Cisco Systems is working to innovate its video conferencing platform, Webex, to make virtual participation in an in-person meeting a more productive experience, CEO Chuck Robbins told CNBC on Wednesday.
Webex and competing offerings from Zoom and Microsoft have experienced increased user growth during the coronavirus pandemic, as companies were forced to pivot toward remote work and reduced business travel.
In an interview with “Squawk on the Street,” Robbins said he anticipates a hybrid model in the future, with a return to the office accompanied with more flexibility around remote work than before the pandemic.
“In the future, we’ll have people sitting in conference rooms and we’ll have people at home,” Robbins said, in response to a question from CNBC’s David Faber about what video conferencing will look like in five years.
“You know what it’s like historically to be a remote attendee at a meeting. It’s been terrible, so we’re working a lot on technology that gives the same experience to both of us, which is the first thing,” Robbins continued.
Over time, he said he expects new progress with Webex, which Cisco acquired in 2007.
“I think you’ll see real 3D experiences. You’ll practically be in the room and there’s a lot of work our teams are doing right now to build this next-generation technology,” Robbins said. “I think that’s what you’ll experience in a few years.”
Webex had 600 million users on average during the second fiscal quarter, Robbins said Tuesday during a conference call to discuss the company’s profit report. This is an increase from the 324 million users Webex saw in March when the Covid pandemic in the United States began to accelerate, according to Reuters.
At the same time, Cisco is among the companies that could benefit from a more widespread return to the office, as companies use their network switches and wi-fi hotspots. Robbins said during the call from analysts that some Cisco employees have expressed a desire to return to the office or at least return to work remotely on their own terms.
Robbins said Cisco’s goal for Webex is to standardize the playing field during meetings when people have more flexibility in their location. “I think it’s going to be less and less important if you’re in the room and if you’re at home,” he said. “We want you to become a productive member of the meeting, no matter where you are.”
Shares of Cisco, headquartered in San Jose, California, one of 30 shares in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell more than 4% on Wednesday as investors digested ongoing challenges in the infrastructure platform business of the company, its leading product segment.
– CNBC’s Jordan Novet contributed to this report.