Cisco boosts Webex on iPad with Stage Manager and better multitasking

It’s been a while since we last came across a story that shows how iPads continue to evolve into perfect machines for mobile enterprise pros, so it’s appropriate to note that Webex by Cisco has introduced something special in the form of multi-window support on iPad for Webex Meetings.

A better way to meet online

This should be welcome news to anyone who wants to share content with others in a meeting, in that it makes the experience easier and more impactful. It does so by giving users the ability to pop out shared content such as presentations from the Webex Meetings screen while maintaining a focused view of the enlarged content separately on a different window on iPad — as well as on a connected desktop display. 

Cisco

The new feature is the latest demonstration of the alliance between Apple and Cisco. The two companies began working together in 2015, when they announced plans “to create a fast lane for iOS business users by optimizing Cisco networks for iOS devices and apps, integrating iPhone with Cisco enterprise environments and providing unique collaboration on iPhone and iPad.”

Jeetu Patel, executive vice president and general manager for security and collaboration at Cisco, explained a little bit about the latest feature: “With hybrid work so prevalent today, employees require flexibility in when, where and how they work — coupled with an exceptional user experience. At Cisco, this is core to everything we do. I’m proud of our continued collaboration with Apple to enhance the experience of Webex on iOS for hybrid workers.”

The need to meet better

The moves reflect Apple’s continued advances in the enterprise. Just as Apple’s enterprise market share gains really began to accelerate in 2021, Patel told me: “I don’t believe you can be a credible provider of enterprise software if you’re not part of the Apple ecosystem today.”

At the time, he also offered a prediction: “I expect Apple’s adoption to increase over the next six years as well with their priority for security and privacy today, a topmost concern for enterprises.”

What’s new in Webex for iPad?

Returning to the Webex feature addition, the idea is to enable iPad users to see both meeting participants and the content they wish to share with those participants in either a single or a pair of connected desktops.

What it means is that when multitasking, users can chat on one screen and focus on the popped-out content side-by-side. It follows last year’s news from Cisco when it introduced Picture in Picture support to Webex Meetings on iPad and iPhone.

But this goes beyond that, as it also means an iPad user can watch other meeting participants on their iPad while showing the shared content on a second screen, such as a connected monitor, wired or not. You can move windows using the “Move to Display” button.

Stage Manager takes a meeting

Another enhancement brings support for Stage Manager within Webex. That means you can shift any open Webex Meeting between displays, resize open windows, and treat those Webex Meetings just like any Stage Manager-compatible app. It’s a great update for iPad-using enterprise professionals, or anyone using Webex on an Apple tablet.

The new features are available now within Webex on iPad. Apple, of course, famously uses Webex itself.

That’s not to say Cisco only has eyes for Apple. In early March 2023 it introduced some new features for Webex on Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 devices, including live camera feeds from the device camera.

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