Cisco announced a major revamp of the Webex application at the WebexOne conference, introducing collaborative AI agents, third-party integration with Anthropic’s Claude, and expanded capabilities for automated workflows in group chats and video calls.
Collaborative Agents and Team Workflows in Webex Spaces
Cisco is embedding AI agents directly into Webex group chats, allowing users to @mention them within Webex spaces to schedule meetings, take notes, and track tasks. Unlike isolated AI interactions, these agents participate directly where the team communicates. Amit Barave, Cisco vice president and general manager for Webex Suite and AI, noted in a blog post that teammates can build on, contribute to, and reuse the work produced by AI. Snorre Kjesbu, Cisco vice president and general manager for collaboration, added that this approach allows teams to prepare together and coordinate next steps without losing conversation context.
Beyond standard text spaces, these collaborative agents remain accessible during video and voice calls through the AI Assistant side panel. However, Cisco clarified that these call-side agents are restricted to individual users rather than entire teams. Irwin Lazar, principal analyst at Metrigy, observed that this feature mirrors broader industry trends toward embedded enterprise agents. Lazar noted that similar efforts include Slack with Claude Tag and Zoom with ZoomMate. According to Lazar, an agent’s utility relies entirely on its connectivity to external data sources like CRM, ERP, and project management platforms.
Integration of Anthropic Claude and Third-Party Agents
Cisco is expanding third-party agent support within Webex by integrating Anthropic’s Claude Managed Agents. These cloud-hosted agents process multi-step background tasks and join group conversations as active team members. Alongside Anthropic’s technology, Webex will also incorporate OpenAI’s recently revealed “dot” agents.
The company also previewed native tools, including Personal Agents for Webex Calling. Slated for the first quarter of 2027 alongside the updated Webex app and collaborative agents, these personal tools screen incoming calls to converse with callers, gauge urgency, and prioritize tasks when users are unavailable. Meanwhile, a Translator agent is currently in controlled availability ahead of a November release. This feature supports real-time translation across ten languages—English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish—in both the Webex app and Cisco 9800 Series Desk Phones. An AI Coach agent for Vidcast is available immediately to evaluate short-form asynchronous video presentations by analyzing pacing, tone, and word choice.
App Refresh and Pricing Structure for Enhanced AI Add-Ons
The updated Webex application features a personalized landing page designed to highlight work priorities, surface upcoming meetings, and recommend follow-up actions like responding to messages or reviewing recaps. Jim Lundy, CEO of Aragon Research, stated that the new assistant understands user schedules and active tasks more deeply than competing market offerings.
Some Webex AI capabilities remain included at no extra cost within the standard Webex Suite—priced at $25 per user each month—and Enterprise tiers. However, advanced functionalities require a newly introduced “Enhanced AI Offer for AI” add-on. This add-on encompasses Polling and Translator agents, Personal Agents for Calling, and collaborative agent functionality. Cisco stated that the add-on launches in the coming weeks, though exact pricing has not yet been disclosed.
