In short: Webex Calling is Cisco's cloud calling service, used through the Webex App and Cisco devices. Users take a Professional or Standard licence, and shared phones take a Workspace licence. It connects to the phone network through Cisco Calling Plans, Cloud Connected PSTN or a local gateway, and Professional and Standard users can call from Microsoft Teams.
What Webex Calling is
Webex Calling is a cloud phone system run by Cisco. It provides the PBX features organisations expect (extensions, hunt groups, call queues, auto attendants, voicemail) and puts calling in the Webex App next to messaging and Webex meetings. Users can work from Cisco desk phones, the desktop app or the mobile app, and administrators manage everything in Cisco's Control Hub portal.
Cisco runs Webex Calling from pairs of data centres in several regions. Its preferred architecture guide lists UK data centres in London and Manchester, alongside Frankfurt and Amsterdam in Europe. Cisco also offers Webex Calling Dedicated Instance, a separately licensed deployment option; we can tell you whether it is worth considering.
Webex Calling licences
Cisco licenses Webex Calling by the type of user or space. According to Cisco's Webex Calling documentation:
| Licence | For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Professional (User) | Individual users who need the full feature set | Includes the Webex App soft clients and desk phones; supports features such as virtual lines and group voicemail |
| Standard (User) | Users with standard telephony needs | A user has either a desk phone or the soft clients, not both |
| Professional (Workspace) | Shared spaces that need professional features | Device endpoints only |
| Workspace | Common areas such as receptions, corridors and break rooms | One Cisco phone or analogue adapter; not for individual users |
Some features sit outside the core licences: for example, Cisco sells a Route List Calls add-on for organisations that still have users on an on-premises Cisco call manager. We confirm which licences and add-ons each person and space needs. For pricing, ask us for a quote.
PSTN options: how calls reach the phone network
Webex Calling needs a connection to the public phone network for external calls. Cisco offers three routes. Each Webex Calling location uses one of them, but different locations in the same organisation can use different routes:
| Option | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Calling Plans | Cisco supplies the phone service. New numbers and port requests are handled in Control Hub. The United Kingdom is one of the countries Cisco lists. | Organisations wanting one supplier for calling and the phone service |
| Cloud Connected PSTN (Cloud Connect) | You contract with a cloud connected calling provider, which Cisco has integrated with Webex Calling, and select it in Control Hub. Numbers and ports are handled with that provider. | Organisations that want a specific provider without equipment on site |
| Premises-based PSTN (local gateway) | A Cisco voice gateway, Cisco Unified Border Element or a third-party SBC connects Webex Calling to your existing phone lines or SIP trunks. It usually sits on your premises but can be partner-hosted. | Keeping a current carrier or contract, linking to an existing Cisco PBX, or analogue devices on site |
A local gateway can also connect Webex Calling to an on-premises call control system, which is how organisations move in stages from a Cisco call manager: some users stay on the old system while others move to the cloud. Whichever route you choose, every location needs a correct emergency address; with Cisco Calling Plans, setting an Emergency Service Address is a mandatory part of the set-up. If you are keeping SIP trunks, see SIP trunks.
Microsoft Teams integration and contact centre add-ons
Webex Calling for Microsoft Teams. Organisations that use Teams for chat and meetings can still use Webex Calling as the phone system: users place and receive Webex calls from inside the Teams client. Cisco includes the Teams integration with Professional (User) and Standard licences, not with Workspace licences. For the wider decision, read Webex Calling vs Teams.
Contact centre options. Webex Calling's own call queues cover basic queuing. For more, Cisco offers two add-ons:
- Webex Calling Customer Assist upgrades Webex Calling call queues for teams that need basic professional contact centre tools. Agents get a real-time queue view and screen pop in the Webex App; supervisors can manage agent availability, monitor agents and see real-time and historical agent and queue views. Its licence includes a Webex Calling Professional licence.
- Webex Contact Center is Cisco's separate, full cloud contact centre product, for operations that need more than upgraded call queues.
Forever Group also supplies its own Cisco-powered cloud contact centre. Compare all of them on our cloud contact centre and call centre phone system pages.
Who Webex Calling suits
- Organisations standardised on Cisco networking, Meraki or Cisco collaboration devices, who want calling in the same family
- Webex meetings users who want calling, messaging and meetings in one app
- Organisations moving off an on-premises Cisco PBX that want a staged move to the cloud through a local gateway
- Multi-site and international organisations that want to pick a PSTN option per location
If most of your staff already work in Microsoft 365, compare it with Microsoft Teams Phone. If you want deep CRM integration and flexible licensing by simultaneous calls, look at hosted 3CX. The cloud phone system comparison shows all the platforms we supply.
How we help
Forever Systems scopes Webex Calling with you: licence types per user and space, the PSTN option for each site, number porting, Cisco devices, and the Teams integration if you need it. We also check your network for voice, including QoS on Cisco switches and Wi-Fi.
Contact us for a quote or to compare Webex Calling with the other platforms.
Why choose your cloud phone system with Forever Systems
We are vendor-neutral. Forever Group supplies and supports several cloud phone platforms, so we recommend the one that fits how your organisation works rather than the one we happen to sell.
- Side-by-side comparison of hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Forever UC, Forever Teams and Webex Calling for your users
- Contact centre and call recording options matched to your call volumes and CRM
- Number porting, handsets and set-up handled for you, including the move off analogue and ISDN lines
- Connectivity checked so call quality is right from day one
- UK support for moves, adds, changes and faults
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our BT Business Partner site cloudvoice.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. We do not sell consumer phone services.
Want a vendor-neutral cloud phone system comparison and quote?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is Webex Calling?
Webex Calling is Cisco's cloud phone system. It provides extensions, call queues, auto attendants and voicemail in the cloud, used through the Webex App and Cisco devices, and managed in Cisco's Control Hub.
What is the difference between Webex Calling Professional and Standard?
Professional is the full user licence and covers both desk phones and the Webex App soft clients. Standard covers standard telephony features, and a Standard user has either a desk phone or the soft clients, not both.
Can I use Webex Calling with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Cisco's Webex Calling integration for Microsoft Teams lets users make and receive Webex calls from the Teams client. Cisco includes it with Professional (User) and Standard licences.
Can I keep my existing phone provider with Webex Calling?
Yes. You can connect your existing carrier or SIP trunks through a local gateway, or choose a Cloud Connected PSTN provider or Cisco Calling Plans instead. Each location uses one option, and different locations can use different ones.
Is Webex Calling hosted in the UK?
Cisco delivers Webex Calling from redundant data centres in several regions, and its preferred architecture guide lists UK data centres in London and Manchester. Ask us if you need to confirm data location for a compliance review.
How much does Webex Calling cost?
It depends on the licence mix, add-ons, PSTN option and devices. Ask us for a quote.