Guest Join is Broken - Is Pexip the Fix?

(This article has been updated to include recent corrections and clarifications)

In the post-pandemic hybrid working world, video conferencing is no longer just a tool—it’s the foundation of collaboration. Whether we’re discussing Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, or the occasional Google Meet session, workers and teams everywhere are finding themselves bouncing between these platforms as a matter of routine. The holy grail here is seamless interconnectivity between these platforms, allowing you to jump into a meeting on any system without missing a beat. Enter Direct Guest Join (DGJ), a much-hyped feature that promises to bridge the gap. But as we know in tech, the hype rarely matches the reality.

Let me be blunt: Direct Guest Join is far from the answer it claims to be. If you’re serious about cross-platform collaboration—about being able to actually interact, share content, and maintain security—DGJ is nothing more than a patch job. It connects you, yes, but it does so in the most basic, frustrating, and insecure way possible.

The Fragmented Reality of Direct Guest Join

Let’s start with the basics. Direct Guest Join allows users on platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Cisco Webex to join meetings on different platforms. It’s web-based, which means you don’t need a bunch of fancy configurations or additional software. On the surface, it sounds like a dream—one simple connection, and boom, you’re in.

But reality bites hard with DGJ. If all you need is to see and hear other participants, sure, it works. The moment you want to do anything more—say, share content, interact with documents, or engage in the collaborative features that make video conferencing useful—it falls flat. Want to jump into a breakout room for a side discussion? IT might work, it depends on the vendor. DGJ won't universally support that. You could find that you are essentially a second-class participant in your own meeting, locked out of the tools that are vital to real collaboration.

Let’s talk about content sharing—something that most businesses need on a daily basis. If you’re joining a Zoom meeting from a Teams Room via DGJ, you’ll quickly find that you’re a glorified observer. You can watch content being shared, but the process of contributing to it, sharing your own slides, or presenting real-time data? It’s not happening with DGJ as it is right now. This is a massive limitation when you consider how central content sharing has become to modern business meetings. If you’re in sales, you need to present your latest figures. If you’re in product development, you need to showcase the next iteration of your design. But with DGJ, you’re stuck watching from the sidelines.

A Not-So-Seamless Experience Across Platforms

If you think Direct Guest Join works perfectly across all major platforms, think again. While it will connect Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Cisco Webex, for the moment there’s a glaring absence: Google Meet. In a world where Google is a tech giant, it’s a pretty significant hole in the DGJ offering. Granted, it's a hole that will be plugged according to Microsoft, but if you need that ability right now, you are out of luck. And even within the platforms DGJ does support, the user experience is far from seamless.

But it’s not just Google Meet that’s getting sidelined in this rush to platform-based video conferencing. There’s another silent victim here: SIP-based endpoints. These legacy systems, once the gold standard for corporate meeting rooms, are now being treated like dinosaurs in a world that’s obsessed with shiny new platforms. And yet, here’s the thing—many of these SIP systems are still going strong. Businesses spent serious cash installing these systems, and for all intents and purposes, they still do the job. The problem? They’re now outsiders in a world dominated by Teams, Zoom, and Webex.

This is where Pexip CVI becomes the unexpected hero. Instead of forcing businesses to rip out perfectly functional systems, Pexip gives SIP endpoints a lifeline. It’s like being handed an all-access pass to the most exclusive party in town. Pexip allows these legacy systems to seamlessly connect to modern platforms—Teams, Zoom, Webex, and even Google Meet—without breaking a sweat. No compromises, no second-class experience. Just the same high-quality audio, video, and content sharing that you’d expect from newer systems.

For businesses with big investments sunk into these older setups, Pexip isn’t just a fix—it’s a bridge to the future. Why spend a fortune on new hardware when your old systems can still show up to the meeting, fully dressed and ready to perform?

Enhancing the User Experience

Imagine you’re used to the intuitive, straightforward controls of Zoom, but suddenly you’re thrust into a Webex meeting. The layout is minimal due to the restrictions of the WebRTC solution, the controls aren’t where you expect them to be, and you’re left fumbling to get your bearings. This is the fragmented reality of DGJ. It doesn’t offer a consistent user interface across platforms, meaning that users who are unfamiliar with the host platform often find themselves lost, struggling to navigate a system they don’t understand.

Sure, you could argue that this is a training issue—people should get to know the platforms they might encounter. But the whole point of a solution like DGJ is supposed to be simplicity. Instead, you get inconsistency and confusion, leading to frustration for the end user.

And let’s not forget the differences in security protocols across platforms. The varying encryption standards, compliance with regulations like GDPR, and internal security policies create another layer of complexity. When joining a meeting via DGJ, you’re not always guaranteed the same level of security you might expect. If you’re joining a Zoom meeting from a Microsoft Teams Room, for instance, the secure policies of Teams might not apply. For industries that handle sensitive information—finance, healthcare, or government—this inconsistency is more than a mild inconvenience. It’s a liability.

DGJ leaves you exposed to potential breaches simply because the platforms can’t maintain uniform security standards when working together. For organisations dealing with sensitive or regulated information, this is a glaring flaw.

How Pexip CVI Solves DGJ’s Shortcomings

Now that we’ve pulled apart DGJ and exposed its limitations, let’s turn our attention to a solution that solves a lot of these issues: Pexip Cloud Video Interoperability (CVI). It’s not just an alternative to DGJ—it’s a full-on upgrade.

First, let’s talk about interoperability. Unlike DGJ, which limits you to Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex, Pexip CVI extends full interoperability across these platforms and Google Meet. This is crucial for organisations with diverse tech ecosystems. Whether your teams are working on Teams, Zoom, Webex, or even Google Meet, Pexip CVI ensures that you can connect seamlessly without losing functionality.

The killer feature here is Pexip’s support for bi-directional content sharing. Unlike DGJ, where you can currently only watch content being shared, Pexip CVI lets you share your own content across platforms, with no degradation in quality. And speaking of quality, Pexip CVI also supports dual-screen functionality, which is a godsend for businesses that rely on dedicated video meeting rooms. Whether you need to showcase multiple data sets or run a detailed presentation alongside a live video feed, Pexip CVI gives you the tools to make it happen.

In terms of security, Pexip CVI leaves DGJ in the dust. Every hop is encrypted, ensuring enterprise-grade security at every connection point. For organisations working in industries with strict compliance requirements, this is non-negotiable. Pexip CVI offers end-to-end encryption across all platforms, meaning your video meetings are as secure as your internal conversations.

Why Feature Support and Security Matter More than Small Quirks

No solution is perfect, and that includes Pexip CVI. There are still a few quirks—namely, some features such as reactions and chat in meetings don’t carry over through the interoperability protocols. This is one of those minor quirks, and it’s a limitation for both DGJ and Pexip, but one that is understandable and I'll take fo the more serious benefits.

Another nuance is PowerPoint Live. Currently, Microsoft Teams does actually allow PowerPoint Live presentations over DGJ, something Pexip CVI doesn’t yet support. However, the Microsoft roadmap is promising, and the required API is expected to open up later this year, allowing Pexip CVI to enable PowerPoint Live presentations. While this won't quite work in the same way as the DGI iteration by providing only static images, it will be available to users with no need to change any settings. So yes, DGJ has a small edge here, but it’s only temporary. And let’s be real: the majority of businesses prioritise things like dual-screen functionality, high-quality video, bi-directional content sharing, and security over reactions and PowerPoint-specific quirks.

This leads us to the final point: DGJ’s missing features are more than just minor annoyances. They undercut the entire premise of seamless cross-platform collaboration. In contrast, Pexip CVI’s small quirks, like missing reactions, are balanced by its scalability, encryption, and reliable meeting experience across platforms.

Pexip CVI is Built for the Future

So, is Direct Guest Join a failure? No, but it’s woefully inadequate for the hybrid work future. If all you need is a way to see and hear other participants, it’s serviceable. But for enterprises that rely on security, reliability, and interactivity, DGJ just can’t keep up with the demands of a modern workforce.

In contrast, Pexip CVI isn’t just a replacement for DGJ—it’s the solution businesses should have had all along. Pexip’s support for dual-screen functionality, high-quality audio and video, content sharing, and its ability to securely connect SIP-based systems makes it an ideal choice for organisations that need more than just basic video calls. Pexip CVI is positioning itself as the go-to option for seamless, secure, and scalable video collaboration across platforms.

When it comes down to it, the small sacrifices of desktop-specific features like reactions are worth it for the reliability, security, and enterprise-grade performance that Pexip CVI delivers. As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of hybrid work, one thing is clear: Direct Guest Join in its current state is yesterday’s news, while Pexip CVI is built for the future.