On this New Product Alert, the Collab Collective’s Craig Durr talks with Anna Bieber, Senior Product Manager, Collaboration Devices at Cisco, live at WebexOne 2026. This conversation explores the Cisco Ceiling Speaker Pro and its role in completing Cisco’s AV-over-IP ecosystem. Anna demonstrates how the new speaker works alongside Cisco’s connected audio and video solutions to deliver more intelligent, seamless audio experiences in large collaboration spaces.
Craig Durr: Hi everyone, this is Craig Durr, Chief Analyst and Founder of the Collab Collective. I'm here live at WebexOne 2026. One of the things I like to do, which is so near and dear to my heart, is bring new products and innovations to you so you get to see them firsthand. Cisco has no shortage of new solutions announced at this event, and one of the ones I'm really excited to see is part of its AV-over-IP story for large conference spaces.
What is that? That is the Cisco Ceiling Speaker Pro. It helps complete Cisco's audio story in a way you would not believe. The fun thing about it is what this speaker can do in an environment, and to really show it off, Cisco has set up what they call the Cisco Sound Studio. It's a velvet rope scenario, but I think I've got some inside angles here. Let's go learn more about the technology behind it. Come with me. Cisco has it installed in a room where we can learn more about the VoiceLift technology.
All right, this is probably a more practical application. The disco is fun, and I apologize now for my dancing, but this is probably how we're going to start seeing the Ceiling Speaker Pro in action. Of course, I've got an expert here in the room to help walk me through this. Come over here, please, and meet Anna Bieber, Senior Product Manager with Collaboration Devices for Cisco. How are you doing?
Anna Bieber: Good. How are you, Craig?
Craig Durr: Great, so this is another one of your babies coming to market.
Anna Bieber: Yes, and I'm so excited.
Craig Durr: That's so good. Tell me about the Ceiling Speaker Pro.
Anna Bieber: This is not just a speaker. It's part of an AV-over-IP ecosystem that we have been building over the past few years. It is intelligent. It has its own brain and its own power, so it has a little bit of magic inside of it.
Craig Durr: And not only does it stand alone, but what you're saying is it works in concert with other things within the AV-over-IP ecosystem.
Anna Bieber: Yes, as you see here in this room, we have the Ceiling Mic Pro, the Ceiling Speaker Pro, and the Room Vision PTZ.
Craig Durr: These are perfect.
Anna Bieber: Exactly, everything in this room is running over IP, either straight into the switch or back into the codec.
Craig Durr: Wow. We're here at a conference, and you did a great job setting up a large room scenario. But that's only one of the typical use cases. One might be the far end trying to be heard across the room. How would the speaker help me in that scenario?
Anna Bieber: What we do, and we do it automatically, is amplify the voices of the people on the far end by setting the correct gain and the correct delay. That's super important to get the natural experience of where the sound is coming from, especially for the far end. We want you to look at the screen.
Craig Durr: Oh, right. So if I'm in the back of the room, I can hear someone clearly no matter what, even when they're presenting.
Anna Bieber: Exactly.
Craig Durr: Here's another scenario, and I think this is one that was talked about on stage: the presenter scenario. VoiceLift can help here too, right?
Anna Bieber: Yes. Typically, when you have a presenter on stage, they use either a handheld or a lapel microphone, and those can be connected straight into the codec. You no longer need a DSP, and the voice is amplified throughout the rest of the room.
Craig Durr: Because these have built-in DSPs.
Anna Bieber: Exactly.
Craig Durr: I didn't realize that. That's fantastic. There was a really cool one that I think Jeetu talked about during his keynote. It's one you wouldn't think about, but it's really important, and it's in the room itself. Let's do that scenario. Let's say you're up here talking and presenting.
Anna Bieber: Exactly.
Craig Durr: I know you're a very powerful presenter, but let's assume your voice doesn't carry. I could be sitting all the way back here, and these speakers can help me hear what you're saying at the front of the room.
Anna Bieber: Yes, my voice will be picked up by the Ceiling Mic Pro and then amplified using the Ceiling Speaker Pro, but with just a little amplification, so you're still looking at me while I'm speaking. You don't want to just hear me from above.
Craig Durr: Right, so you have what's called spatial awareness of what's taking place in the room.
Anna Bieber: Exactly, and that's really important, because we see that it can really add to meeting fatigue. If you're trying to listen in and someone's not speaking loud enough, it can be quite hard to follow.
Craig Durr: You've got a lot going on here, and a lot of it comes from the simplicity of AV-over-IP.
Anna Bieber: Yes, and again, everything is managed in Cisco Cloud Control, where you see everything. It just makes everything so much easier.
Craig Durr: That's fantastic. So what's next? What's going to be over IP next? Can you tell me?
Anna Bieber: No, I can't.
Craig Durr: I'm just kidding. Anna, thank you so much, this is fantastic, and congratulations on bringing this to market. When will this product be available?
Anna Bieber: It will be available early next year.
Craig Durr: Fantastic. I appreciate it. I'm going to look for it at the next event.
Anna Bieber: Yes, see you at ISE.
Craig Durr: That's it. Perfect.
All right, everyone, this is Craig Durr with Anna Bieber. I want to thank you for walking with me through this exciting announcement about the Cisco Ceiling Speaker Pro. Join me for more updates from WebexOne 2026. Take care.