Cisco Webex is an enterprise web conferencing platform. Web conferencing is a technology that enables users to collaborate virtually for meetings, classes or events/webinars. Participants can use browser, desktop application or mobile device application with audio and video in a highly secure environment.
The Webex platform supports three main web conferencing needs:
Feature |
Meetings |
Webinars |
---|---|---|
Screen, application, file, browser, and multimedia sharing |
Yes |
Yes |
Video, audio, and moderated text chat |
Yes |
Yes |
Manage in meeting collaboration (mute, participant video, content sharing, etc.) |
No |
Yes |
Moderated Question & Answer |
No |
Yes |
Number of participants |
1000 |
1000* |
Local Dial-In Option for Participants |
Yes |
Yes |
Polling |
Yes |
Yes |
Slido polling |
No |
Yes |
Breakout sessions |
Yes |
Yes |
Attendee Registration |
Yes |
Yes |
Session recording |
Yes |
Yes |
Enable automatic session recording |
No |
Yes |
Enable automatic practice session |
No |
Yes |
Attendance report |
No |
Yes |
*Webinars for up to 3,000 can be scheduled by special request.
McGill staff, students & faculty as well non-McGill staff members (Affiliate) working in association with McGill, and contractors with McGill service provider accounts can organize and host a meeting with any participants they choose.
Participants do not need a license to join a Webex meeting.
Access is already available to all qualified users; you do not need to make a request.
From the website, you can also download the Cisco Webex app. Please see the Webex Instructions for desktop download and set up assistance.
To start a meeting you can choose to Meet Now, or Schedule a meeting for another time.
There is no cost associated with this service. Users may need headphones with a microphone and a web camera for meetings.
This service is available 24 X 7. If ever there are unanticipated problems with the service or scheduled maintenance, announcements will be posted on the Webex site. Check the Webex Service Status page to learn more.
Do all participants in a Webex meeting require an account? Do they need to install anything?
If you invite people to a meeting but they don’t have a Webex account, they can join as a guest. Guests can join Webex meetings in several ways:
Host your meetings with security in mind:
As a host, you are the final decision maker concerning the security settings of your meeting. Always remember that you control nearly every aspect of the meeting, including when it begins and ends.
Here are some best practices:
Host effective meetings:
Register for instructor-led training on Webex.
Visit the Webex Help Center to find self-serve training resources including:
View these knowledge base articles:
For assistance and support using Webex, click help.webex.com. There you can find self-serve resources or click Contact Us to speak with or open a text chat with a support agent.
For access/authentication issues, contact the IT Service Desk.