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At Cisco, our goal is to deliver Webex experiences that are 10X better than in-person interactions and an important part of that is making these experiences inclusive and equal for all. We are making sure everyone is included and part of the conversation, whether working from their dining table or in an office building.

Today, I’m pleased to announce Cisco’s intent to acquire privately held Slido s.r.o., a technology company that provides a best-in-class audience interaction platform. Slido technology enables higher levels of user engagement―before, during and after meetings and events. The Slido technology will be part of the Cisco Webex platform and enhance Cisco’s ability to offer new levels of inclusive audience engagement across both in-person and virtual experiences.

In the massive shift to “virtual everything,” remote meetings and events have become the lifeblood for connecting people in all aspects of their lives―from friends to family to work colleagues. According to a recent global workforce survey, 98 percent of respondents expect future meetings to include remote participants. Companies are rethinking how they maintain bonds, foster culture and make virtual experiences with employees, sales and customers―on small and large scales―inclusive and better than in-person interactions.

Slido has over 7 million participants monthly and provides its customers with an inclusive audience engagement platform that enables real-time feedback and insight before, during and after any meeting or event via dynamic polls, Q&A, quizzes, word clouds, surveys and more.

Audience interaction can be set up in less than a minute. Participants join the audience view with a simple event code or link on their smartphone, tablet or laptop connected to the internet. There’s no need to download anything. Once a participant joins, they can respond to polls, ask questions or provide feedback. The richness of this audience interaction technology will empower everyone to engage in new ways. It’s a great mechanism for providing audience engagement in real-time.

The combination of the all-new Cisco Webex and Slido’s audience interaction expertise will make seamless collaboration and inclusivity a reality for meetings and events — whether in-person or virtual.

With Slido’s technology, Cisco will integrate even more insights into the Webex platform to help everyone work smarter and be more productive whenever and wherever work happens. We are going to enable companies around the world that have traditionally relied on in-person events like townhalls, all hands meetings and major user conferences to make sure everyone is engaged and included.

Soon, meeting owners will be able to:

  • Create engaging and dynamic participant experiences with dynamic Q&As and polls using graphic visual representations to express the results clearly.
  • Get real-time critical insights and understanding before, during and after meetings and events, from all-hands and townhalls to conferences and training sessions.
  • Obtain inclusive feedback so every voice is heard.
  • Give presenters the confidence that they are connecting in a meaningful way with their audience.

And of course, Slido will align with Cisco’s strict data policies, complementing our longstanding commitment to security and privacy and the culture of security Cisco has built. We never rent or sell our customers’ information. All of this enables Webex to deliver a great user experience and helps our customers stay safe.

I look forward to sharing more on this soon.



Authors

Abhay Kulkarni

SVP/GM, Webex App