Voice over IP (VoIP) is the sending of live voice communications across network connections using Internet Protocol. By substituting phone carrier services with your data network for and by using digital information instead of analog signals, IP voice technology reduces phone service costs and permits a wide range of software-based services that effectively make traditional PBX equipment technological dinosaurs. When you integrate IP voice into a unified communications environment that combines email, voice messages, IM, presence, faxing, and video conferencing, you can save as much as 40 minutes per worker every day, bringing substantial business value to your information system and a fast recovery of investment. IP voice adds to the productivity of information networks by slashing service and maintenance expenses; combining voice functions with familiar software programs to increase user output; facilitating teamwork among workers, partners, and suppliers to save effort and improve business results; and simplifying the support of your voice environment.
Voice over IP is the basis for more advanced unified communications solutions. Cisco's Unified Communications system of voice, video, mobility, and data communications offerings delivers the tools for building a single converged system that can handle voice, video, and data traffic concurrently. Cisco's solution allows this functionality while sustaining a high degree of network resilience, Quality of Service, and protection. Important benefits of Cisco's converged media telephony product line are:
VoIP is the natural starting point for unified communications applications. Cisco's Unified Communications system of voice, image, mobility, and IP communications offerings delivers the technology for building a single converged system that can handle multiple types of traffic simultaneously. Cisco's solution allows this capability while maintaining a high level of network availability, Quality of Service , and Protection. Major advantages of Cisco's telephony technologies include:
- A versatile, standards-based upgrade path that allows you to choose IP products that handle your current need, while offering a smooth path for expanding IP integration in the future
- Quality of Service technologies that help ensure superior-sounding voice through tight control of delay, loss, and jitter
- Network management tools that provide network control, troubleshooting, configuration, fault tracking, and endpoint management
The framework of the Cisco IP communications solution consists of communications endpoints, call-processing agents, and IP voice applications.
Communications Endpoints
A call endpoint is an end-user instrument, either a physical phone set or a softphone application powered by a PC. In the IP world, every VoIP handset or softphone has an Ethernet connection. IP phones have all of the features that a conventional phone handset has, but Voice over IP phones can also provide extra features including the ability to access websites or run business software. Cisco VoIP phones include Cisco's low-cost SPA 300 Series for small businesses, the Wireless 7925G with a built-in and color screen, and the 6-line 7965G with high-definition audio.
Cisco VoIP phone networks also support the Cisco IP Communicator product, an application that converts a personal computer into a VoIP phone. When you use the Cisco IP Communicator remotely, you can experience the same IP phone capabilities you use at your desk. IT administrators can provision the IP Communicator the way they would any other Cisco VoIP device, greatly streamlining IP telephony management.
Unlike conventional Private Branch Exchange systems, in a Cisco IP communications environment you can perform virtually instantaneous moves, additions, and modifications. All you do is move the IP phone to its new location, plug it into an Ethernet jack, and the device announces itself with Cisco Unified Communications Manager. All client rights and settings are automatically re-established, doing away with the expense and delay of dispatching technicians to wiring closets. Another helpful feature is location independence, which enables you to log into any Cisco VoIP device and receive your personal phone ID and privileges.
Call-processing Agents
The call-processing agent is the center of the Cisco IP voice solution and provides the flexibility to deploy a central call-processing design, a decentralized design, or a combination of the two. In a centralized approach, Cisco Unified Communications Manager expands enterprise phone features to packet products such as VoIP phones, media management products, VoIP gateways, and multimedia programs across the IT environment. Unified Communications Manager enables additional multimedia functions including unified messaging, video conferencing, and group-based client interaction networks.
In cases where you deploy a centralized Unified Communications Manager cluster to manage call processing for customers at remote sites, IT managers can help ensure continuous call operation using Cisco SRST, a Cisco IOS Software image for Cisco routers. If a WAN link breaks, Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony incorporated in the router provides core Cisco Communications Manager services until the connection is returned.
For small businesses or branch offices that do not need the full functionality offered by Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, formerly CallManager Express, offers an economical solution that handles the requirements of sites with up to 240 users. Because Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is built into the IOS Software operating on a Cisco multiservice access router, smaller organizations can rapidly and deploy a converged voice and data environment.
IP Phone Applications
Within Cisco's Unified Communications platform, IP voice applications are physically separate from the call- and voice-processing infrastructure, and they may be anywhere within the system. A single connectivity framework provides an open platform for feature-rich business applications, and serves as a solid basis for downstream convergence-based software.
Cisco works with leading technology companies to offer a broad selection of IP phone applications and products. Cisco also supports the ability to develop and manage specialized internal applications.
Cisco Unity Services for Integrated Messaging
Cisco's Unity solution offers voicemail plus integrated messaging options that seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise. Cisco Unity expands to meet the needs of large enterprise organizations and offers powerful migration tools and a broad array of functions to enhance productivity.
Cisco's Unity system supports both Cisco Unified Communications Manager and popular PBX products to help your organization to transition to IP telephony at a comfortable pace and amortize your previous network investments. Cisco's solution also offers a variety of networking adapters that allow advanced message exchange with popular voice-mail systems. While you are upgrading to the Cisco Unity solution, these modules help to ensure a seamless migration by offering the capability to trade messages with internal system subscribers who rely on an older messaging system.
Cisco Unity Connection combines unified messaging, voice recognition, and call routing rules into a manageable solution for medium-sized businesses with up to 3000 workers. For companies with 500 workers, Cisco Unity Connection is available as a one-server solution with Cisco Unified Communications Manager Business Edition.
Cisco Unity Express, available in select Cisco Integrated Services routers, offers cost-effective voicemail, integrated messaging, IVR, and automated-attendant functions for small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and corporate satellite offices with up to 250 users.
How Progent's Engineers Can Help You with Cisco's VoIP Technology
Progent can provide a certified CCIE or Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) to assist you to implement and support Cisco IP telephony solutions. Progent's developers can create specialized unified messaging applications that will enable your business to incorporate the capabilities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager into your company processes for increased efficiency. Progent can analyze your current network and Internet access infrastructure to determine whether your environment is configured to support Voice over IP, assist you to choose and deploy Cisco products that make sense for your current needs and future expansion goals, and interface your Cisco Voice over IP products with products from other vendors.
Progent's Cisco-certified consultants have in-depth backgrounds supporting Cisco Unified Communications Manager and CallManager, working with Cisco client software like Cisco Unified Personal Communicator and Unified Mobility, and integrating Cisco VoIP phones, gatekeepers, voice applications, and utilities built into Cisco switches and ISR routers. Progent can also offer support for technologies such as Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony, CUBE, SIP gateways, Call Admission Control, VoIP trunks, PSTN, and Cisco's architecture for voice, video and integrated data.
To find out additional information concerning Progent's professional help for Cisco technology, select a topic:
If you wish to contact Progent about consulting support for Cisco networking, call 1-800-993-9400 or email cisco-help@progent.com.
