best VR headsets for 2021
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This new Microsoft Teams update might finally give you a bit of a break
New 'quiet time' feature will shield you from Teams notification storms.
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