Item: Cisco Board Series
Rating: 8
Author: Dave King

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Board Series

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use a webex board for screen mirroring in meetings for internal team planning. We use it to collaborate ideas, write our notes on the whiteboard and for planning sessions. We can send the notes to the people attending the meeting so they can continue to work on the topics or projects.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Whiteboard
Notes
Voice control
Auto frame

Cons

sometimes there is a lag in performance
When used with other devices, there are restrictions such as wired sharing and whiteboarding only
The 90-day warranty period is relatively short for such an expensive device

Return on Investment

Saving the notes for everyone
Sendnig notes to everyone to ensure no note taking is missed
Versatility: Its support for multiple platforms
Scalability: The streamlined installation and unified management allow for deployment across various workspaces

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft Surface Hub 2s: Interactive 4K touchscreen, Microsoft Teams integration, digital whiteboarding, and remote casting. Google Jamboard: Cloud-based whiteboard, G Suite integration, and real-time collaboration. Miro: Online whiteboarding platform with templates, multimedia support, and app integrations. Wheil the above had many of the features we were looking for we found that Cisco Board had all the features each department was looking for

Support Rating

Cisco overall has good support, knowledgeable technical staff and always assists or finds a solution to any issues that may arise. But there are some issues with this Board series where Cisco TAC support has been inconsistent. Some cases drag on for months without resolution, and engineers have now always been responsive

Usability

It is functional and all the features works as expected. It does exaclty what it says it can do, which is nice as that is not always the case in our experience. It has AI-powered features for enhanced video and audio quality, a High-resolution 4K touchscreen with multi-touch support, it offers Seamless integration with Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other platforms and it has a Flexible setup option, including wall mounting and mobile stands

Key Insights

Do you think Cisco Board Series delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Cisco Board Series's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Board Series live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Board Series go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Board Series again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Office 365 Document Management, Adobe Acrobat

Likelihood to Recommend

It is very useful for team meetings, sharing ideas and writing notes that can be saved and sent to all team members. It is appropriate for most all meeting types as it is very portable, can easily be set up anywhere. It has AI-powered features for enhanced video and audio quality and a High-resolution 4K touchscreen with multi-touch support, It has Seamless integration with Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other platforms which is a big plus.

Cisco Webex Experience

Ease-of-Use

Integration into multiple platforms, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx has been very helpful. Allowing us to use one product over multiple platforms is a great option. This prevents us form having to buy a different solution for each platform we use. Overall, the Cisco Board Series is ideal for any organizations looking for an all-in-one collaboration solution

All-in-one Platform

We have used it with Cisco WebEx, it works seamlessly with the WebEx Suite. The Board Pro G2 integrates with the Webex Suite allows for a unified experience across calling, messaging, and meetings. This integration enables users to join Webex meetings directly from the Board Pro, share content, and collaborate in real-time which is a time saver

Security

the Cisco Board Pro G2 offers secure collaboration through several key features: like End-to-end encryption for calls and meetings on Webex, ensuring that communication remains private and protected. It offers Secure management using HTTPS and SSH protocols, which provides a safe way to administer and control the device. It has Standards-based media encryption, adding an extra layer of security to multimedia content shared during collaborations. It also offers Compliance with various security standards, including FCC, RoHS, and WEEE, ensuring that the device meets strict security requirements.

Using Cisco Board Series

Users and Roles

10 - IT Management: The streamlined installation and unified management make it easier for IT teams to deploy and maintain collaboration solutions across the organization, Sales and Client Presentations: Its high-quality display and interactive touch screen make it ideal for impactful client presentations and sales pitches, Human Resources: HR can use it for remote interviews, onboarding sessions, and company-wide announcements, Training and Education: Its suitability for classrooms makes it valuable for corporate training and educational institutions and Marketing: Teams can use it for creative brainstorming, campaign planning, and content creation sessions

Support Headcount Required

1 - The IT team can monitor, manage, troubleshoot, and analyze the device from a single interface, we can Control the Hub for bulk configurations and automatic software upgrades as well as relying on cisco TAC for any issues we can not directly resolve. Cisco also offers maintenance guides and documentation for the Board Series, including the Board Pro G2, which can be used for training purposes

Business Processes Supported

Sales and Marketing Presentations
Internal Team Training sessions
HR remote interviews
Marketing presentation

Innovative Uses

Mostly internal Training across all offices
Legal depositions done virtually
Team collaboration to train remote employees

Future Planned Uses

Customer support ongoing trainig

Likelihood to Renew

By leveraging the features of the Cisco Board, sales teams can deliver more engaging, interactive, and impactful presentations to clients, whether in-person or remotely, potentially leading to improved client relationships and increased sales effectiveness. We can easily train internal employees across multiple offices without the need to have them come into one site for training.

Evaluating Cisco Board Series and Competitors

Products Replaced

Key Differentiators

Cloud Solutions
Scalability
Integration with Other Systems

The Cisco Board has multiple functions they we benefit from, including the ability to create engaging, AI-enhanced video meetings and interactive collaboration experiences, supporting the evolving needs of hybrid work environments. We were greatly lacking in this area and with the use of the Cisco Board we have been able to excle in this area

Evaluation Lessons Learned

WE would spend a little more time on the Technical specifications to thoroughly Examine the hardware specifications, such as display quality, camera system, and audio components and allow our IT Team Assess the device management capabilities through Cisco Control Hub, including monitoring, troubleshooting, and software updates so they could have been up and running to support this product on day one

Cisco Board Series Support

Cisco Board Series Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed Immediate help available Quick Initial Response	Poor followup Escalation required

Premium Support

Yes, we wanted to ensure we Reduced downtime risk by having Access to Cisco technical experts and tools helps minimize network disruptions. Allow for Cost savings: A single uncovered service transaction can cost more than a one-year support contract. We wanted to Increase operational reliability: Support helps reduce the effects of potential network problems, allowing IT staff to focus on core business functions. We also wanted to ensure we had Access to software updates: Customers receive entitlement to software maintenance, minor, and major updates to keep systems operating efficiently. WE also wanted to ensure we had access to the 24/7 technical support: Round-the-clock access to Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for issue resolution

Bug Resolution

Exceptional Examples of Cisco Board Series Support

We were experiencing issues using Zoom, the Join Button was not appearing for Zoom meetings. After working with support and ensuring we had the latest updates, the problem turned out to be when we hosted the Zoom meeting as we did not have a Conference Room Connector (CRC) license which was needed for Hosting.

Using Cisco Board Series

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using	None

Easy Tasks

Wireless content sharing
Digital whiteboarding
One-button-to-push meeting joins
AI-powered video and audio

Difficult Tasks

External microphone integration
Using the stylus

Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions

Yes - Yes, the Cisco Board Series provides a mobile interface through the Webex App, which allows users to interact with the Board Series from their smartphones or tablets. Some features and benefits of the mobile interface are Remote control, Content Sharing, Meeting Continuity, Automatic connections and White Board Access, These features make the Cisco Board Series highly versatile for hybrid work environments by extending its functionality to mobile devices.

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