Webex Review: A Virtual Event Solution Review

I think you’ll agree with me when I tell you that in today's fast-paced digital world, staying well-connected with your team members or business partners is more important than it ever was.

With over 5.3 billion people using the internet globally and spending an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes online each day, the importance of reliable communication tools is growing. Yet, many professionals still struggle with unreliable and complicated video conferencing tools that disrupt productivity and communication.

But, there is a solution – user-friendly virtual event platforms, that enhance collaboration and ensure you're always just a click away from your team. One example of this is Webex, a powerful video conferencing tool designed to transform your virtual meetings into effortless and effective online interactions. This Webex review will outline some of Webex’s key features, its strengths, and its drawbacks. It will also compare Webex to another popular virtual conference platform, Remo. This way you can make an informed decision about whether Webex is the right platform for you, or perhaps Remo may be better suited to your event needs.

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What is Webex?

Webex, developed by Cisco, is a comprehensive video conferencing platform designed for seamless, secure, and intelligent collaborations. It offers high-definition audio-video conferencing, screen sharing, and digital whiteboarding to ensure your team stays connected and productive, regardless of location. Webex tools can be easily integrated with popular applications like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, and ServiceNow to cater to businesses of all sizes.

Webex itself is a suite of multiple tools that support a wide range of features, including real-time messaging and video calling. To ensure easy access, it also supports usage across various devices such as MacBooks, Windows PCs, Android, and iOS. This flexibility makes it an ideal choice for modern, remote workforces in particular. Webex’s virtual platform was designed primarily to facilitate communication and collaboration across individuals. To support their goal, they offer the following tools:

• Webex Meetings: High-definition video and audio conferencing, screen sharing, and breakout rooms.
• Webex Teams: Real-time messaging, file sharing, and project management workspace.
• Webex Training: Live and on-demand training sessions with automated grading.
• Webex Events: Hosting webinars and large virtual conferences.
• Webex Calling: Business calling features with VoIP, call forwarding, and voicemail.

Since this article discusses virtual events and meetings, we’ll be focusing on analyzing Webex’s Meetings and Events products. It is important to note though that some products may not be available to you depending on your location. So, it is best to check on their website directly to see if the product you intend to use is available in your region first.

Webex Pros and Cons

Webex Pros

1. Hybrid Work Support: Webex excels in supporting hybrid work environments. It offers robust tools for connecting remote and in-office employees seamlessly as well as facilitating effective collaboration and communication across different geographies. This is particularly beneficial for companies operating with a distributed workforce, allowing for efficient planning, strategizing, and execution of virtual sessions​.
2. Advanced Meeting Features: Webex includes many advanced features such as breakout rooms, polling, and Q&A, these features enhance engagement during meetings and events. These tools are particularly useful for large-scale events and educational sessions, providing interactive experiences for attendees that encourage active participation​.
3. Comprehensive Customer Support: Webex offers extensive customer support options, including 24/7 online support and dedicated support for higher-tier plans only. This ensures that users can quickly resolve any technical issues, minimizing downtime and maintaining productivity​.

Webex Cons

1. Complex User Interface for Some Features: While Webex's basic functions are user-friendly, its advanced features and setup process can be confusing for event organizers. Moreover, there are hidden menus and separate interfaces which make customization cumbersome. In contrast, Remo offers a more straightforward interface with simpler event setup and management, making it easy for organizers to create and navigate virtual spaces without getting lost in technical complexities.
2. Bandwidth and System Resource Demands: Webex's high-quality video and large-scale webinars can consume significant bandwidth and system resources. This can lead to performance issues for users with less robust internet connections or older hardware.
3. Limited Customization Options: Webex offers fewer customization and branding options for webinars and meetings compared to other platforms. This limitation is a disadvantage for organizations wanting to maintain a strong brand presence during virtual events. Other platforms allow organizers much more flexibility to add some customization, such as logos or brand colors. For example, Remo, another virtual event platform, goes even further by letting hosts create unique venues so you can host your events in space, by a pool, or in a completely bespoke setting.
4. Occasional Audio and Video Issues: Some Webex users have reported occasional audio and video issues, especially during medium-large meetings or when using specific browsers. For example, multiple users on Mozilla Firefox have noted seeing black screens instead of shared content when screen sharing. These issues tend to be more pronounced in meetings with a mid-large attendee size, typically those exceeding 100 attendees​. 
5. Network Bandwidth: Network bandwidth is a significant factor affecting audio and video quality. Webex recommends a minimum bandwidth of at least 1.2 Mbps, and users with bandwidth below this threshold may experience degraded video resolution and choppy audio. This is particularly problematic in large meetings, where multiple video streams are active simultaneously​, and thus require even higher levels of bandwidth.
6. Cost: Webex’s pricing is known to be relatively high as they typically cater to corporate enterprises hosting large-scale events and meetings. This may make it less attractive for smaller businesses or organizations with limited budgets. If you are looking for a cost-effective virtual platform, you are better off looking at other event platforms, like Remo or Wonder.

Webex Key Features

Now that we have discussed some of Webex’s strengths and weaknesses, let’s explore 5 of their key features.

1. Mute Everybody

Webex allows meeting hosts to mute all participants at any time during a virtual meeting or event. This mute capability prevents any disruptive background noise from participants to ensure a professional and focused environment. This high level of host control can be particularly important in contexts where maintaining order is crucial, such as educational events, corporate meetings, or large-scale webinars.

While Webex opts to give hosts full control to maintain order, you can also find other platforms like Remo that do the opposite. On Remo, for example, participants are in control over their participation. It’s up to each attendee to decide when to mute or unmute themselves, when to turn on video, and even who to speak with. It is because of this freedom, attendees on Remo are far more likely to engage in meaningful discussions. Even with this though, Remo still gives hosts some control to prevent unwarranted disruption with their Presentation Mode. Hosts can switch into this second mode when they or a speaker is ready to begin their presentation or talk. In this mode, attendees are automatically removed from their ongoing live conversation and muted, so all focus is given to the speaker and the main presentation.

2. Webcam Optimization

Webex offers a wide set of advanced webcam settings to enhance video quality. These settings include:

• Autofocus, which keeps users sharp and clear regardless of movement
• Auto white balance, which ensures accurate color reproduction in various lighting conditions
• Contrast adjustments, which help users stand out from their backgrounds
• Sharpness settings allow for crisp, detailed video
• Manual anti-flicker settings reduce visual disturbances caused by artificial lighting
• The occupancy detection feature optimizes video when participants are present in the frame. 

Users can fine-tune these settings to suit their specific environment and preferences. These features collectively ensure that users always appear clear and professional during meetings. Webex's webcam optimization tools are particularly beneficial for users in challenging lighting conditions or those using older hardware. However, it is important to note that these settings do take some understanding over video quality and graphics. So, if your meetings or events usually cater to those who are not as tech-savvy, these settings may be meaningless for you. In these cases, you should look for a platform that reduces options for guests, by defaulting to optimal settings given a user’s camera, network, and environment.

3. Immersive Share

The Immersive Share feature in Webex allows presenters to embed their live video feed directly into the shared content. This feature creates a presentation style similar to a news broadcast. Presenters can resize their video feed to suit their preferences. They can also position their video anywhere on the shared screen. This flexibility ensures that the presenter remains visible without distracting from the main content. Immersive Share helps maintain audience engagement throughout the presentation. It creates a more dynamic and interactive viewing experience.

The feature is particularly useful for educational settings and corporate presentations. It allows presenters to maintain a personal connection with their audience without sacrificing space on screen for the content. Immersive Share can be easily toggled on or off during a meeting. Presenters can switch between standard screen sharing and Immersive Share as needed as well.

4. Proximity Joining and Sharing in Meeting Rooms

Webex Proximity allows users to automatically connect to meetings when near a Webex device. This technology eases the process of joining meetings and sharing content. It uses ultrasound signals to detect nearby devices, enabling users' mobile apps or laptops to automatically recognize Webex devices in the room. 

A "Webex device" is a hardware tool designed to enhance video conferencing and collaboration. It includes products like the Webex Board, Webex Room Series, and Webex Desk Series. These devices feature smart video systems, touchscreen displays, and integrated audio equipment, facilitating high-quality video and audio conferencing. When entering a room with a Webex device like the DX80 or Room Series, users can join meetings with a single touch. They can also share their screen wirelessly without managing cables or connection codes. This feature creates a seamless experience for both in-room and virtual attendees, enhancing productivity and collaboration in hybrid meetings. Given these are additional physical products though, please note they do come at an additional cost.

5. Webex Assistant Closed Captions

Webex Assistant is an AI-powered digital assistant designed to enhance productivity and accessibility in meetings. It provides closed captions, real-time speech-to-text transcription, automated meeting highlights and more. This feature, in particular, benefits participants who are deaf or hard of hearing, those in noisy environments, or non-native speakers. 

A lot of virtual platforms with built-in  AI capabilities will usually only provide these on the highest tier, but not Webex. Webex’s AI-powered assistant is actually available on all plans within the Webex Meetings and Webinars products, but not on Webex for Government. 

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Webex Pricing

Speaking of Webex plans, let’s now turn to one of the most important factors - Webex Pricing. For most online event organizers, your virtual event platform is usually the biggest expense, so it is vital to ensure the platform you select is worth the investment. So, let’s dive into the cost of using Webex.

Depending on the product you select, the plans and prices will vary. For this pricing analysis, we will only discuss the Webex Meetings, Webinars, and Events packages.

Webex Meetings:

This plan offers the following 4 plans:

1. Webex Free: For individuals and small teams, the Webex Free plan offers essential video conferencing features at no cost. This plan includes basic functionalities suitable for shorter meetings (up to 40 minutes) and limited participants (up to 100 attendees), making it ideal for small-scale collaborations and personal use.‍
2. Webex Meet: Designed for growing businesses, the Webex Meet plan expands on the free offering with extended meeting durations (up to 24 hours) and larger attendee numbers (up to 200 attendees). It also includes additional features to support larger teams and more complex needs. The cost of a Webex Meet plan is $14.5 per license per month.‍
3. Webex Suite: For enterprises requiring comprehensive communication tools, the Webex Suite plan includes advanced calling features, making it a versatile solution for large organizations with extensive collaboration needs. This plan simply combines the capabilities of their Webex Meet plan (described above) with their other product - Webex Call. This bundle deal will cost about $25 per license per month and can be bought directly from their website.‍
4. Webex Enterprise:

Tailored for large-scale deployments, the Webex Enterprise plan is ideal for those large corporations needing enhanced security, prioritized support, and large meetings. With this plan, the attendee limit skyrockets up to 1000 attendees. Since this plan is more customized, you would need to contact their sales team for an exact quote based on your specific virtual meeting needs.

Webex Webinars:

Now, let’s discuss their webinar specific pricing. Starting at $225 per user per month for 1000 attendees, their Webinar plans are clearly designed for large-scale events. Webex offers 5 webinar plans, each offering a different attendee limit: 1000, 3000, 5000, 10000, and 10000+.

In terms of the actual plan features, these plans include audio-video streaming, breakout rooms, unlimited webinars, and registration capabilities, among other capabilities. One of the perks of opting for their Webex Webinar plans though, is you’ll also get access to a Webex Meet plan at no additional charge.

Webex Events:

Similar to their webinar pricing, Webex Events plans are also designed for hosting large-scale online events. It offers robust features to manage and engage over 10000 attendees, and follows the same tier structure the webinar product offers. With their events package, you’ll find features for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. This includes in-person check-in, badging, virtual networking spaces, a mobile event app, and more. 

Given all this available functionality though, Webex customizes pricing based on your actual event needs. So, it does not disclose starting prices or supports self-serve purchase for this package on their website. If you are interested, you will need to contact their sales team directly to discuss your event needs first.

As you can see from all the Webex plans discussed above, this platform may not be the most cost-effective option if you’re hosting a mid-sized meeting or event (250-400 attendees). This is because none of their plans offer a direct option for mid-sized audiences. So, you will likely end up paying for much more capacity then you would ever use. In these cases, you are better off looking for a platform that charges per attendee or at least offers more attendee ranges. Remo’s pricing, for example, is much more flexible with pricing options for 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 1000+ guests.

Final Verdict

Webex is a powerful communication tool that offers comprehensive features like high-quality video conferencing, extensive integrations, and strong security measures. These features boost productivity and collaboration within teams. However, Webex doesn't offer a robust solution for intuitive user interfaces, low bandwidth options, or branding/customization. If you are looking for these features, you may want to consider an alternative online meeting and virtual events software, like Remo. 

Remo provides all the benefits of Webex while addressing its limitations. It simplifies the user interface, making it easier to navigate. Remo reduces bandwidth demands, allowing for smoother connections. It also offers extensive customization options to help maintain a strong company identity. For organizations seeking an intuitive, resource-efficient, and highly customizable solution, Remo is the better choice.

Remo; Webex’s Better Alternative

Remo is an innovative virtual events platform revolutionizing the way individuals and professionals connect online. Remo's unique features and interactive virtual environments make every virtual event or meeting more engaging and memorable.

Remo’s main goal is to humanize the online experience by authentically simulating real-world networking and presentation interactions. Remo supports a variety of event formats, including webinars, conferences, and hybrid events. Events on Remo have seen triple the attendee engagement with its large set of interactive tools, from its table-style networking to immersive sound effects. Its best feature though is its floor plans, which let you create unique virtual spaces that allow for ample branding opportunities and an immersive environment. Additionally, it includes content banner spaces to highlight event sponsors or important event content. All these features and more work together to create dynamic and interactive virtual events.

Why Remo is a Better Alternative:

1. Real-World Networking Experience: Remo offers a unique table-based and floor-plan structure within its conversation mode (networking area). Each virtual table functions like a private audio-video breakout room where attendees can engage in meaningful group discussions. Unlike other breakout room experiences, attendees on Remo can move freely across tables. This freedom better mimics the networking experience cherished at in-person events, as attendees can choose who they wish to speak with and when. Not to mention, with traditional, rigid breakout rooms, networking often feels forced and unnatural. Remo's approach encourages spontaneous and more organic interactions. This flexibility is what users love about the Remo virtual event platform.
2. Customizable Event Spaces: Each Remo event  offers a multitude of options for customization and branding. From low-effort interactive content banners to highly immersive bespoke floor plans, there is no shortage of ways on Remo to make the event your own. With content banners, you can display logos, highlight event info, or even add CTA’s to your event. The best way to customize your event space though is the floor plan. With each Remo event, you can select from 80+ pre-made floor plans, or create your very own for the ultimate branded experience. With a custom floor plan, you can choose the exact venue (you can even create a digital twin of a physical space!), the colors, the layout, and much more. Not to mention, your event will be uniquely yours and that much more memorable and engaging for your attendees.
3. Easy-to-use Interface: Remo aims to simulate real-world experiences, and that goal is reflected in their intuitively designed interface and experience. For example, the act of moving to another table to start a new conversation on Remo mirrors exactly what guests would do at an in-person event as well. Not to mention, Remo also replicated the entire physical layout of events with its floor plan concept, to help attendees feel familiar and better understand how to navigate. This commitment to ease of use is shown throughout Remo, with multiple past customers and attendees expressing their delight with how easy the platform is to use and learn, unlike other more complex platforms. This is a large part of how Remo creates immersive experiences without sacrificing ease of use.

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