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Cisco launches the Cisco WebEx Collaboration Cloud to integrate SaaS applications and enterprise network infrastructure
April 2009 by Marc Jacob
Cisco unveiled a new software-as-a-service (SaaS)
architecture and enhancements to its SaaS-based Cisco WebExTM collaborative applications. Cisco is
now extending the cloud into the enterprise network infrastructure through the highly secure and
scalable Cisco WebEx Collaboration Cloud and the Cisco® ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services
Routers.
To reinforce its pursuit of a global collaboration market opportunity estimated at $34 billion
and to broaden its stature in the security market, Cisco today announced that it is leading the
way toward an "everything as a service" vision and has extended Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
to the enterprise. Cisco’s rich collaboration and security capabilities, both in the cloud and on
the enterprise network, give customers the flexibility to extend on-demand into the on-premises
network, and utilize the network as the platform for highly secure collaboration.
Cisco also introduced the Cisco WebEx Collaboration Cloud for SaaS. The Cisco WebEx
Collaboration Cloud is a purpose-built network designed to deliver high-quality, highly secure,
and reliable collaborative experiences within and between companies. It utilizes intelligent
routing based on location, bandwidth and availability to provide global load balancing, and
seamless global backup for data, audio and video for collaborative applications including
conferencing, instant messaging and team spaces. Using eight Cisco-powered global
datacenters, and offering greater than 99.99 percent uptime with a multilayered security model,
the Collaboration Cloud hosts more than 200,000 WebEx® meetings every day, including
CiscoWebEx Connect collaboration sessions.
New releases of Cisco WebEx SaaS meeting applications were announced today. Upgrades to
CiscoWebEx Meeting Center, Cisco WebEx Training Center, Cisco WebEx Event Center and
CiscoWebEx Support Center, are delivered through the Cisco WebEx Collaboration Cloud.
The applications support new features for e-training, virtual events, and remote support as well
as an enhanced user experience, expanded device support and expanded global reach.
The new Cisco WebEx Node for ASR 1000 Series, based on the Cisco ASR 1000 Series
aggregation services routing platforms, was also announced today as one of Cisco’s latest
network innovations. The WebEx Node for ASR 1000 allows the edge router to act as a point
of presence (PoP) within an enterprise network for meeting attendees on that network. This
reduces bandwidth requirements, enhances video and voice over IP (VoIP) performance, while
utilizing the global load balancing and availability features of the WebEx Collaboration Cloud
to help ensure optimal performance for customers within the enterprise network.
Cisco also announced five new additions to its comprehensive security portfolio that
bolster the fundamental components of a network security infrastructure, and it introduced
cloud-based security-as-a-service to help enable businesses to collaborate with greater
confidence as their employees become increasingly mobile and interactive.
