Cisco Webex Latest Release - 42.1

Overview

Your Webex service will be upgraded to the Latest release 42.1 according to the Cisco Webex maintenance schedule.

Summary of the upcoming release is below. 

For users

Webex Webinars (new)

• A new name is given for Webex Events. It is Webex Webinars from now on. Soon it will be reflected within the product. Along with the name change, the scheduler has been updated to make it easier to select the size and webinar experience for plans that support 3000 or more attendees. For more information, see Webex Webinars.
• As a host, you can now customize your email templates for webinars. You can customize the templates you use to send the following emails to panelists and attendees:
  • invitations
  • reminders
  • thank yous
  • cancellations
    
    You can also choose whether to use HTML or Plain text for your email format and even save the template to your template library for future use.
    

• Slido is now supporting 10,000 Webex Webinars. You can now use Slido in plans for up to 10,000 users in Webex Webinars. Slido polls are available for up to 10,000 attendees, while quizzes are available for up to 5,000 users. This feature is not available for Webex for Government.
• For webinar attendees, starting February 2022, Internet Explorer 11 is no longer supported. Attendees are prompted to change to a supported browser, when necessary.

Webex pre/in-meeting experience

• As a host or a cohost, you can easily identify users to admit or remove in the secure lobby. You are now easily able to identify a participant joining a meeting as Internal to your organization, External to your organization, or Unverified where the user isn't authenticated by Webex and therefore can’t be verified.
• In the 42.1 update, support for Internet Explorer 11 will officially end. Users may still be able to start or join meetings using this browser. However, bug fixes or updates will no longer be provided, and it is recommended to use a supported browser version for the best experience.
• End of support for Windows 7.x and Windows 8.x operating systems. In the 42.1 update, support will be officially ended for Windows operating systems earlier than Windows 10. Users on Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 may continue to be able to start or join meetings. However, for the best experience, it is recommended to upgrade to the latest version of Windows. Bug fixes or updates for operating systems earlier than Windows 10 will no longer be provided.
• Starting with the 42.1 update, Webex Meetings supports Windows 64-bit.
• Meetings is renamed to Calendar on the left navigation menu. This feature makes it easier for the host to find meetings or webinars in upcoming and completed lists.
• Closed captions selection (on or off) is automatically remembered starting from this release. Webex remembers your closed captioning selection for your next meeting or event. This behavior replaces the preference setting to automatically enable closed captions, to be removed in 42.2. This change applies to sites that have closed captions separated from the Webex Assistant.
  This feature has select customer availability for Webex for Government.
• New keyboard shortcuts are introduced for smart audio, chat, closed captions, Mac right-click menu.
• Duplicated tooltips can now be hidden. The tooltip and label name are duplicated in a few controls. This feature is to enhance your experience to remove a few redundant tooltips if they are duplicated with the text name.
• You are now able to align simultaneous interpretation in a webinar with Webex Meeting. You can enable simultaneous interpretation and manage available languages for event management in Webex Meetings or webinars. As a host, you are responsible for enabling simultaneous interpretation for the meetings and webinars that you schedule, and for managing the interpretation during the meeting. You can pre-assign interpreters or add new language channels and interpreters to meet the needs of more attendees.
• Similar to the desktop app, you can now pop-out panels from the meeting window in the Web App into a separate browser window. This makes it easy to float multiple panels, scale them for a closer look, or even move them to another monitor.

Webex Meetings for iOS

• Apple Airplay external speaker support is now available. You can add in-meeting settings to enable Apple Airplay audio support.

For administrators

• Administrators can block all remote-control features for users when joining external meetings. With this update, administrators are provided with a button on the control hub at organization level to block all remote-control access for users joining external meetings (meetings hosted on sites outside of your company). The block includes desktop remote control, application remote control, and web browser remote control in meetings.
• Administrators can manage images used in the virtual background. As an administrator, you can flexibly configure various scenarios on different meeting sites and different services, such as Webex Meetings, Webex Calling, and Webex Messaging.

Webex Meetings VDI

• Webex Meetings VDI now supports audio background noise reduction on Windows thin client. The user from Windows thin client device can enable or disable the background noise reduction in Webex Meetings VDI.

Webex for Government Updates

• Zero-Trust Security now provides end-to-end encryption and strong identity verification in your scheduled and personal room meetings.
• Collaboration restrictions have been introduced for your company users joining external meetings. As an administrator, you can apply policies to users joining external meetings from a Webex for Government environment.

Webex Meetings APIs

• Enhanced recording reports are available using RESTFul APIs. Meetings RESTful API users are now able to get the following reporting information about who has viewed the recordings:
  • Number of views of a specific recording
  • Number of downloads of a specific recording
  • The following information about the viewer:
    • Name
    • Email
    • When they viewed the recording
    • Whether they downloaded the recording.
      
      This feature is not available for Webex for Government.

Go here for more details on what's new in 42.1 Latest release.

Impact description and actions

• Review the above features and inform your users
• Follow 'Next steps' below

Next steps

Refer to the below resources for support through this upgrade process:

• Customer Monthly Update for 42.1
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Latest Channel Guide for IT Managers

We recognize that you may require software to remain on lockdown for compliance with regulations or internal policies. Please submit your request by completing this form.

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