Cisco Certified Network Consulting and Support

Sending real-time voice and video over IP has evolved from simply being being a savvy method to save money on phone bills to being a strategic tool for collaboration and worker productivity. Unified IP communications, at one time limited to combining Internet-based voice and faxes on a single network platform in order to take the place of traditional PBX systems, today incorporates voice and video, mobility, instant messaging, real-time presence, services, and more all in a cohesive framework that is manageable, extensible, secure, resilient, cost-effective, and user friendly.

Cisco is the leader in providing solutions for supporting the modern paradigm of unified communications (UC). Cisco's UC product line adds to the efficiency of information networks by cutting operational costs; combining multiple collaboration features with familiar software applications to improve user output; supporting collaboration among employees, associates, and vendors to save effort and enhance business results; and simplifying the support of your converged voice and data ecosystem.

Cisco's Unified Communications solutions cover several important product areas:,

• Call Control Platforms for managing calls and sessions
• Communications Phones and Softphones to enhance worker engagement
• Unified Communications Software Applications for integrated access to presence, IM, voice and video, phone messages, desktop sharing, and voice/video conferencing
• Communications Gateways for connecting to outside networks and telecommuters

Call Control Software - Unified Communications Manager/CallManager
Cisco's call-processing agent is the core of Cisco's IP collaboration solution and gives you the flexibility to deploy a central call-processing model, a decentralized model, or a combination of both. In a centralized deployment, Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UC Manager or CUCM) expands corporate telephony features to packet telephony products such as IP handsets, media management appliances, Voice over IP gateways, and mixed media applications throughout the IT environment. Unified Communications Manager enables additional multimedia services including unified messaging, video conferencing, and group-based client communication networks.

The latest version of Unified Communications Manager, previously named Cisco CallManager, includes a variety of enhancements that accelerate your return on investment by cutting management and support expenses, improving worker output, enhancing collaboration, accommodating the BYOD model of computing, fortifying security, and allowing optimal utilization of IT resources. Headline new features include automatic dial-plan replication, simplified certificate control, expanded support for standards-based single sign-on for administrators and end users, device-independent call recording, mobile connectivity without the need for VPN tunneling, a new self-care interface that makes it simple for workers to specify their options for all endpoints, and support for Transport Layer Security for mobile clients.

When you implement a central Unified Communications Manager cluster to manage voice processing for customers at distributed locations, IT managers can help achieve non-stop phone availability using Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST), an IOS Software image for Cisco routers. If a Wide Area Network link breaks, Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony incorporated in the Cisco router offers core UC Manager functions until the connection is restored. To learn about Progent's consulting support services for Cisco ISR routers, refer to consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers.

For small business networks, branch locations, and retail deployments that do not require the full functionality available from Unified CM, Unified Communications Manager Express, formerly named CallManager Express offers a cost-effective PBX alternative that handles the needs of locations with up to 450 workers. Because Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express Unified Communications Manager Express (Unified CCX) is built into the IOS Software operating on a Cisco router, smaller organizations can quickly deploy a unified voice and data environment.

Cisco's Business Edition 6000 is a family of one-stop solutions that offer essential collaboration features including routing, gateway, high definition voice/video, messaging, instant messaging and presence, conferencing, and paging support, enabling any user to collaborate on any device from any place. All solutions are delivered preloaded with virtualization and collaboration applications, making deployment fast and simple and reducing operating expenses for companies with up to 1000 workers. All BE6000 versions come preconfigured with a virtualization hypervisor and Unified Communications applications software. Organizations can simply enable collaboration software applications whenever their needs grow.

The small-scale Business Edition 6000S includes five standard collaboration applications preloaded on a single combination 2921V router/gateway/virtualized blade server platform and supports a maximum capacity of 150 workers and 300 endpoint devices. The mid-market Business Edition 6000M supports four unified communications application options activated on a virtualized Cisco UCS C220 M4 server and supports as many as 1000 users, 1200 endpoint devices, and 100 contact center agents. The top-of-the-line BE6000S includes eight collaboration application options enabled on a single virtualized Cisco C220 M4 server platform and has the ability to support as many as 1000 workers, 2500 devices, and 100 contact center agents.

For more details about Progent's support for Unified Communications Manager (CallManager), see Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) and CallManager design, configuration, migration and technical support.

IP Phones: VoIP and IP Video Endpoints
A communications endpoint is a user instrument, either a hardware phone or a soft phone program on a desktop or mobile computer. In the Internet Protocol world, each VoIP phone is Ethernet connected. VoIP phones have all of the capabilities that an analog phone handset provides, but Voice over IP phones can also provide additional functions such as the ability to connect to websites or host productivity-enhancing software.

In contrast to traditional Private Branch Exchange systems, in a Cisco IP telephony environment you can perform almost instantaneous relocations, additions, and changes. You simply move the VoIP handset to your new location, plug it into the Ethernet connection, and the IP phone announces itself with Cisco Unified Communications Manager. All user permissions and settings are automatically re-established, eliminating the cost and delay of sending technicians to rewire connections. An additional useful feature is extension mobility, which enables you to sign into any Cisco IP phone and get your own phone ID and privileges.

Cisco provides a wide selection of collaboration phones. The low-cost SPA 300 family are no-frills IP and DECT screenless or monochrome phones that feature high-quality audio, support for hosted Internet Protocol phone environments or an IP PBX, simple deployment and safe online provisioning, zero-downtime software upgrades, and web-based set up. The low-end SPA301 is a single-line IP endpoint with no display or speakerphone function, a base dialer with a single Ethernet connector, and a wired handset with no a keypad. The SPA302D, intended solely for operation with Cisco's SPA232D DECT ATA, is a multiline wireless Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) IP phone that supports 10-lines, a 176 x 220 color screen, and a dial pad with a speakerphone. Cisco's SPA303 is an affordable three-line SIP-based IP phone with two switched Ethernet ports, a 128x64 mono screen and a speakerphone.

The SPA500 Series IP phones are low-cost devices that support SIP and SPCP signaling protocols, two integral switch ports, speakerphones, PoE, and voice conferencing support. Most versions have a 128 x 64 mono screen display, The SPA501G IP Phone supports eight lines and has eight programmable keys but no LCD display. The SPA502G VoIP phone supports a single line and has no soft keys. The SPA504G IP Phone supports four lines and has four soft buttons. The SPA508G VoIP phone supports eight lines and eight programmable buttons. The SPA509G supports 12 lines and features 12 programmable buttons. The SPA512G has four lines, no programmable keys and supports Gigabit Ethernet. The SPA514G IP Phone supports four lines, has soft buttons, and supports Gigabit Ethernet. The high-end SPA525G2 VoIP phone has a 320 x 240 color screen, supports five lines, and features five programmable keys.

Cisco's Unified IP Phones 3900 Series and 6900 Series are specialty IP voice endpoints designed for occasional-use settings like lobbies, elevators, and conference facilities. The Unified SIP Phone 3905 IP Phone features a 128 x 32 mono display, an integrated 10/100 Ethernet switch, a speakerphone, and PoE. The simple Cisco Unified IP Phone 6901 is a single-line endpoint with no screen and requires a hook switch for transferring a call or joining a conference.

Cisco's 7800 Series of economical IP phones are VoIP desktop devices featuring backlit monochrome displays, four soft buttons, 11 fixed-feature keys, an integral Ethernet port with Class 1 PoE, and a speakerphone. Cisco's 7800 Series support only the SIP signaling protocol. All devices in Cisco's 7800 Series incorporate the same high-fidelity speakers and microphones as Cisco's 8800 Series IP phones to deliver a state-of-the-art audio solution. Cisco's EnergyWise power-save feature, available on the higher end 7800 models, cuts off-hours energy consumption by as much as 60 percent. The Cisco IP Phone 7811 is a one-line VoIP phone designed for common locations as well as for employees with infrequent voice communications requirements. The IP 7811 VoIP phone comes with a 3.28-inch 384 x 106 display and a narrow-band speakerphone. Wideband audio is offered via an extra-cost handset. Cisco's IP Phone 7821 is a two-line VoIP endpoint with a 396 x 162 screen. The IP Phone 7841 is a four-line phone with a 396 x 162 display and is the only device in the 7800 series that provides 1xGb Ethernet. The high-end IP Phone 7861 is a 16-line endpoint intended for administrative staff, call center personnel, and managers who have heavy voice communications requirements.

Cisco Unified IP Phone 7900 Series are dual-protocol (SIP/SCCP) IP voice and video devices with a 320 x 240 color display, a 10/100/1000 Ethernet switch, Class 3 PoE, 10 fixed-feature keys and a speakerphone. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7945G is a two-line unit and the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7965G includes four lines. Both VoIP phones have a 5-inch display and four soft keys. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7975G unit is an eight-line IP voice and video phone featuring a 5.6-inch touch screen and five soft keys.

Cisco's IP Phone 8800 Series is a line of SIP-only endpoints that features desktop units, a conference phone, and mobile wireless IP Phones. The desktop models are five-line IP phones featuring a 5-inch 800 x 480 pixel screen, a Gigabit Ethernet switch, a speakerphone, four soft keys and 12 fixed-feature keys. The Cisco IP Phone 8811 features a monochrome screen and supports Class 2 Power over Ethernet. Cisco's IP Phone 8841 has a WVGA color screen and supports Class 2 PoE. Cisco's IP Phone 8845 has a WVGA color display, 720p HD video, a tiltable camera, Bluetooth, Cisco Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice, and supports Class 2 Power over Ethernet. The Cisco IP Phone 8851 features a WVGA color screen and one USB port with charging capability, supports Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice and Class 3 PoE, and is offered in Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth models. The Cisco IP Phone 8861 includes a WVGA color display, Bluetooth, two USB ports with charging capability, and supports Cisco Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice, Wi-Fi, and Class 4 Power over Ethernet. The Cisco IP Phone 8865 includes a WVGA color display, 720p HD video, an adjustable camera, Bluetooth, two USB connections with charging capability, and supports Cisco Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Class 4 PoE.

Cisco's wireless VoIP phones are industrial-grade wireless handsets designed for professionals who are mobile within campus, warehouse, health-care or other venues where IT management requires portable phones that offer more control, security and durability than is possible with the BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) mode of workplace communications. Cisco's 8821 and 8812-EX wireless IP phones provide mobile on-premises workers the advantages of voice over wireless LAN communications in workplaces with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi infrastructure. Cisco's 8821 Wireless IP Phone includes a hi-res color screen, a durable case rated Mil-SPEC 810G for shock resistance and IP67 for dust and moisture resistance, extended batteries, a built-in speakerphone, and an integrated Bluetooth radio to support wireless headsets. Cisco's 8821-EX Wireless VoIP Phone adds protection against sparking for use in potentially combustible environments. Cisco's 8821-EX also has a shell fabricated of industry-standard yellow plastics, which makes it easier to find in a crisis. Learn about Progent's Wireless VoIP Phone integration consultants.

Cisco's legacy 9900 family of advanced IP endpoints combine high-definition voice with hi-res color displays to deliver a rich multimedia communications solution for knowledge professionals and executives. Both IP phones in the 9900 line have a Standard Definition VGA color screen, a Bluetooth 2.0 radio to work with a wide range of headsets, and an integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet switch. Cisco's Power Save feature is optional and can cut off-work power use by up to 90 percent. The IP Phone 9951 features a 5-inch screen and allows up to 2 IP Expansion Modules for adding customizable line and function keys. The Cisco IP Phone 9971 features a 5.6-inch screen, a built-in Wi-Fi transceiver for connecting to voice-over-wireless LAN environments, and four soft-label programmable touchscreen keys to invoke Cisco UC features. The 9971 allows up to 3 IP Expansion Modules for adding scalability to programmable line and function keys.

Unified Communications Applications
Within Cisco's Unified Communications architecture, IP phone, IP video, and other converged applications are physically separate from the call/voice processing infrastructure, and they may reside at any location within the network. A single connectivity infrastructure offers an open platform for feature-rich applications and provides a firm basis for future convergence-based applications. Cisco cooperates with third-party IT industry partners to provide a wide range of IP voice and IP video software applications and products. Cisco also supports the capability to create and administer customized in-house applications.

Unified Communications application software offered by Cisco and supported by Progent's consultants include:

Jabber
Cisco Jabber is a UC client application that supports presence, instant messaging, voice, high-definition video, voice messaging, desktop sharing, and online conferencing capabilities for PCs, Apple Macs, tablets as well as smartphones. Cisco Jabber is a rebranding and integration of the Cisco Unified Personal Communicator soft phone, Cisco Mobile, and WebEx Connect, with major improvements in the areas of video capabilities and desktop screen sharing, and expanding the team experience to additional platforms and devices. Cisco Jabber operates with Unified Communications Manager for call and session control, Cisco Unified Presence for instant messaging and presence, Cisco Unity Connection for voicemail and programmable attendant, and Cisco WebEx Meeting for conferencing and online meetings.

Because Cisco Jabber utilizes key industry standards, it can interoperate with a wide range of non-Cisco platforms. For instance, XMPP allows Jabber users to exchange instant messaging and presence information with a variety of XMPP clients including as Adium for Mac, Sametime, and Microsoft Lync. Cisco Jabber collaboration features can be accessed from Microsoft Office programs such as Outlook and Microsoft SharePoint. This broad platform support optimizes productivity by providing a common end-user experience and fully enabling the bring-your-own-device paradigm of networking. Progent offers the expertise of certified Exchange and Outlook consultants and Microsoft SharePoint experts who can help you to integrate Jabber with Microsoft's popular collaboration platforms. Progent also can provide expertise with Apple iPhone and iPad integration and Google Android phone and tablet integration to assist your organization to enhance the business value of your BYOD environment.

WebEX Meeting Center
WebEX Meeting Center enables web conferencing for users with a browser or virtually any desktop or mobile device. Cisco WebEx Meeting Center is offered as SaaS through Cisco's WebEx Cloud. This makes it easy to roll out and expand, reduces the cost of administration, avoids high up-front expenditures, offers high availability and enterprise-grade security, and provides fast performance. Key capabilities include support for sharing specific content or your whole screen with online attendees in real time, the capability to add multimedia into your presentations including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash animations, session recording plus editing and playback for future reference and training, single sign-on (SSO) and integration with other Cisco collaboration products like Cisco Jabber and TelePresence, plus strong data privacy and encrypted connections with tight policy management.

WebEX Meeting Center runs on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux PCs and permits mobile workers to launch, schedule, and attend conferences on Google Android smartphones and tablets, Apple iPhones and iPads, BlackBerry handhelds, and Microsoft Windows Phone. Users can also initiate online meetings instantly from Microsoft Office, Outlook, Notes, and a selection of instant messaging applications.

Cisco TelePresence Portfolio for In-house Video Conferencing Ecosystems
For midsize businesses and larger enterprises who wish to build a local or hybrid local/cloud environment for teleconferencing, Cisco offers a portfolio of Cisco TelePresence software and equipment that enable high-definition video conferencing for attendees with virtually any endpoint device at any location. Cisco TelePresence Server is an expandable teleconferencing bridge that runs in conjunction with Cisco Unified CM to provide multiparty video, audio and content sharing to UC deployments and can extend meetings to include cloud-based Cisco WebEx Meeting Center users. Cisco TelePresence Conductor software streamlines the control of the way teleconferencing resources should be allocated for every individual participant, enabling administrators to specify the exact service level and experience required for every user. Cisco TelePresence Content Server collects video conference presentations for real-time streaming and video on demand playback.

Cisco Unity Connection and Unity Express for Unified Voicemail
The Cisco Unity Connection, an extension of Cisco Unified Communications Manager, is a converged voice messaging platform that accelerates collaboration by providing a variety of options for retrieving calls and messages within a framework that is simple to deploy and administer. Cisco Unity Connection allows you to access and manage voicemail from your email inbox, browser, Jabber, a Cisco Unified IP endpoint, a smartphone, or an iPad or tablet. Unity Connection also provides advanced speech-recognition features for hands-free management and powerful Automated Attendant features such as intelligent routing for incoming phone calls and easily customizable call-screening and message-notification settings. The Cisco Unity Connection system operates as a fully virtualized system that can be hosted on a Business Edition 6000 server or a Cisco Services Ready Engine 910 router blade and can support up to 20,000 mailboxes on each server.

Unity Express (CUE), available in select Cisco ISR routers, offers cost-effective voicemail, unified messaging, IVR, and greeting functions for small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprise satellite locations with as many as 500 voice mailboxes. Cisco Unity Express permits you to manage voicemail messages using a Cisco Unified IP Phone display, your web browser, or your email client. Cisco routers for which Unity Express is available as a network module or advanced integration module include Cisco's 1861, 2900, and 3900 families. Progent can provide comprehensive deployment and support services for all ISR routers.

Unified Contact Center
Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise (UCCE) integrates closely with CUCM and desktop agent apps like Cisco Finesse to provide automatic call distribution (ACD) capabilities that allow an organization to match customers with the right salesperson or service representative. Unified CCE or UCCE provides smart call distribution, computer telephony integration (CTI), support for multichannel customer contact management, network call queuing, interactive voice response (IVR) and advanced enterprise-wide reporting to streamline the creation and administration of a large-scale customer contact center. Cisco products supporting UCCE's client interaction management solution include Unified IP Phones, Voice, and Cisco network infrastructure.

Unified Contact Center Express (CCX) provides an out-of-the-box bundle for creating a customer contact center for branch or midmarket systems that support as many as 400 agents. Several bundles are offered, as well as a selection of optional advanced features. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express works with Cisco Unified Communications Manager and offers intelligent call routing, contact management, integrated reporting, IVR, and the ability to manage voice, email, chat, and social media inquiries. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express comes with Finesse, a browser-based desktop agent that needs no client-side software setup. Special options include call-in-queue, expected-wait-time announcements, and productivity optimization with workforce and quality management.

Cisco Mobile Connect for Single Number Reach
Mobile Connect, popularly referred to as Single Number Reach, makes it possible for users to be reached via one phone number that rings at the same time on their Cisco desktop VoIP Phone and their cell phone. Users can switch live conversations between their desktop VoIP phone and their mobile phone without disruption. Calls that are not answered can be transferred to a Unity or Cisco Unity Connection account. Users can create their own access lists that determine which calls are extended to different endpoints.

Prime Collaboration
Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning provides an automated platform for first-time installs and for “day 2” moves, adds, changes, and deletions. A user-friendly console delivers a single look at a user and the subscriber's services. Prime Collaboration substantially speeds up company-wide rollouts and reduces the effort needed for future changes. Prime Collaboration also provides advanced analytics that show technology adoption and usage trends, allowing organizations to make more efficient use of resources and further reduce TCO.

Cisco Communications Gateways
Cisco's communications gateways permit Cisco Unified Communications deployments to communicate with public systems and with users operating outside the firewall. Cisco's line of communication gateways deliver UC services for a wide variety of gateway as well as session-border-control applications.

Collaboration gateways available from Cisco and supported by Progent's certified consultants include:

Expressway Communication Gateway
Cisco's Expressway is a powerful converged media gateway that enables companies to allow colleagues, suppliers, customers, or partners who are working on various outside network environments, workgroup platforms, or endpoint equipment to access to Unified Communication functions. Cisco's Expressway gateway works in conjunction with an enterprise Cisco CM deployment or Cisco Business Edition 6000 (BE6000), or can be accessed through the cloud with Cisco HCS to make collaboration more universal. Key features of Cisco Expressway include:

• Mobile and Off-site Access: Remote users who have any Jabber-compatible desktop or handheld computer or telecommuters with Cisco TelePresence endpoints get the convenience of one-time sign-on as well as Transport Layer Security (TLS) and can access all their collaboration workloads (high-definition video, voice, rich content IM, and realtime presence) without requiring the inconvenience establishing a VPN. In addition, telecommuters have the ability to utilize their Cisco TelePresence endpoints without a VPN tunnel, providing a user experience at home the same as the corporate office.
• Cisco Jabber Guest Support: Expressway is integral for enabling Cisco's Jabber Guest, which makes it possible for “guests” to interact with your organization simply and securely through lightweight web-browser and mobile video phone calls.
• Cisco Cloud Connectivity: Cisco Expressway can function as a gateway that creates a path between onsite Cisco or non-Cisco systems and Cisco's WebEx cloud. By offering support for Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMRs), Expressway deliver an advanced, scalable teleconferencing environment that seamlessly combines high-quality voice, HD video, and data sharing to any client, anywhere, on any endpoint.
• Interoperability: If your company already has non-Cisco video products, Expressway can assist you to move efficiently to a Cisco solution when you choose. Cisco Expressway provides video interoperability with industry standard H.323, H.264 Scalable Video Coding, or SIP environments. Gateway capabilities supported by Cisco Expressway include IPv4 to IPv6, H.323 to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and Microsoft Lync 2013 H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) to AVC.

• WebEx Cloud Connected Audio (CCA) for high-capacity SIP-media-connected audio conferencing
• Voice and Video recording
• Enterprise Call-center and interactive-voice-response (IVR) applications
• Policy-led evaluation of phone calls
• Business-to-business telepresence over SIP

Cisco's End-of-Life UC520, UC540 and UC560 VoIP Gateways
The end-of-life Cisco Unified Communications 500 product line is a VoIP communications system for small organizations. UC500 models deliver voice, data, voicemail, auto attendant, video, security, and WiFi capabilities, work with older Cisco VoIP phones, and support public switched telephone network connections.

All UC500 packages include a desktop switch with 8 PoE ports and additional foreign exchange stations (FXS) and FXO ports, a firewall, and VPN support. Built-in WiFi is an option. VoIP user capacity can be increased by connecting with Cisco Catalyst Express switches. Every UC500 model also includes software licenses for Cisco Unified Communications Manager for VoIP call processing and Cisco Unity Express for voice messaging and automated attendant. The Cisco UC520 package supports 8 to 16 VoIP users and include 4 foreign exchange stations and 4 FXO ports. The Cisco UC540 system allows 24 to 32 clients and provides 8 FXO interfaces. The Cisco UC560 package allows 48 users and 12 foreign exchange office interfaces.

Progent's seasoned VoIP consultants can help you to support your legacy UC500 VoIP gateway or plan and implement an efficient migration to a modern VoIP system such as the Cisco cloud-managed Business Edition 4000.

How Progent Can Help You with Cisco VoIP and IP Media Phones, Cisco Unified CM, and Video Conferencing
Progent can provide remote or onsite access to a certified CCIE Collaboration expert to assist your business to plan, implement, administer and troubleshoot converged communications environments built on Cisco Unified Communication products in a centralized, distributed, or hybrid environment. Progent's Cisco-certified engineers have extensive experience with Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco CallManager, VoIP phones and other endpoints, Unified Communications applications such as Jabber and WebEx Meeting Center, Cisco's video conferencing technologies, communication gateways, utilities built into Cisco Catalyst switches and routers. Progent can also offer expertise with technologies like Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony, Cisco Unified Border Element, H.323 and SIP gateways, CAC, IP voice trunks, various signaling protocols, and Cisco's architecture for voice, video and integrated data. Progent's SIP integration experts can in addition help you to build SIP infrastructure environments that include SIP-based VoIP phones and video endpoints, SIP trunks, and SIP management tools via Cisco Unified Communications Manager.

Progent's custom application programmers can build specialized unified communications software that will enable your company to integrate the telephony capabilities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager into your company processes for increased productivity. Progent can audit your existing network and Internet access architecture to determine whether your environment is configured to accommodate high-quality VoIP and HD video, help you to select and integrate Cisco hardware and software appropriate for your current situation and downstream expansion strategy, and integrate your Cisco Unified Communications solution with products from other suppliers. Progent's CISSP-ISSAP certified data security consultants can assist you to create, implement, and test a comprehensive security and compliance strategy for your unified communications ecosystem. In addition, Progent can assist you to deploy Cisco high-availability technologies like Cisco Unified Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST) for affordable call control backup in branch office and teleworker environments, and Progent's disaster recovery preparedness experts can help you develop a viable DR/BC strategy to ensure the availability of your business-critical unified communications system.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager/CallManager Migration Consulting
Versions of Cisco Unified Communications Manager 8.6 before 8.6 and every release of CallManager have reached end-of-life. This means Cisco will no longer develop, repair, or test this older software. Security patches for this business-critical product will end, which in some circumstances could create compliance or potential liability issues.

Progent continues to offer expert consulting and troubleshooting support for outdated editions of Cisco Unified Communications Manager and CallManager, but if you are now running a legacy edition of this pivotal software your organization should begin immediately to plan your migration. Progent's collaboration consulting professionals can help you to upgrade smoothly to the latest release of Unified Communications Manager and can routinely save customers as much as 50% off consulting fees compared to most IT service companies because of Progent's documented procedures and hands-on experience in this area. By following leading practices, Progent can ensure that your company realizes a quick payback on your IT investment by helping you benefit fully from the new and improved features, lower administrative and maintenance expense, more productive collaboration capabilities, and tighter data protection provided by the current edition of Unified Communications Manager.

Progent's migration consulting services include return-on-investment assessment, project management, system testing and validation, Cloud integration, configuring endpoint devices from Cisco and other suppliers, smartphone and tablet connectivity, data protection consulting, management automation, disaster recovery planning, network architecture design, training for IT staff and end users, and ongoing consulting and technical support. Progent also has put together fixed-priced migration service bundles to make sure your costs are predictable and under control.

To see more details about Progent's engineering support for Cisco networking products, select a subject:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Expertise
• Timely Online Support from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Integration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower: Integration and Management Services
• ASA 5500 Series Firewall Integration Assistance
• Cisco PIX 500 Firewall Upgrade. Migration Expertise
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco Wireless Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Aironet APs Design Services
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs System Design Help
• Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning, Configuration and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Consulting
• Meraki APs Engineering Services
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco Jabber Integration Expertise
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Configuration and Maintenance Services
• Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Expertise
• Cisco Meraki Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco VPN and Security Integration Assistance
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunking and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design Expertise for Cisco-powered Data Centers
• Infrastructure Design Expertise for Service Providers
• Remote Management Techniques for Cisco Environments