Everyone’s “in” the Conversation with Webex Gestures

The Create 10x Better Experiences Than in Person Interactions series focuses on enabling and empowering secure inclusive experiences in real-time or anytime, with a focus on seamless collaboration and smart hybrid work experiences

Back in the day when face-to-face meetings were the norm, we used things like gestures and non-verbal cues to emphasize or support the words we’d verbally say. The feedback loop is such an important part of effective meetings. Smiles or a thumbs up, from an audience could mean, “Way to go!” or “You are brilliant!” While frowns or a thumbs down could mean you missed the mark.

Gestures can bridge language, geographical boarders, and even personality types ―often saying more than a thousand words. But now that most meetings are remote and half the people in a meeting are on mute, reading non-verbal cues has become more challenging. At Cisco we’re determined to power an inclusive future, with collaboration technology that levels the playing field and makes experiences 10x better ―regardless of the language you speak, or where or how you work.

Include Everyone in the Conversation

In the January 2021 version of Cisco Webex , our industry-leading artificial intelligence (AI) takes your natural, non-verbal gestures and translates them into animated images that everyone in your meeting can see on-screen. Even better, you never have to unmute or use the keyboard or mouse. Once enabled, Webex AI automatically recognizes your hand gestures. This feature will be localized across the world to honor and respect regional cultures as well. The Webex gesture feature is generally available this month.

Maybe you are in a meeting and someone is explaining a point you agree with. In Webex you can just give a “thumbs up” or applaud with your hands. What if you disagree with something or want to get the presenter’s attention? You can do this by simply signaling a “thumbs down” or raising your hand. You can even react with smiling or laughing emojis, too.

Express Yourself in Meetings

Webex gestures are a fun and great way for everyone to participate in the meeting and have their voice heard, even if they never speak a word. No more searching for icons and clicking to add your reaction ―Webex AI has you covered. For presenters, it’s an excellent way to quickly read the virtual room, even when everyone is on mute.

I’m sure we’ve all experienced “those meetings” when you’ve waited patiently for a break in the conversation to share an idea or make a point, but the discussion has moved so quickly that the opportunity was gone. “Hey – I have something to add, but it is about what we were talking about 5 minutes ago…”

Audience Reactions without a Single Word

Or perhaps (as a presenter), you’ve shared your greatest proposal (ever) to your remote team, only to be faced with a monitor full of people on mute. Were they “wowed?” Did they hate it? Will they support you when you share this amazing work with your boss?

As a self-proclaimed introvert who enjoys presenting to a live audience, both of these scenarios hit close to home. I do my best in face-to-face meetings and thrive on the direct feedback of those I interact with. Smiles, laughter, or even a frown go a long way in helping me determine how to keep the meeting momentum moving forward.

Meetings and collaboration are just better when you know everyone is engaged. If I can see that everyone in the meeting understands my message I can keep going. But if I’m met with a room full of puzzled or frowning faces, I need to pivot in another direction, so everyone is on the same page and included in the conversation.

Webex Provides More Personalized, Inclusive Experiences

Webex is game changing in so many ways because it allows everyone to engage in their own way and have more personalized experiences, no matter where they work or chose to interact. Cisco Webex has pioneered the use of AI within collaboration and this is just one of the ways we are delivering features that make your experiences 10x better than ever before.

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