Cisco Voice over IP SupportVoice over IP (VoIP) refers to the transmission of realtime voice communications across digital networks using Internet Protocol. By substituting your IT network for phone carrier services and by using digital data rather than analog signals, IP voice technology cuts service costs and enables a broad range of software-enhanced services that effectively make traditional PBX equipment obsolete. When you integrate VoIP into a unified communications ecosystem that includes email, voicemail, instant messaging, presence, faxing, and video conferencing, you can save an estimated 40 minutes per user every day, adding significant business value to your IT network and a fast return on investment. IP telephony adds business value to IT networks by cutting service and maintenance costs, integrating voice communications with popular software applications to increase user productivity, facilitating collaboration among workers, partners, and vendors to save time and improve business outcomes, and simplifying the management of voice infrastructure.

Cisco is the leading provider of VoIP technology such as IP voice endpoints, management software, IP telephony applications, and networking infrastructure. Cisco's extensive product portfolio includes IP phones and softphones, control software for converged media, plus voice-optimized gateways, servers, routers and switches. Cisco's share of the IP handset market is five times larger than the nearest competitor, and more than 85% of Fortune 500 companies use Cisco's Unified Communications platform. Cisco's comprehensive catalog of IP voice solutions offers products that fit the technical needs and IT budgets of businesses ranging from small offices to global enterprises. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE and CCVP engineers can help you evaluate, design, test, configure, manage, upgrade, optimize, and troubleshoot Cisco VoIP solutions. Progent's certified engineers have experience setting up and supporting Cisco's powerful Unified Communications Manager (formerly CallManager) call processing system and with Cisco's Unity platform for voice messaging.

Cisco's Unified Communications System
Voice over IP is the basis for more advanced unified communications solutions. Cisco's Unified Communications system of voice, image, mobility, and IP communications products allows you to create a single converged network that can handle voice, video, and data traffic concurrently. Cisco's Unified Communications platform provides this functionality while supporting a high level of network dependability, Quality of Service, and security. Important advantages of Cisco's Unified Communications solutions include:

  • A versatile migration strategy that allows you to select IP products that handle your current need, while offering a smooth path for increased IP integration in the future
  • Quality of Service (QoS) technologies that deliver high definition voice by means of tight control over latency, loss, and distortion
  • Network management technologies that streamline system administration, troubleshooting, setup, monitoring, and device management

The framework of Cisco's IP communications solution consists of communications endpoints, call-processing agents, and IP telephony applications.

Communications Endpoints
Cisco Voice over IP Phones ConsultingA call endpoint is a customer instrument, either a desk phone or a software phone program powered by a personal computer. In the IP environment, every VoIP phone is Ethernet connected. IP phones offer all of the features that a conventional phone provides, but Voice over IP phones often have additional functions such as being able to connect to the web or host business applications. Cisco VoIP phones include the entry-level Cisco SPA 300 Series, the Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G with a speaker and color display, and the 6-line 7965G with wideband audio.

Cisco IP phone networks also support Cisco IP Communicator, an application that turns a personal computer into a softphone. When you use the Cisco IP Communicator off-site, you can have the same phone capabilities you have in the office. IT managers can set up Cisco IP Communicator the way they do any other Cisco VoIP device, greatly simplifying IP phone management.

Unlike conventional PBX technology, in a Cisco IP communications network you can implement almost instantaneous relocations, adds, and changes. All you have to do is move the IP handset to your new location, plug it into the Ethernet connection, and the device announces itself with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (formerly CallManager). All user permissions and settings are automatically replicated, eliminating the cost and hassle of sending support personnel to wiring closets. Another useful capability is extension mobility, which allows you to sign into any Cisco IP device and receive your personal phone extension and rights.

Call-processing Agents
Cisco's call-processing agent is central to Cisco's IP Communications system and gives you the flexibility to deploy a central call-processing design, a decentralized model, or a combination of the two. In a centralized approach, Cisco Unified Communications Manager extends corporate phone features to packet telephony devices such as IP handsets, media management products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia applications across the network. Cisco Unified Communications Manager enables advanced voice, video, and data functions including unified messaging, video conferencing, and group-based client interaction networks.

When you deploy a central Unified Communications Manager cluster to control call processing for customers at distributed sites, administrators can help ensure continuous call operation using Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony, an IOS Software image for Cisco routers. If a Wide Area Network link fails, Cisco SRST in the router provides core Unified Communications Manager services until the link is restored.

For small business networks or branch offices that do not need the full feature set available from Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express provides a cost-effective alternative that handles the needs of sites with up to 240 workers. Because Unified Communications Manager Express is embedded in the Cisco IOS Software operating on a Cisco router, smaller organizations can quickly and affordably deploy a combined voice/data environment.

IP Telephony Applications
Within Cisco's Unified Communications platform, IP telephony applications are physically separate from the call-processing and voice-processing infrastructure, and they may be at any location within the network. A cohesive network infrastructure provides a versatile environment for applications, and acts as a solid basis for future convergence-based software.

Cisco works with third-party vendors to offer a broad range of IP phone applications and products. Cisco also supports the capability to develop and administer customized applications.

Cisco Unity Services for Integrated Messaging
Cisco's Unity product portfolio offers voicemail and unified messaging options that seamlessly integrate with Exchange, Domino, and Groupwise. Cisco Unity expands to handle the requirements of major enterprises and provides versatile migration tools and a wide range features to enhance productivity.

Cisco's Unity system supports both Cisco Unified Communications Manager and leading PBX systems to allow your business to transition to IP telephony at a sensible rate and amortize your previous infrastructure investments. The solution also includes networking modules that support advanced message interchange with popular voice-mail systems. While you are upgrading to the Cisco Unity solution, these modules help to ensure a smooth migration by offering the capability to exchange messages with internal subscribers who use an older messaging system.

Cisco Unity Connection incorporates integrated messaging, voice recognition, and call transfer rules into an easy-to-manage system for mid-sized companies with up to 3000 workers. For organizations with up to 500 workers, Unity Connection offers a single-server option with Unified Communications Manager Business Edition.

With Unity Connection workers can retrieve voice messages using Cisco Unified Personal Communicator and use the screen on their Cisco VoIP handset to view, find, and sort messages. Workers can also use the voice interface of Cisco Unity Connection to participate in Unified MeetingPlace Express conferences. Unity Connection also provides robust automated attendant features such as intelligent call routing and personalized call display and message alert selections.

Cisco Unity Express, available in select Cisco Integrated Services routers, offers affordable voicemail, integrated messaging, interactive voice response (IVR), and automated-attendant services for small to medium businesses and enterprise branch locations with up to 250 users.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Cisco's Voice over IP Telephony Technology
Progent can provide a certified CCIE or certified CCVP to assist you to implement and manage Cisco IP telephony solutions. Progent's developers can create custom unified messaging applications that will help your company to integrate the telephony capabilities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager into your company operations for enhanced efficiency. Progent can audit your existing network and Internet access architecture to make sure your environment is configured to accommodate Voice over IP, assist you to choose and deploy Cisco hardware and software that make sense for your present needs and future growth strategy, and integrate your Cisco Voice over IP solution with products from other suppliers.

Progent's Cisco-certified engineers have extensive experience with supporting Unified Communications Manager and CallManager, working with Unified Communications client software such as Unified Personal Communicator and WebEx Meeting Center, and integrating Cisco IP phones, gateways, gatekeepers, voice applications, and utilities incorporated in Cisco routers and Catalyst switches. Progent can also provide expertise with related technologies such as Cisco SRST, Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE), H.323 and SIP gateways, Call Admission Control (CAC), VoIP trunks, PSTN, various signaling protocols, and Cisco's architecture for voice, video and integrated data (AVVID).

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