Cisco Network Consultants Cisco VoIP Support Services From CCIE and CCNA Certified Experts
Voice over IP (VoIP) refers to telephony technology that transmits live voice traffic over a network using IP standards. A primary advantage of Voice over IP is its ability to help reduce expenses because phone conversations travel across the data connection rather than the phone company's services. IP telephony covers the full range of VoIP related services such as the interfacing of phone sets for communications; related services including billing and dialing plans; and basic features including group calls, call transfer, call forwarding, and call hold. These services were often previously handled by a PBX.
VoIP is the natural starting point for more advanced unified communications solutions. Cisco's Unified Communications system of voice, image, mobility, and Internet Protocol communications offerings provides the tools for building a centralized cohesive network that can manage multiple types of traffic concurrently. Cisco allows this functionality while sustaining a high degree of network availability, Quality of Service , and Protection. Important benefits of IP telephony technologies are:
A flexible, standards-based migration path that enables you to choose IP products that meet your existing requirements, while providing a seamless path for expanding IP integration
Quality of Service technologies that help ensure high voice fidelity by means of tight management of latency, drop out, and jitter
Network management technologies that provide network administration, repair, configuring, fault monitoring, and element management
The framework of the Cisco IP communications solution consists of call endpoints, call-processing agents, and IP telephony applications.
Call Endpoints A call endpoint is a user instrument, and can be a desktop phone set or a software phone application that runs on a PC. In the IP environment, every VoIP phone is Ethernet connected. VoIP phones have all of the features that a conventional phone provides. IP phones can also provide additional functions such as being able to access Websites or host useful software. Cisco VoIP phones include Cisco's feature-rich Unified IP Phone 7931G, the Cisco Wireless IP Phone 7921G, and Cisco's IP Phone 7985G desktop video phone.
Within a Cisco Internet Protocol Telephony network, you can also use the Cisco IP Communicator, a desktop computer-based phone. When use the Cisco IP Communicator off-site, you take your office extensions wherever you go and also have access to the familiar phone services you use at your desk. IT administrators can provision the IP Communicator as they integrate any other Cisco IP Phone, significantly streamlining IP telephony management.
Unlike conventional PBX systems, in a Cisco Internet Protocol communications environment you can perform almost instantaneous moves, additions, and modifications. You simply take the VoIP handset to its new spot, plug it into the Ethernet jack, and the handset announces itself with Cisco Communications Manager. All user permissions and configurations are automatically re-established, doing away with the cost and delay of sending support personnel to wiring closets. Another helpful capability is extension capability, which enables you to log into any Cisco IP phone and receive your own phone extension and rights.
Call-processing Agents
The call-processing agent is the center of Cisco's IP Phone solution. To meet your organizational needs you can elect to deploy a central call-processing model, a decentralized model, or a combination of the two. In a centralized approach, Cisco Communications Manager extends enterprise phone features to packet products such as VoIP phones, media processing products, VoIP gateways, and mixed media programs throughout the network. Cisco Communications Manager enables additional multimedia functions including unified messaging, multimedia conferencing, and group-based client communication networks.
When a centralized Cisco Communications Manager cluster also handles call processing for users at remote locations, IT managers can help promote continuous phone service using Cisco SRST, an IOS Software image for Cisco routers. If a Wide Area Network link breaks, Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony incorporated in the router provides basic Communications Manager capabilities until the link is restored.
For small networks or loosely coupled small enterprise branch locations that do not need the full, enterprise-class functionality available from Communications Manager, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, formerly CallManager Express, offers an economical alternative that handles the needs of sites with up to 240 users. Because Unified Communications Manager Express is embedded in the Cisco IOS Software operating on a Cisco router, smaller offices can rapidly and easily deploy a converged voice/data solution.
Internet Protocol Phone Applications
Under Cisco's Unified Communications architecture, Internet Protocol phone applications are physically independent from the call- and voice-processing infrastructure, and they may be anywhere within the system. A cohesive network framework provides an open environment for powerful applications, and acts as a solid basis for downstream convergence-based software.
Cisco works with key IT industry vendors to provide a wide selection of independent Internet Protocol telephony applications and devices. Cisco also supports the capability to develop and administer customized applications.
Cisco Unity Connection Services for Unified Messaging
Cisco's Unity product portfolio offers advanced voicemail plus integrated messaging functions that transparently operate with Exchange, Domino, and Groupwise. Cisco Unity scales to meet the requirements of large enterprises and offers powerful migration tools and a broad range of productivity features.
Cisco's Unity product portfolio supports both Cisco Communications Manager and popular PBX products to help your organization to move up to Internet Protocol telephony at a comfortable pace and preserve your existing network investments. Cisco's product suite also includes a variety of networking modules that allow sophisticated message interchange with popular voice-mail systems. While you are upgrading to the Cisco Unity framework, these network modules help to ensure a smooth migration by giving you the capability to trade messages with internal system users who rely an older messaging system.
Unity Connection incorporates unified messaging, voice recognition, and call transfer functions into a manageable system for mid-size businesses with as many as 3K workers. For businesses with up to 500 workers, Unity Connection is offered as a one-server solution with Unified Communications Manager Business Edition.
Unity Connection is a highly functional solution built on an architecture that is easy to install and maintain. With Cisco Unity Connection workers can access voice messages via Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, use the display on their Cisco VoIP handset to review, find, and file messages. and even utilize the voice recognition interface of Unity Connection to connect to and attend Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express conferences. Unity Connection also offers resilient automated attendant features such as smart call switching and effortlessly customizable call screen and new message notification selections.
Cisco Unity Express, available in certain Cisco IS routers, offers affordable voicemail, integrated messaging, interactive voice response, and automated-attendant services for small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprise satellite locations with up to 250 users.
How Progent's Engineers Can Assist You with Cisco's IP Telephony Technology
Progent can give you access to a certified CCIE or certified CCNP to assist you to deploy and support Cisco IP telephony products. Progent's programmers can build custom IP telephony applications that will enable your company to integrate the capabilities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager into your company processes for enhanced productivity. Progent can revue your existing network and Internet connectivity infrastructure to determine whether your environment is configured to accommodate Voice over IP, help you to select and integrate Cisco hardware and software appropriate for your current needs and downstream expansion objectives, and integrate your Cisco VoIP solution with products from other suppliers.
To see additional information concerning Progent's consulting support for Cisco solutions, pick a topic:
Voice over IP (VoIP) refers to telephony technology that transmits live voice traffic over a network using IP standards. A primary advantage of Voice over IP is its ability to help reduce expenses because phone conversations travel across the data connection rather than the phone company's services. IP telephony covers the full range of VoIP related services such as the interfacing of phone sets for communications; related services including billing and dialing plans; and basic features including group calls, call transfer, call forwarding, and call hold. These services were often previously handled by a PBX.
A call endpoint is a user instrument, and can be a desktop phone set or a software phone application that runs on a PC. In the IP environment, every VoIP phone is Ethernet connected. VoIP phones have all of the features that a conventional phone provides. IP phones can also provide additional functions such as being able to access Websites or host useful software. Cisco VoIP phones include Cisco's feature-rich Unified IP Phone 7931G, the Cisco Wireless IP Phone 7921G, and Cisco's IP Phone 7985G desktop video phone.
