Cisco Webex Rooms vs Microsoft Teams Rooms: Which Platform Is Right for Your Business?

Chris Gore
13 hours ago
5 min read

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Chris Gore \ Updated 2026

Cisco Webex Rooms versus Microsoft Teams Rooms comparison — which platform is right for your business meeting rooms in 2025 and 2026

You have decided to invest properly in your meeting rooms. The hardware conversation is largely sorted — you know whether you want Logitech, Yealink, Neat or something else. But now comes the platform question. Do you run Microsoft Teams Rooms or Cisco Webex Rooms? And does it actually matter as much as the sales pitches suggest?

The honest answer is that it depends entirely on what your organisation already runs, what your security requirements are, and how important it is to you that one vendor controls the whole stack. Here is the comparison that helps you make that call.

What Microsoft Teams Rooms and Cisco Webex Rooms Actually Are

Microsoft Teams Rooms

Microsoft Teams Rooms is not a piece of hardware. It is a software platform — a dedicated application that runs on a device in your meeting room, connects to Microsoft 365, and gives you a one-touch join experience for Teams meetings, Zoom meetings and more. The hardware that runs it can come from Logitech, Yealink, Poly, Crestron, HP, Lenovo and a growing list of certified manufacturers. This open ecosystem approach is what makes Teams Rooms the most widely deployed meeting room platform in the UK.

Cisco Webex Rooms

Cisco Webex Rooms takes a fundamentally different approach. Cisco designs and manufactures its own hardware — the Room Bar, Room Kit series, Webex Board Pro — and runs its own RoomOS operating system. The result is a tightly controlled, highly reliable environment where hardware and software are engineered to work together. In 2025, Cisco made a significant move: RoomOS now runs Microsoft Teams Rooms natively on Cisco devices, meaning organisations with Cisco hardware are no longer forced to choose.

The trade-off is a higher price point and less flexibility in hardware choice. The benefit is a level of reliability and security that is genuinely best-in-class, particularly in regulated industries.

How They Compare

Feature	Microsoft Teams Rooms	Cisco Webex Rooms
Hardware choice	Open — 10+ certified partners	Primarily Cisco first-party
Microsoft 365 integration	Native. Deep. Seamless.	Good via integration layer
Deployment model	Cloud-first via M365	Hybrid and on-premises options
Security	Enterprise-grade. M365 Compliance.	Best-in-class. FedRAMP certified.
AI features	Microsoft 365 Copilot available	Webex AI Assistant included
Room management	Teams Admin Center + Pro portal	Cisco Control Hub
Licensing	Included in M365 plans	Separate Webex licensing required
Hardware pricing	Competitive — range of options	Premium for Cisco devices
Best for	M365 shops. Multi-site rollouts.	Cisco estates. Regulated sectors.

A few things worth flagging from that comparison. Teams Rooms wins on hardware flexibility and Microsoft 365 integration. Webex wins on closed-stack reliability, security certifications and regulated industry suitability. The licensing picture has shifted — Cisco hardware now running Teams natively means the two are less mutually exclusive than they used to be.

Which meeting room platform to choose — when to pick Microsoft Teams Rooms versus Cisco Webex Rooms for your organisation

Which One Is Right for Your Organisation?

Choose Microsoft Teams Rooms if

• Your organisation is already on Microsoft 365 — Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive

• You want flexibility on hardware brand and price point across different room sizes

• You are rolling out across multiple sites and need a consistent, scalable approach

• You need rooms that can join both Teams and Zoom calls with equal reliability

• Budget is a genuine consideration alongside quality

Choose Cisco Webex Rooms if

• You already have a large Cisco hardware estate — phones, room systems, network infrastructure

• You operate in a regulated industry where security certifications like FedRAMP are required

• You need on-premises or hybrid deployment rather than purely cloud-based

• A single vendor controlling hardware and software is a priority for your IT team

• You are willing to pay a premium for best-in-class reliability

If you are still working out what your rooms should cost before committing to a platform, our 2026 meeting room AV cost guide covers the full picture. And if you are not sure whether a large integrator or a specialist like SPOR is the right fit, read our guide on what AV company to use in the UK.

The Platform Is Your Decision. The Installation and Monitoring Is Ours.

SPOR Group works with both Microsoft Teams Rooms and Cisco Webex Rooms. We do not have a commercial preference. We have a professional preference for the platform that is the right fit for the organisation in front of us.

Every installation — regardless of platform — is backed by SPORTrack, which monitors every connected device in real time. Whether a room is running Teams or Webex, SPORTrack sees it. Issues are flagged before they become a 9am problem.

For the hardware side of the platform decision, read our comparison of Neat vs Logitech vs Yealink — which covers the video bar options that work across both platforms.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Microsoft Teams Rooms and Cisco Webex Rooms?

Microsoft Teams Rooms is an open platform that runs on hardware from multiple certified manufacturers including Logitech, Yealink and Poly. Cisco Webex Rooms uses primarily Cisco's own hardware and software, engineered together for maximum reliability. Teams Rooms is better for Microsoft 365 organisations. Webex Rooms is better for Cisco-heavy estates and regulated industries.

Can Cisco hardware run Microsoft Teams?

Yes. Since 2025, Cisco's RoomOS platform runs Microsoft Teams Rooms natively on Cisco devices. This means organisations with an existing Cisco hardware estate can run Teams Rooms without replacing their hardware. It is the first solution to run two fully featured meeting platforms side by side on the same device.

Is Microsoft Teams Rooms or Cisco Webex better for security?

Both platforms have strong enterprise security. Cisco Webex has the edge in regulated industries, with FedRAMP authorisation and more granular device-level controls. Microsoft Teams Rooms integrates with the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center, covering eDiscovery, legal hold, data loss prevention and retention policies — strong for organisations already in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Which meeting room platform is most popular in the UK?

Microsoft Teams Rooms is the most widely deployed meeting room platform in the UK, driven by the widespread adoption of Microsoft 365 across UK businesses. Cisco Webex Rooms has a strong presence in larger enterprises, regulated sectors and organisations with existing Cisco infrastructure.

Does SPOR Group install both Microsoft Teams Rooms and Cisco Webex Rooms?

Yes. SPOR Group is platform-agnostic and works with both Microsoft Teams Rooms and Cisco Webex Rooms environments. Every installation is backed by SPORTrack, which monitors every connected device in real time regardless of which platform it runs.

Do I need to choose between Teams and Zoom if I use Teams Rooms?

No. Microsoft Teams Rooms supports Direct Guest Join, which allows a Teams Room to join a Zoom or Webex meeting with one touch. The native experience is Teams, but the room can participate in meetings on other platforms. The experience may not be identical to a native meeting but works well for most use cases.