Cisco and LeapXpert are joining forces to address the challenge of shadow communication in business settings, according to an announcement revealed at the WebexOne 2026 conference. The collaboration brings LeapXpert's compliant business messaging technology directly into the Webex platform, allowing Webex users to send messages to customers and other outside contacts on WhatsApp without exiting the enterprise collaboration environment. The integration is designed to help companies control communications that currently happen outside corporate security protocols, often on personal accounts.
The partnership allows users to transmit and receive external messages in a secure, regulated setting while remaining inside Webex, LeapXpert co-founder and Chief Business Officer Avi Pardo told CRN. LeapXpert's platform acts as an intermediary that connects Webex with external messaging environments like WhatsApp, enabling these conversations to take place in a compliant, governed manner. The technology is currently accessible through the Webex App Hub, where users can log in using their existing Webex credentials on desktop or mobile devices. All messages pass through data loss prevention controls in both directions, while LeapXpert records and stores the complete conversation for compliance and recordkeeping needs. Additional messaging channels will be introduced down the road, the New York City-based company said.
Pardo explained that a gap exists between collaboration environments, which function effectively within organizations, and the lack of adequate solutions for engaging with external parties. When reaching out to someone outside your own company, it's essentially a voice call, but preferences have shifted toward texting and messaging, creating a mismatch between customer expectations and how clients want to interact with organizations, he noted. Shadow communication—exchanges occurring outside enterprise security boundaries and frequently on personal accounts—can create problems for many companies, Pardo added. The partnership is anticipated to deliver substantial opportunities for Cisco channel partners, including upselling, data ownership, and AI capabilities that strengthen enterprise communication and compliance.
The integration responds to a fundamental shift in how businesses need to communicate with external stakeholders while maintaining regulatory oversight, according to the companies. For Cisco partners, the technology represents what Pardo characterized as "an amazing upsell opportunity" for their current installed base, moving them into data ownership, governance, and potentially compliance markets. Rather than simply enabling conversations, partners can now begin working with the data itself, which advances them to the next phase of service delivery. World Wide Technology, one of Cisco's leading partners, expressed enthusiasm about delivering secure external communication capabilities to its Webex customers, particularly those in heavily regulated industries such as finance. Joe Berger, vice president of digital experiences at the St. Louis-based firm, said regulated customers have been caught between what their clients demand and what compliance permits, and this integration closes that divide. The platform's archiving and inspection features could prove especially valuable as businesses face mounting pressure to document external communications while meeting customer preferences for familiar messaging tools. For channel partners navigating the tension between workplace flexibility and institutional control, this integration may force difficult conversations about where convenience ends and oversight begins.