As organizations continue shifting to cloud calling platforms like Cisco Webex Calling, the need for reliable call detail record (CDR) reporting becomes increasingly critical. While Webex Calling provides native CDR capabilities, many businesses quickly discover gaps in functionality, usability, and long-term analytics that can hinder operational insight.
This article breaks down Webex Calling’s native CDR reporting, its key use cases, notable limitations, and where ISI Analytics enhances and extends reporting capabilities to deliver deeper visibility and smarter decision-making.
Webex Calling Native CDR Reporting: Overview
Webex Calling provides a built-in CDR reporting tool through Control Hub, allowing organizations to track basic call activity such as originating and terminating numbers, call duration, call disposition (answered, missed, forwarded), and basic site-level reporting.
This native reporting is sufficient for organizations with very simple operational needs or those requiring only high-level call volume metrics. However, it is primarily designed for basic historical call tracking rather than advanced analysis.
Deployment Scenarios and Ideal Use Cases
Native Webex Calling CDR reporting is well-suited for basic needs such as tracking call volumes, identifying common call outcomes (answered or missed), and fulfilling light auditing requirements. It works best for small businesses or departmental groups that only require simple, periodic call volume checks.
However, for organizations that need detailed operational insights—such as telecom teams, service desks, IT departments, compliance-driven industries, or those requiring SLA monitoring—Webex’s native reporting often falls short. In these environments, a third-party analytics solution like ISI Analytics becomes critical for granular reporting and long-term strategic planning.
Feature Comparison: Webex Calling CDR Reporting vs. ISI Analytics CDR Enhancement
| Feature | Webex Calling Native CDR Reporting | ISI Analytics CDR Enhancement |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Call Records (Date/Time, Duration) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call Disposition (Missed, Answered, Forwarded) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Detailed Call Path Analysis (Cradle-to-grave) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Customizable Report Builder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scheduled & Automated Reporting | Limited | ✓ |
| Role-Based Access to Reporting | Limited | ✓ |
| Data Export API (e.g., Power BI) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cross-Platform Reporting (Webex, Teams, CUCM) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dashboard Drill Down | ✗ | ✓ |
Source: ISI Analytics
Disclaimer: This competitive analysis is based on publicly available information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently and consider that market conditions may evolve.
Reporting and Analytics Limitations
While Webex Calling CDR reporting covers fundamental call tracking, it has several limitations that push businesses to look for more powerful solutions like ISI Analytics:
- Limited Role-Based Access Controls: Webex’s native reporting offers minimal control over who can view specific call data. ISI Analytics allows for fine-grained permissions to ensure data access is properly segmented across regions, departments, and users.
- No Automated or Scheduled Reporting: Control Hub requires manual intervention to download reports. ISI Analytics enables scheduled delivery of customized reports to stakeholders, reducing administrative burden and ensuring consistency.
- Short Historical Data Retention: Native CDRs are only available for a limited retention window (typically around 90 days). ISI Analytics offers flexible, long-term historical storage to support trend analysis, capacity planning, and regulatory compliance.
- No Cross-Platform or Multisite Visibility: Webex CDR reporting is siloed within the Webex ecosystem. ISI enables organizations to consolidate CDRs across Cisco platforms (Webex Calling, CUCM) and Microsoft Teams, providing a single, unified reporting view.
- No Data Export Option: Webex does not support direct integration into external tools like Power BI. Any data that needs to be exported must be done manually using CSV files. However, ISI Analytics offers seamless exports with our API, enhancing data-driven decision-making.
Recommendation: When to Consider Third-Party CDR Reporting
Organizations that require multi-site reporting, custom dashboards, scheduled reporting, and long-term historical analysis should consider supplementing Webex Calling with ISI Analytics. Key benefits include:
- Deep visibility into call paths and agent activity
- Scheduled, automated reports to key stakeholders
- Comprehensive historical data for audit, compliance, and strategic planning
- Cross-platform analytics that unify Webex Calling, CUCM, and Microsoft Teams data
ISI Analytics bridges the gap between basic CDR collection and actionable, enterprise-grade call intelligence. Control Hub is admin-focused, while ISI Analytics can be suited for the line of business, the agent, and the administration.
Conclusion
Webex Calling’s native CDR reporting provides the essentials needed for lightweight call tracking but falls short for organizations that require dynamic and strategic call data management. By pairing Webex Calling with ISI Analytics, businesses can unlock deeper operational insights, drive better decision-making, and future-proof their calling environments.
To learn more about enhancing Webex Calling CDR reporting, explore ISI’s full solution offering at: ISI Analytics