Discover How AI-Powered Features in Cisco Webex Can Identify Burnout in Contact Center Employees

Cisco is enhancing its Webex portfolio with AI-driven features aimed at boosting productivity for users in offices, homes, and contact centers.

The introduction of generative AI capabilities marks the general availability of the Cisco AI Assistant for Webex, offering advanced summarization and chatbot functionalities. Additionally, Cisco is launching new software and hardware, including the beta preview of the Cisco AI Assistant for Customer Experience (CX), which features a tool to detect agent burnout and identify when assistance may be necessary.

As the competition in AI-powered meeting and collaboration tools heats up with players like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, and Otter AI, Cisco aims to stand out by introducing context-rich and network-enabled features. "We are discussing how AI will transform the customer experience, not just for knowledge and frontline workers using calling, meetings, and chat, but significantly in the contact center space," stated Anurag Dhingra, SVP and CTO of Collaboration at Cisco.

Addressing Agent Burnout with AI

A standout aspect of the Cisco Webex AI update is the advancement of Webex Contact Center technology. Webex encompasses Cisco's suite of collaboration tools, including video conferencing, messaging, and a dedicated contact center solution.

The revamped Cisco Webex Contact Center will utilize AI for topic analysis, helping to identify customer inquiries and emerging trends. It will also provide suggested responses from AI, enhancing agent effectiveness. The new end-of-call wrap-up and summarization feature will extract valuable insights from interactions.

Going beyond basic functionalities, Cisco's new agent burnout feature predicts when an agent may be overwhelmed and at risk of compromising interaction quality. Dhingra explained, "This allows us to take proactive measures, like removing them from call queues temporarily or rerouting calls to other agents."

Enhancements for the Cisco AI Assistant

Cisco is broadening the scope of the Cisco AI Assistant for Webex, which will now include real-time translation of messages in chat rooms and messaging channels, expanding support to over 100 languages. Previously, translation was limited to meeting captions.

Alongside software updates, Cisco unveiled two new hardware devices: the Cisco Board Pro G2, a touch collaboration tool, and the Cisco Desk Phone 9800 series, which integrates Webex functionalities into a network-optimized device.

This new hardware rollout supports the growing trend of returning to the office. According to a recent global study by Cisco, 80% of employers across 19 countries are implementing some level of return-to-office mandates. Dhingra emphasized that the new hardware aims to enhance office capabilities, especially in environments where employees use ‘hot swap’ desks. The Cisco Desk Phone 9800 series facilitates seamless access to personal messages, calendars, and collaboration tools, making it easier for users to transition back to the office setting.