Client for Linux
Many Linux users at the University of Stuttgart have been waiting for this. Now, finally, a Webex client is available for you as well. Please download the client from the Webex website if needed.
Until now, Linux users could only participate in Webex meetings via the browser and could only schedule meetings via the browser. Which Webex functionalities worked stably depended on the exact combination of operating system and browser. The Linux client now supports advanced functionalities (whiteboards, hand raising, voting, etc.). This should make it easier and more stable for Linux users to participate in and organize videoconferences and online seminars.
The current feature list of the Linux client can be found in the Linux client description at Webex.
The future of Webex at the University of Stuttgart
Parallel to these developments, a working group at the university is currently investigating alternative solution scenarios with the participation of students. The Vice-Rector for Information Technology, Dr. Simone Rehm, initiated the working group, Dr. Heiko Schulz heads it. Rehm explains the background: "Our contract with Cisco for the use of Webex initially runs until March 2022, and the working group will examine different video conferencing systems for various deployment scenarios at the university until then. The analysis will focus on alternatives that can be operated in a data-efficient and sustainable manner, while still being user-friendly."
Webex in numbers
From March to December 2020, 12,449 university accounts were registered. On average, employees and students held 24,453 meetings per month. The most video minutes occurred in November 2020: for 2,731,384 minutes, members of the university met with Webex.