Hoping to maintain its role as a leader in enterprise collaboration, Cisco Systems Inc. says it’s converging its messaging application Spark with its Webex videoconferencing platform.

The net result of this move is a new ecosystem of services, including a new Webex Meetings application, and a Webex-enabled Spark application that’s to be known as “Webex Teams.” The new apps will share a common cloud on the backend and offer a similar user experience, the company said.

In effect, what Cisco is doing with Webex Teams is merging the two platforms, taking all of the collaboration features found in Spark and integrating them with Webex and its superior videoconferencing functionality, which includes capabilities such as whiteboarding, content sharing and simple guest access.

The integration is all about simplifying the collaboration services Cisco offers, company officials said.

“Prior to this convergence, we had Cisco Spark with its own type of meeting — the Spark meeting — but we still had Webex with its own Webex meetings,” said Jonathan Rosenberg, chief technology officer of Cisco’s collaboration business. “Users could join Cisco Spark meetings only from the Cisco Spark app, and Webex meetings from the Webex app. Users could join Webex meetings from Cisco Spark if they were clever, but they did not get any of the critical meetings features. With this convergence it’s all simplified.”

Cisco says that Webex Meetings is a “video first” conferencing app, with the focus being on encouraging users to turn on their cameras for each meeting when possible. The app is now capable of hosting up to 1,000 participants per meeting, and comes with better storage, analytics and security capabilities. The revamped Webex Meetings app will be rolled out to existing users in the coming months, Cisco said.

Cisco’s goal in bringing the Spark and Webex brands together is to make it easier for people to use and understand the two tools, Alan Lepofsky, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research Inc., told SiliconANGLE. He said this move is more than just a marketing exercise, since Cisco is bringing the best new features it developed for Spark into its popular Webex portfolio.

“I’m glad to see the renewed focus on team collaboration, as work is more than just meetings, it’s the organization and execution that goes along with them,” Lepofsky said.

The convergence also affects a number of other Cisco devices and services. The Cisco Spark Board is now known as the Webex Board, while Spark Assistant, a digital assistant inside Spark, will now be called the Webex Assistant.

The latter product is also being updated with greater functionality and compatibility with more devices, including the Cisco Webex Room Kit and Room Series devices.

Cisco also introduced a new device called Webex Share, which plugs into a TV screen so it can be used as a Webex meeting screen. In addition, the company is introducing a new Collaboration Flex Plan for subscribers with pricing based on the number of active users.

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