Webex Cloud-Connected UC (CCUC)
Designed a hybrid cloud experience to streamline UC management and drive cloud adoption
Project Overview
Timeline
12+ months
Team Size
3 designers, 15 engineers, 3 PMs
Role
UX Architect, Design Manager
Additional Contributions
- Evangelize UX within the UC team
- Establish UX practices
- Create collaboration frameworks
Overview
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UCM) serves as the backbone of Cisco's global collaboration services, with over 200,000 customers and more than 85 million devices deployed. As part of a larger strategic shift, Cisco launched Webex Cloud-Connected UC (CCUC) — a hybrid cloud solution that bridges on-premise UCM infrastructure with powerful cloud-based services such as certificate management, analytics, and operational insights.
The Challenge
Many Cisco enterprise customers have deep investments in on-prem infrastructure and are cautious about moving fully to the cloud. The challenge was:
How might we strategically transition on-premises customers to the cloud by delivering incremental value-added services that build long-term trust and confidence in our cloud subscription model?
Goals
For Customers
Maximize existing investments by integrating cloud-based management features
Reduce operational costs via real-time analytics and proactive recommendations
Enable guided upgrades and troubleshooting
Gain a centralized, cloud-powered view across all UC clusters and nodes
For Cisco
Unlock insights into real-world product usage
Shift revenue from perpetual licensing to a subscription-based model
Improve the admin experience and accelerate cloud adoption
Target Personas
CIO / IT Executives
Want high-level visibility into system health, usage, and critical issues
UC Admins
Need operational insights, alerts, quality metrics, and guidance on issues
IT Buyers / Sellers
Focused on asset optimization, adoption metrics, and capacity planning
Adoption Journey
A $0 SKU strategy was introduced to encourage adoption. Customers first accessed cloud analytics for their on-prem UCM clusters. As confidence grew, customers evolved from on-prem to hybrid users eventually embracing full cloud deployments.
Proposed Solution
The solution was split into two core modules:
1. UCM Management Interface
A unified portal for onboarding, managing, and monitoring all UCM clusters.
Intuitive Onboarding Wizard
Step-by-step guidance for connecting on-premise clusters to cloud services
Centralized Dashboard
Real-time monitoring of system health across all connected clusters
Certificate Management
Automated tracking and renewal of security certificates
End-to-End Visibility
Complete service visibility from infrastructure to end-user experience
UCM Management Interface - Getting Started
2. Analytics Platform
A data exploration and visualization interface powered by AI/ML.
Interactive Dashboards
Customizable filters and date ranges for targeted analysis
Drill-Down Capabilities
Deep-dive into specific metrics for troubleshooting and usage analysis
Analytics Evolution
Roadmap from descriptive to prescriptive and predictive analytics
Exportable Reports
Generate and share insights with stakeholders across the organization
Analytics Platform - Call Quality Dashboard
Analytics Platform - Service Experience
Design Process
Discovery & Alignment
Held workshops with stakeholders to align on goals and adoption challenges
Persona Definition
Refined personas based on interviews with IT admins, CIOs, and account managers
Journey Mapping
Outlined the hybrid user journey from on-premise to full cloud adoption
Ideation & Wireframing
Collaborated on workflows and created multiple iterations for dashboard flows
Prototype & Validation
Delivered high-fidelity clickable prototypes tested internally and with select users
Executive Review & Buy-In
Presented design vision and early user feedback in product council reviews
Final Deliverables
- End-to-end design for UCM management workflows
- AI/ML-powered analytics dashboard designs
- Persona-driven interaction flows and information architecture
- Executive decks and design documentation for stakeholder buy-in
- UX playbook for future features and design handoff assets
Impact & Outcomes
Strategic Transition
CCUC became the stepping stone for hybrid and cloud-only Webex customers, accelerating cloud adoption
Operational Efficiency
Improved administrative efficiency through centralized cluster and certificate management
Customer Trust
Established a strong foundation for customer trust and long-term cloud transition
Analytics Evolution Journey
Descriptive
What happened?
Reporting past events and metrics
Prescriptive
What should we do?
Recommending optimal solutions
Predictive
What will happen?
Proactively identifying potential issues
The platform's roadmap advances from descriptive to prescriptive and ultimately predictive analytics, transitioning from merely reporting past events to proactively identifying potential issues and recommending optimal solutions.
Customer Feedback Highlights
Addressing Hidden Pain Points
Initial customer feedback revealed the analytics platform solved several previously undiscussed pain points, particularly around visibility and troubleshooting.
Hardware Optimization
Customers reported significant improvements in hardware utilization efficiency, leading to better resource allocation and cost savings.
Reduced Support Tickets
The intuitive interface and proactive alerts led to a measurable decrease in support tickets and faster resolution times.
Global Spend Visibility
Customers gained unprecedented visibility into their global spend and usage patterns, enabling more informed decision-making and budget planning.
Organizational Impact
Beyond the success of the CCUC platform, this project marked a turning point for UX within the organization.
Team Growth
The team expanded from 1 to 3 designers, now contributing to multiple initiatives beyond Analytics — including migration, monitoring, and platform unification.
Strategic Influence
UX gained a strategic seat at the table, with product and engineering teams recognizing the value of user-centered thinking in shaping scalable, data-driven platforms.
Cultural Shift
UX was no longer seen as a pixel-pushing function, but as a mindset — one that brings clarity, empathy, and user insight to the heart of decision-making.
Transformation
This enabled the CCUC team to move beyond execution, toward strategic influence, product differentiation, and a more mature, user-aware approach to platform innovation.
From Single Designer to Cross-Functional Practice
Single Designer
Initial engagement
Growing Team
Expanding influence
Design Practice
Strategic integration