Training Center

These release notes describe new WebEx Training Center features; the WebEx service that helps you deliver real-time, interactive training over the Web. For detailed instructions on using Training Center, see the user guides on the Support page of your Training Center service site.

Training Center no longer supports Windows 98, Mac OS X 10.3 and some Linux distributions. It also no longer supports Netscape 8, Mozilla on Windows and Safari 1.3 on Mac. For more information about the operating systems and browsers that you can use with Training Center, see the WebEx Cross-platform Features and Known Issues.

To get best practices, case studies, the latest training research, online seminars, content, and files, and share experiences with other users, sign up for a free membership in the WebEx Training Community.

What's New

The following list shows recent features and enhancements for Training Center, listed by release version number. Versions that did not include major updates are not listed.

WBS29.13

WebEx Productivity Tools

Updates were made to WebEx Productivity Tools. For more information, see Productivity Tools Release Notes.

Content view enhancements
  • The content viewing icon at the top of the content area in the meeting window has changed from Fit to width to Fit to viewer for easy access to one of the most common viewing options for screen sharing (formerly "desktop sharing"), file sharing, and application sharing. The default view is also now Fit to viewer. The option remains Fit to width for sharing the whiteboard.
  • Full-screen view has the same defaults for content viewing, unless user manually chooses another option before going to that view.

In-meeting audio prompts

English language audio prompts have been updated to improve consistency of prompt tone and voice quality.

Updates for operating system and browser support

Support was updated for operating systems and browsers. See Cross-platform Features and Known Issues for more information.

WBS29.12

New User Reference link

The New User Reference function has been improved for a better support experience. When you select the New User Reference link for your WebEx service, a web page is displayed with reference information tailored for the WebEx service you're using. This makes it easier to access information about a specific WebEx service. The default setting for the New User Reference link can be changed in WebEx Site Administration.

Recording announcement

Recording has been enhanced to play an audible announcement to attendees when a recording has started in a meeting. If you're calling using a telephone, you'll hear the announcement if you're in the meeting when a recording starts or when you join a meeting that is being recorded. If you're calling using a computer (VoIP), you'll only hear the announcement if you're in the meeting when the recording starts. The recording announcement feature applies only to customers with WebEx audio conferencing.

This feature will be available after additional updates are completed to the WebEx Cloud. The target availability for the Network-Based Recording (NBR) announcement feature time frame is Q1 2015. When the feature is becomes available, a new setting will be added in WebEx Site Administration so that administrators can enable NBR audible announcements, if desired.

Site Administration updates

Updates were made to the Site Administration tool. For more information, see Site Administration Release Notes.

WBS29.11

Video enhancements

  • New Video panel layout default settings and consolidated controls allow users to view video and switch between layouts more easily:
    • New video layout options at top of video window on the participant list when a video is being sent.
    • When one user sends video, the default meeting window view changes to 50% video view (unless sharing is going on).
    • When two or more people send video, the video panel automatically changes to video thumbnail view.
    • If a web camera is detected, users are asked whether they want to start their video. In the same prompt, users can also choose to start their video in all meetings. This setting can be changed in video settings by selecting the gear-shaped Settings icon on top of the video window.
  • The starting frame rate for thumbnails and active video has increased to 15 fps, improving the video experience in good bandwidth environments.
  • In case of low bandwidth when video cannot be sent, the user receives a descriptive error message after 5 seconds that indicates that the user has bandwidth or local computer issues that may affect video display.
  • In case video stops due to the above low bandwidth error in CMR Hybrid meetings, it starts sending video again automatically when the bandwidth improves or the local computer issues are remedied.

Profile page enhancements

The Profile page has been reduced to contain key profile information.

  • A more advanced image uploader has been added, which allows you to either upload an image or take a picture with your webcam
  • You can now access the profile page by clicking on your username in the upper right corner
  • It has been given a more modern look and feel, and made fully accessible

Preferences page

The Preferences page is now the centralized location for all user settings.

  • New collapsible categories
  • Webpage Preferences and Default Page Settings have been moved under the General section
  • The following settings have been moved from the Profile page to the Preferences Page:
    • My Personal Room
    • Scheduling Templates
    • Session Options has been renamed to Scheduling Options
    • Support Center
  • My Phone Numbers (from the Profile Page) and the Personal Conferencing Page have been merged under Audio Settings
  • The One-Click Setup page has been moved to the Preferences page and renamed to Meet Now Settings
  • It has been given a more modern look and feel, and made fully accessible.

WebEx Productivity Tools

Updates were made to WebEx Productivity Tools support. For more information, see the "WebEx Productivity Tools Support" tables in Productivity Tools Release Notes.

Updates for operating system and browser support

Support was updated for operating systems and browsers. See Cross-platform Features and Known Issues for more information.

Site Administration updates

Updates were made to the Site Administration tool. For more information, see Site Administration Release Notes.

WBS29.8.1

WebEx ball icon

The WebEx ball icon has been updated with a new design.

WBS29.8

WebEx page redesign and accessibility updates:

There have been improvements to the user experience for web pages in WebEx centers. The WebEx pages now have a modern design, but the interaction has not changed, so all the functionality remains the same.

Accessibility features have also been added to increase our current level of accessibility.

The redesign is a phased approach, beginning with core pages and flows. (We will continue to redesign other pages and centers in subsequent releases.)

  • Global elements (such as the header, top navigation, and the left menu bar) and core pages (such as the log in page, the My WebEx > My Meetings page, and the My WebEx > Training page) have been redesigned and have improved accessibility
  • The "Welcome" page has been optimized and has been renamed to "Home."
  • The join by number page can now be used to look up a Personal Room by the host's username.

Screen saver when sharing

When a user is sharing content in a meeting, the screen saver is disabled for all participants.

WebEx Productivity Tools

Updates were made to WebEx Productivity Tools, including support for the Mac. For more information, see Productivity Tools Release Notes.

Using WebEx on Chrome

Because Chrome will be removing support for NPAPI, a new joining method using a Chrome extension has been provided for using WebEx starting with Chrome 38. When using WebEx for the first time on Chrome, users will be guided through a one-time process to add the extension and update the WebEx application. After the first time, users can join without the extra steps.

Site Administration updates

Updates were made to the Site Administration tool. For more information, see Site Administration Release Notes.

Enhanced audio experience with wideband audio on WebEx VoIP and WebEx Audio

WebEx Audio meetings and VoIP-only meetings now have a superior meeting experience with wideband audio when users are connecting to audio using their computers (VoIP).

Wideband audio also refers to high-definition voice. Wideband audio captures wider frequency range and therefore provides clearer audio connections.

Windows, Mac, and Linux desktop applications, Apple iPad and iPhone devices, and Android mobile devices are supported. Wideband audio is also supported for network-based recording of VoIP only and WebEx Audio meetings.

Wideband Audio Codec (OPUS) is now the default codec for WebEx VoIP attendees. The OPUS codec has superior Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) and Forward Error Correction (FEC) and is more resilient to packet loss. As a result, it provides better audio quality in less ideal conditions.

It has a better noise-suppression algorithm that provides a much better experience when using audio through a computer, even without headset. It includes enhanced jitter buffer for UDP-based VoIP traffic. Reduced delay and data loss with smaller packet sampling size of 20 ms.

Computers operating on Solaris, Windows mobile devices, and Blackberry devices will continue to use narrowband audio for VoIP audio. If a user joins a meeting from any of those devices, the narrowband audio is used for the whole meeting.

Company Address Book and Personal Address Book in Site Administration and My WebEx

In the Company Address Book, which is available in Site Administration and in My WebEx, and the user's Personal Address Book, which is available in My WebEx, multiple contacts can be imported only by using a comma- or tab-delimited values file (.csv). To upload a comma- or tab-delimited .csv file, select the file to upload, select the type of delimiter your file uses (Tab or Comma), and then select Import. The WebEx Address Book format can also be exported from Site Administration and from My WebEx.

WBS29.7

WebEx Productivity Tools

Updates were made to WebEx Productivity Tools support. For more information, see the "WebEx Productivity Tools Support" tables in Productivity Tools Release Notes.

WBS29.6

Updates for operating system and browser support

Support was updated for operating systems and browsers. See Cross-platform Features and Known Issues for more information.

WBS29.5

Updates for operating system and browser support

Support was updated for operating systems and browsers. See Cross-platform Features and Known Issues for more information.

WBS29.4

New range for reuse of last passwords

The Do not allow reuse of last passwords option site administration option now allows site administrators to select a range from 3 to 8 last passwords. The new default is 3.

Updates for operating system support

Support was updated for operating systems. See Cross-platform Features and Known Issues for more information.

WBS29.3

WebEx Productivity Tools

Updates were made to WebEx Productivity Tools support. For more information, see the "WebEx Productivity Tools Support" tables in Productivity Tools Release Notes.

Security enhancement for VeriSign security servers

A security enhancement made in WBS29 requires the meeting application on a participant's computer to connect with the VeriSign security servers for security certificate validation when a participant joins the meeting. Administrators should make sure your firewall is configured to allow participants' computers to complete the validation and easily join meetings. To do this, ensure that VeriSign CRL servers at https:/​/​www.verisign.com/​repository/​crl.html are included in the approved URL list (or "white list") in your firewall. It is also recommended that you add the following URLs to the approved URL list to avoid any issues in the future:
  • *.verisign.com
  • *.thawte.com
  • *.geotrust.com
  • *.rapidssl.com
  • *.digitalcertvalidation.com
  • *.ws.symantec.com

This security enhancement has also been made to remote access agents that are installed on a remote computer in all WebEx services. This includes the following services:

  • remote computer sharing feature in WebEx meetings
  • Hands-on Labs in Training Center
  • Support Center
  • WebACD

The enhancement requires the remote access agent to validate the security certificate from VeriSign. If using these services, make sure your firewall is configured to allow access to the URLs listed above in order for the remote agent to stay online and accessible for your users.

WBS29.1

Support for PayPal

Starting in version WBS29.1, the site administrator will see new selections to the Provider Settings for PayPal Payflow Pro, PayPal Website Payments Pro UK, and PayPal Express Checkout US and Canada for training sessions. End users will see changes in the Payment Information Page for training sessions.

Cross-platform support

Updates were made for browser support. See the "Operating System and Browser Support" section in Cross-platform Features and Known Issues for more information.

WBS29

Document loading indicator

Sharing multiple documents during file sharing has become easier with the following features:

  • Users now have the ability to select multiple documents to upload at the same time.
  • All selected files show up in tabs above the content area.
  • Files get uploaded one at a time and become available for sharing as soon as they are uploaded.
  • Progress indicators in the content area and document tabs provide an immediate upload status for all selected documents.
  • Users can cancel uploading for a file by selecting the close (x) icon on the tab of the file that is currently being uploaded. Users cannot cancel uploading for multiple files in the queue, but those files can be removed after they have been uploaded.

Multiple monitor support enhancements

  • If a user has multiple monitors and goes to full-screen video when sharing, the user is presented with an option to move video to another monitor. Sharing is paused if video is not moved, and controls switch to video controls.
  • Windows users can also share secondary monitors. In this case, the meeting controls and video panel also move to the secondary monitor to enable easy access when sharing.

Known Issues/Limitations

Links generated by WebEx centers and WebEx recording services

As part of our continuing updates to improve security, Cisco is making changes to improve the management of cryptographic keys used to generate URLs used in WebEx Meeting Center, Training Center, Support Center, Event Center, and WebEx recording services. As a result, existing links that were generated by those services have been updated, and in some cases, users may need to request new links.

Windows 8 and 8.1

  • If a presenter using Windows 8 or 8.1 shares his or her application or screen (formerly called "desktop sharing"), other participants will see windows with a crosshatch pattern on top of the shared content in places where any panels are open. This problem occurs with all panels, including the meeting control panel, Participants panel, Chat panel, and sharing indicators. We recommend that presenters using Windows 8 or 8.1 keep panels closed as much as possible to provide a better viewing experience for other participants.
  • When connecting to remote computer with Windows 8 or 8.1, the local screen will not be able to be blacked out.
  • File sharing Word documents for the 32-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010 is not supported for Windows 8.1. We recommend that you use application sharing or screen sharing instead.

Microsoft Office 2013 Support

  • If you have Microsoft Office 2013 installed, the following features are not supported when sharing PowerPoint 2013 files:
    • Animations and transitions
    • Embedded video or audio files
    • PowerPoint notes in a dedicated panel
    • UCF Toolkit
  • If you have customized your Info Tab, some custom elements may not be supported. We recommend that you validate it to make sure it continues to display properly in a WebEx meeting.
  • In a few cases, the following problems may occur:
    • Text and fill colors may be slightly different from the actual colors in a slide.
    • Some graphic elements may be missing from a slide.
    • Fonts may appear blurry on a slide or may be different from the original.
    • The size of shapes may be different from the original.
  • If an object in a PowerPoint presentation does not display correctly in edit mode, it is automatically removed in Slide Show view; however, the object may continue to display when the file is shared in a WebEx meeting.
  • You cannot share password-protected PowerPoint 2013 files using the file sharing feature. Use the application sharing or desktop sharing features instead.
  • You cannot share Excel 2013 files on Windows 8 using the file sharing feature. Use the application sharing or screen sharing (formerly called "desktop sharing") features instead.
  • You cannot share Word 2013 (64-bit) documents on Windows 8 (64-bit) using the file sharing feature. Use the application sharing or screen sharing features instead.

Sharing Office 2010 documents

Some features newly introduced in PowerPoint 2010 such as 3D graphics, animations and transitions are not supported and may be rendered as static objects when sharing presentations using those features.

Streaming media sharing

Attendee video resolution is optimized to 480p. Video files with higher resolution are resized to fit (640 X 480) resolution. The following media file formats are currently supported: WMV, WMA, WAV, MP3, ASF, AVI, MPG, MPEG, MOV, FLV, F4V, QT, and MP4.
  • MP4 and MOV video files cannot be shared in a WebEx Meeting if they cannot be played by the installed QuickTime player
  • Recommended System requirements for video file sharing on Presenter side:
    • Core2-Duo E6750 @ 2.66GHz for VGA file is required
    • AMD 9650 2.3GHz (4 core) 8GB is preferred
    • Intel® Core™ 2 Duo -E7400 2.8GHz 2.79GHz is preferred

High-definition video

High-definition video is available for the main session only. There is no support for breakout sessions at this time.

High-quality video

High-quality video is available for the main session only. There is no support for breakout sessions at this time.

Operating system limitations

If you use Solaris or Linux you cannot:
  • Display UCF PowerPoint animations and transitions
  • Share UCF files
  • Cache course material before the session starts
  • See the attendee-ready indicator
  • Use WebEx integrated video
  • Record sessions with the WebEx Recorder or edit them with the WebEx Recording Editor
  • Play a training session recording file (WRF format) on Solaris or Linux
  • Use PCNow
  • Install the Integration to Microsoft Outlook
  • Conduct Hands-on Labs

The Linux platform does not support the new interface, Training Control panel, streaming video sharing, computer audio enhancements, new participant panel, and high-quality video behavior, including full-screen video behavior.

If you use the Mac platform you cannot:
  • Install integration to Microsoft Outlook
  • View PowerPoint Notes in a panel
  • Playback non-Quicktime movie format files during a session (only .MOV and .QT are supported)
  • Use Quick Start
  • Invite or Remind attendees from Session Option tray during full screen document sharing, application and desktop sharing
  • Set Hands-On Lab options
  • Record sessions to a local computer with the local WebEx Recorder or edit them with the WebEx Recording Editor (.WRF format only).

For details see Cross-platform Features and Known Issues.

Other Mac issues

  • If a host on a Mac assigns the Presenter role to an attendee on a Mac, and at the same time has polling list, invite options, or Q&A tab options open, these options do not automatically close for the new presenter if she does full-screen or Application/Desktop sharing
  • A host cannot start a session on a Mac simultaneously while viewing a WebEx Network Based Recording.
  • Chat and Q&A text box does not have a scroll bar when entering large amounts of text in the message
  • If an attendee switched to a presenter role while taking a test, they still can take the test.
  • Attendees can see the Presenter's Sharing menu during desktop share, if the latter is on an Intel Mac.
  • Web Browser for attendee does not close automatically when Presenter on Mac stops web sharing
  • When doing desktop share, if Presenter tries to simultaneously assign attendees to breakout sessions from the Session Options tray, the panel overlaps the Assignment dialog and this dialog disappears if the presenter clicks anywhere on the desktop.
  • Scroll bar space for polls always appears, even if there is no scroll bar

Session options always appears on top of other windows if opened during desktop share and using other functions from the session options tray.

Feature enhancements for Macintosh

Feature enhancements in this release are available for Windows, Solaris, and Linux. Enhancements and more feature support on Macintosh will be available shortly after this release.

Mobile device support

Training Center is not currently supported on mobile devices.

Hands-on Labs

  • When upgrading from WBS 26 to WBS 27, Hands-on Labs within a session will not have all features for approximately 24 hours from the time of the upgrade. During this period, labs can be started and attendees will be able to join, but attendees will not be able to pass control to each other or transfer files.
  • If file transfer is disabled for Hands-On Labs in a customized session type, it is still available in On-Demand Hands-on Labs because it is supported in the main training session type.

Sessions deleted automatically after ending

If a session is automatically deleted after it ends, as specified by the host, and then the attendees of that session are also invited to an On-Demand lab, those attendees do not receive any cancellations from the On-Demand session and there is no way for the host to manually cancel their invitations. However, when they try to join the lab, they will not be allowed to do so.

Attention tracking

If an attendee is on Solaris or Unix and they take a test within the session, they are assumed to be always paying attention in the session for as long as they are in the session during and after completing the test.

Registering for recurring sessions

In the case of single recurring sessions, if a registered attendee from a later session is manually invited by the presenter into the current ongoing session, they will lose their registration from the session they originally registered for and show up as an attendee of the current session in the usage reports.

Meta data name

The meta data name when entering data for SCORM 2004 cannot include certain special characters, even if the original session included these characters in the title.

Registering through email link

If an attendee is invited to register for a session and clicks on the email link to do so, their name is not pre-filled in the registration form.

Host account files

If your host user account is deleted, your files are still included in the site storage space allocation.

Network-based recording

  • The network-based Recorder does not record:
    • Private chat sessions with hosts
    • Polling results (unless the results are shared with attendees)
    • Test and breakout sessions
  • WebEx Advanced Recording Format (.ARF) files are supported in the UCF Viewer.

Disabling Quick Start

If your site administrator disables the Quick Start page in the session type and you save a scheduling template for this session type, Quick Start still appears in the template's options. However, the Quick Start page does not appear in the session.

Closing dialog windows in the Firefox browser

When using Firefox, some dialog windows may not close when clicking the Close or OK button due to a technical limitation with Firefox.

Summary of Differences Since Previous Lockdown Version

The following sections summarize the differences between the lockdown version WBS29.13.10 and the previous lockdown version (WBS28.12.2).

Modern, Simplified Meeting Experience (Meeting and Event Center-Windows)

  • New modern design and clean layout
  • New icons, fonts, and colors
  • Consolidated controls in Quick Start page
  • Improved icons for panels
  • Intuitive Audio dialog box
  • Improved Sharing dialog box
  • Improved Invite & Remind dialog box
  • Attendee can view screen sharing and application sharing within a tab of the meeting
  • Minimize transitions for attendee while providing easy access to video and meeting controls
  • Content sharing and video size is adjustable by simply dragging the mouse
  • Easy to access Annotation tools and other functions
  • Vertical Annotation bar with updated icons (Windows only)
  • Easily access View options to control viewing preference
  • New and updated Annotation Tool icons
  • Improved dialogs
  • Improved notifications
  • New icons in meeting control panel for the Presenter

Meeting Experience Usability Enhancements

  • The presenter role automatically passes to the host when the host joins, even if the first attendee has become a presenter. The only exception is if an attendee is sharing content. (Meeting Center)
  • Allows presenter role to automatically pass to the person who has control of the meeting
  • The screen saver is disabled during content sharing (all Centers)
  • Allows users to focus on the content without interruption
  • Sites will automatically have Chat and Notes panels minimized, with these panels showing icons at top that users can select to open (Meeting Center & Event Center)
  • Defaults can be changed in Site Administration

Improved Video Experience (Meeting and Event Center-Windows)

  • New video control layout options at the top of video display on Participant List
  • When one user sends video, the default meeting window view changes to 50% video view (unless sharing is going on)
  • When 2 or more people send video, the video panel automatically changes to video thumbnail view
  • If a camera is detected, the user will see a message to send Video (Meeting Center only)
  • Users can also specify to send video by default in all meetings (can be changed in video settings)

Video Enhancements

  • Starting frame rate for thumbnails and active video to be 15 fps, changed from 6 fps
  • Provides good video experience at work, where bandwidth is usually good.
  • Spinning wheel turns to error message after 5 seconds
  • Automatic recovery of video on CMR Hybrid (WebEx-enabled TelePresence) meetings after video has been turned off due to low bandwidth.

Disable Entry and Exit Audio Tone in Meeting (Meeting Center)

  • New option to disable entry and exist audio tone at any time during the meeting (beeps or announces name)
  • Can be turned back on if needed
  • Prevents disruption in meetings when large number of participants or leave the meeting

Host Can Leave Meeting Without Ending It (Meeting Center)

  • The host role automatically transfers to another participant if the host leaves the meeting from the WebEx application without ending it (does not apply when host is on TelePresence system or has joined by audio only).
  • Allows meetings to continue when the host forgets to manually assign a host before leaving the meeting

Anyone Can Share (Meeting Center)

Allows participants to start sharing content immediately without being made presenter first. This option is enabled by default for new sites. The host can disable the option during the meeting.

WebEx Page Redesign and Accessibility Updates

  • Improved accessibility and simplified user experience
    • Log in page
    • Meeting Calendar ("Browse Meetings")
  • Meeting Scheduler (Comparison)
  • Advanced Scheduler
  • "Welcome" page renamed to "Home"
  • One-Click meeting changes:
    • "One-Click" command renamed to "Meet Now"
    • Starts a meeting in your Personal Room by default
    • Message to let the user know that "Meet Now" starts a meeting in your Personal Room
    • Users can change back to the old dynamic link in Preferences
  • Consolidated Calendar views
  • Scheduler
  • Meeting registration option change
  • Introducing HTML email templates for Meeting Center
  • Join Page (Meeting Detail Page)
  • Non-refreshing Join pages given minimal changes for consistency
  • Join meeting experience
    • A faster and cleaner join experience
    • Join meetings faster
    • Reduced connection time
    • Optimized APIs
    • Join up to *30% faster (speed depends on network and computer speed)
  • Clean Join experience
    • Shows the meeting window faster
    • Simple join pages
    • Removed connection pop-up messages
    • Loading status cleanly presented in the meeting
  • Usability enhancements
  • Access technical support during a meeting (available only to WebEx Cloud-Connected Audio (CCA) customers and the support is only for audio)

Event Center Event Experience Redesign (Windows)

Modern, simplified event experience

  • New modern skin and clean layout
  • New icons, fonts, and colors
  • Consolidated controls in Quick Start
  • Improved icons for panels
  • Q & A update
    • Answered questions in blue
    • Unanswered questions in orange
  • Updated audio broadcast dialog box
  • New icons, fonts, and colors

Personal Rooms (Meeting Center Only)

  • Dedicated Personal Room for Meeting Center
  • Permanent personalized video conferencing space
  • What are Personal Rooms and CMR Cloud? Your Personal Room provides an easy-to-remember destination for meetings.
    • Each WebEx Meeting Center host has a Personal Room
    • Persistent
    • Vanity URL
    • Host lobby management (room lock)
    • Personal Room with CMR Cloud includes all the capabilities of a Personal Room plus:
      • WebEx Video Bridge - Cloud-based video bridging that enables users to join from any standards-based video endpoin
      • Video ID
      • Add-on service subscription required
    • Home Page Becomes Your Personal Room Page
    • Host Lobby Management
    • Notification while sharing (you can select this message to view your entire lobby)

Quickly Schedule Meetings from Outlook with Mac Productivity Tools

Go to your site Support section for downloading the Mac version of WebEx Productivity Tools:

  • Go to the Support section of your site and select Downloads.
  • As long as your operating system is Mac, you'll be guided to the downloading of Productivity Tools for Mac. (Productivity Tools are also available with Windows.)
  • You don't have to enter a site URL, because the site URL is pre-filled when you download it from your WebEx site
  • Sign in by entering email address and password
  • Switching sites is easy -- you can sign out and enter another site URL. The new site URL will be remembered
  • The Mac version of Productivity Tools has a convenient menu on the Mac toolbar, which you can easily access by selecting the WebEx ball on the toolbar
    • Meet Now and Schedule Meeting as the major features are listed at top
    • Start an instant meeting with Meet Now
    • Select Schedule Meeting to schedule an Outlook appointment
    • Can send log files to the WebEx technical support team
  • WebEx Integration to Microsoft Outlook for Mac
    • Select Meet Now within Outlook to start an instant meeting
    • Convenient meeting scheduling with Outlook. When you select Schedule Meeting, a new appointment message or calendar entry appears
    • Enter your meeting subject, date and time, and invite attendees as you normally would.
    • You can also start with a normal calendar entry and add WebEx to it Schedule different WebEx meetings by selecting Change WebEx Setting
      • You can save a personal meeting template with the options you always use for quick scheduling
      • You can also change the options in the advanced settings
      • You can now create exceptions to a recurring meeting series, except for CMR Hybrid (WebEx-enabled TelePresence) meetings

Profile and Preferences Optimization

The My WebEx and My WebEx Profile sections have been optimized into the new sections:
  • Profile
  • Preferences
  • Preferences: General
  • Preferences: Meet Now
  • Preferences: Audio Settings
  • Preferences: Personal Room, Scheduling Templates, Scheduling Options, Support Center

Wideband Audio and Audio Prompts

Enhanced audio experience with wideband audio on WebEx VOIP

  • Both VOIP Only meetings as well as WebEx Audio meetings support wideband audio
  • Windows, MAC and Linux desktop applications, Apple iPhone and iPad, and Android mobile device apps are supported
  • Network-based recording for VOIP only meetings
  • Wideband Audio Codec (OPUS) is now default codec for WebEx VOIP attendees
  • Not supported on Wideband Codec
  • Desktop Solaris applications, Windows mobile app, and Blackberrymobile app will continue to be narrowband. If participant joins from one of those applications, the whole meeting uses narrowband.
  • NBR recording and playback is supported for WebEx audio meetings

Why WebEx VOIP is improved

  • Superior meeting experience with wideband audio
  • Wideband audio also refers to HD voice - Wideband audio captures wider frequency range and therefore provides clearer audio connections
  • The OPUS codec has superior Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) and Forward Error Correction (FEC) and is more resilient to packet loss. As a result, it provides better audio quality in less ideal conditions.
  • Better Noise Suppression Algorithm - Much better experience when using audio through a computer even without headset
  • Enhanced jitter buffer for UDP based VOIP traffic
  • Reduced delay and data loss with smaller packet sampling size of 20ms

Audio Prompts: Details of user experience

  • Call in:
    • I multiple languages are configured for the country the user is dialing from, user will hear "Welcome to WebEx" in first language, followed by "to continue in <first language>, press 1 followed by #, "to continue in <second language>, press 2 followed by #, and so on.
    • Once the user makes a choice, all subsequent prompts are heard in that language.\
    • If multiple languages are NOT configured, user will hear "Welcome to WebEx" and all subsequent prompts in the bridge default language (which is always either US or UK English.)
  • Call Me:
    • If user selects the Call Me service to a country mapped to a language other than English, the user will hear the mapped language first, then the prompt will be repeated in English.
  • Other updates
    • Meeting entry and exit tone changed to avoid accidental interpretation of the tone as a DTMF command
    • Minor updates to prompt scripts to adhere to latest style guidelines; for example, we use the word "meeting" instead of "conference" now.
    • Nonessential prompts on dial-in and call-back removed to shorten the audio join experience

Site Administration Updates

  • Existing Branding is preserved Simplified Branding
  • HTML email templates With HTML - Sorting
  • HTML and Plain Text
  • Email Templates - Revert to Default
  • Email Templates - What to expect
  • Mac Productivity Tools Settings
  • Deactivated Host Account -- when a host account is deactivated:
    • Scheduled meetings or events for the deactivated user cannot be started
    • Alternate host cannot start the meeting or event
    • Schedule on behalf of deactivated host cannot be started
    • Message is displayed that the host is no longer active and Join button is disabled
    • No meeting or event reminders, no audio
    • Meeting Center - Browse meetings - Start button removed
    • Event Center - Register link is removed from List of Events
    • Event Center - Register link is removed
    • Training Center - Attendee view displays message that host has been deactivated and Join Now button is removed
    • Applies to Meeting Center, Event Center, and Training Center
  • Attendee Privileges - Print or Save Documents
    • Meeting Scheduler
    • Host can Disable or Enable the ability to print or save documents
    • When Enabled, if the host shares a document (not desktop), the attendee has the ability to save or print the document being shared

CMR Hybrid (WebEx-enabled TelePresence) Integration

The CMR Hybrid (WebEx-enabled TelePresence) integration with WebEx Productivity Tools allows users to schedule and start CMR Hybrid meetings that use WebEx Meeting Center and Cisco TelePresence.

Email invitation templates for Productivity Tools

Some changes have happened for email invitation templates for Productivity Tools between WBS28.9 and WBS29.13:

  • WBS28.9 to WBS28.12.27—If CMR Hybrid was not enabled on the site, there were two email invitation templates in the Windows version of WebEx Productivity Tools for WebEx-only, Personal Conference, and Audio-only meetings-one for hosts, which included the host key and host access code, and one for attendees, which did not include host key or host access code information. If CMR Hybrid was enabled on the site, only one email invitation template was available for CMR Hybrid meetings, WebEx-only, Personal Conference, and Audio-only meetings, and it was the attendee version that does not contain the host key and host access code.
  • WBS29.11 to WBS29.13.2—In the Windows version of WebEx Productivity Tools, only one email invitation template was available for CMR Hybrid meetings, WebEx-only, Personal Conference, and Audio-only meetings, and it was the attendee version that does not contain the host key and host access code.
  • WBS29.13.10—For WebEx-only, Personal Conference, and Audio-only meetings, two email invitation templates are available in the Windows version of WebEx Productivity Tools again-one for attendees, and one for hosts, which include the host key and host access codes. CMR Hybrid meetings still only support one email invitation template, which is the attendee version that does not contain the host key and host access code.
  • WBS29.8 to WBS29.13.10—In the Mac version of WebEx Productivity Tools, only one email invitation template is available for CMR Hybrid meetings, WebEx-only, Personal Conference, and Audio-only meetings, and the attendee version that does not contain the host key and host access code.

For more information, see Productivity Tools Release Notes.

Usability improvements for the CMR Hybrid integration in Productivity Tools

In WBS 29, usability improvements were added for the CMR Hybrid integration in Productivity Tools, including help text and tool tips for first-time users, collapsible meeting option panels, and status indicators to show whether a WebEx meeting has been added and TelePresence resources have been reserved.

Recording support for CMR Hybrid meetings

Starting with WBS29, you can record video, audio, sharing, chat, and polling for CMR Hybrid meetings. Just press Record as you normally would. For more information, see Recording and Playback FAQs in http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meeting-center/​products-user-guide-list.html.

Allow people to join by using WebEx

Starting in WBS29, the Allow people to join using WebEx option in the Meeting Options dialog box for a CMR Hybrid meeting is no longer "sticky"-that is, it does not stay checked if was checked for a previous meeting. If you want to allow users to join using WebEx, you must check this box again for each CMR Hybrid meeting.

Listing CMR Hybrid meetings in the My Meetings list

Some issues about listing CMR Hybrid meetings in My WebEx > My Meetings list have been fixed.

Other WebEx features

Some features have been added or enhanced for WebEx-only meetings that do not yet have full support in CMR Hybrid meetings:

  • Exceptions to recurring meeting series are not supported for CMR Hybrid meetings. For more information, see the CMR Hybrid (WebEx-enabled TelePresence) Integration Issues section in Known Issues/​Limitations for Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMR).
  • Personal Rooms are not supported for CMR Hybrid meetings.
  • Participants on iPads, iPhones, and Android devices cannot share content in CMR Hybrid meetings.