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Sending real-time voice and video over Internet Protocol has progressed from simply being being a smart technique to save money on phone bills to a strategic technology for collaboration and worker productivity. Unified communications, once limited to integrating Internet-based voice calls and faxing on one system to take the place of expensive PBX systems, now includes rich media, mobile communications, instant messaging, real-time presence, collaboration services, and much more in a centralized framework that is easy to manage, extensible, secure, fault-tolerant, cost-effective, and intuitive.

Cisco is the leader in supplying solutions for supporting the current model of unified communications (UC). Cisco's UC product line adds to the efficiency of IT networks by slashing operational costs; combining rich media functions with popular software applications to improve user output; facilitating collaboration among employees, partners, and suppliers to save effort and improve business outcomes; and simplifying the management of your communications ecosystem.

Cisco's Unified Communications technology cover several primary product areas:,

• Call Control Platforms for controlling calls and sessions
• Communications Endpoints to optimize worker engagement
• UC Software Applications for simplified access to real-time, chat, voice and video, phone messages, white boarding, and conferencing
• IP Gateways for interfacing with public networks and telecommuters

Call and Session Control Software - Unified Communications Manager (CallManager)
The call-processing agent is the core of the Cisco IP telephony solution and provides the flexibility to implement a centralized call-processing design, a decentralized design, or a mix of both. In a centralized approach, Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UC Manager or CUCM) expands enterprise telephony capabilities to packet network devices such as IP phones, media management appliances, VoIP gateways, and multimedia applications across the network. Unified Communications Manager enables extra multimedia services including unified messaging, video conferencing, and collaborative client interaction networks.

The most recent version of Unified CM, previously named CallManager, includes a wealth of enhancements that accelerate your return on investment by cutting management and maintenance costs, increasing worker productivity, enhancing teamwork, supporting the BYOD style of computing, fortifying security, and making efficient use of IT infrastructure. Top new features include Global Dial Plan Replication (GDPR), simplified certificate control, expanded support for standards-based single sign-on for managers and users, device-independent call recording, mobile connectivity without the need for VPN, a new self-provisioning interface that makes it easy for users to install their options for all of their endpoints, and support for Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol for mobile clients.

In cases where you implement a central Unified Communications Manager cluster to control voice processing for customers at distributed sites, administrators can help achieve non-stop phone operation using Cisco SRST, an IOS Software image for Cisco routers. If a WAN connection fails, Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony incorporated in the Cisco router provides core Cisco UC Manager functions until the connection is restored. For information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco ISR routers, refer to consulting support services for Cisco ISR routers.

For small business networks, branch offices, and retail environments that do not need the full functionality available from Unified CM, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, formerly named CallManager Express offers an economical solution that meets the requirements of locations with as many as 450 users. Because Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express Unified Communications Manager Express (Unified CCX) is built into the Cisco IOS Software operating on a Cisco router, smaller offices can quickly implement a unified voice and data environment.

Cisco's Business Edition 6000 is a line of turn-key solutions that provide essential collaboration capabilities such as routing, IP gateway, premium voice/video, messaging, chat and presence, conferencing, and paging support, enabling any end user to connect on any endpoint from any location. All solutions come preloaded with virtualization and collaboration applications software, making implementation fast and simple and reducing cost of ownership for companies with as many as 1000 employees. All BE6000 systems are shipped preconfigured with virtualization and UC applications. Organizations can instantly activate collaboration applications whenever their requirements grow.

The small-scale Business Edition 6000S includes five preselected unified communications applications preloaded on one integrated 2921V router/gateway/virtualized blade server device and supports a maximum capacity of 150 workers and 300 devices. The medium-scale Business Edition 6000M includes 4 collaboration software application options activated on a single virtualized Cisco C220 M4 server platform and supports a maximum capacity of 1000 users, 1200 endpoint devices, and 100 contact center agents. The high-end BE6000S includes eight UC application options enabled on a virtualized Cisco C220 M4 server platform and has the capacity for as many as 1000 workers, 2500 devices, and 100 contact center agents.

For additional details about Progent's support for Unified Communications Manager (CallManager), visit Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager planning, integration, upgrades and troubleshooting.

IP Phones: IP Voice and IP Media Endpoints
A communications endpoint is an end-user device, and can be a physical phone or a soft phone program on a PC or mobile computer. In the Internet Protocol world, every IP handset or soft phone has an Ethernet connection. VoIP phones offer all of the functions that a conventional telephone provides, but IP phones often offer extra functions such as the ability to access the web or host collaboration applications.

In contrast to ordinary Private Branch Exchange technology, in a Cisco IP phone network you can perform virtually instant moves, adds, and modifications. You simply take the IP phone to its new location, attach it to the Ethernet connection, and the phone announces itself with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (formerly CallManager). All client permissions and settings are automatically re-established, doing away with the expense and delay of sending support personnel to rewire connections. An additional efficient capability is location independence, which enables you to log into any Cisco VoIP device and get your personal phone number and rights.

Cisco offers a broad selection of VoIP handsets. The entry-level SPA 300 Series are no-frills IP and DECT screenless or monochrome devices offering wide-band voice, compatibility with hosted Internet Protocol telephony systems or an IP PBX, easy deployment and safe online provisioning, transparent software updates, and browser-based configuration. The low-end SPA301 is a one-line VoIP endpoint with no display or speakerphone function, a base dialer with one Ethernet connector, and a wired handset with no keys. The SPA302D, designed solely for operation with Cisco's SPA232D DECT ATA, is a multiline cordless DECT IP phone that offers 10-lines, a 176 x 220 color display, and a keypad with speakerphone capability. Cisco's SPA303 is an economical 3-line SIP-based phone with two Ethernet ports, a 128x64 mono screen and a speaker.

The SPA500 Series VoIP phones are low-cost devices with support for SIP and SPCP signaling protocols, two switch ports, speakerphones, built-in web servers, Power over Ethernet, and voice conferencing capability. Most versions have a 128 x 64 mono screen display, The SPA501G VoIP phone supports eight lines and has eight programmable buttons but no hi-res display. The SPA502G VoIP phone supports a single line and has no soft buttons. The SPA504G has four lines and has four soft buttons. The SPA508G has eight lines and eight programmable buttons. The SPA509G IP Phone supports 12 lines and features 12 programmable buttons. The SPA512G IP Phone supports four lines, no soft buttons and supports 10/100/1000 Ethernet. The SPA514G IP Phone supports four lines, has soft keys, and supports 1xGb Ethernet. The top-of-the-line SPA525G2 VoIP phone has a 320 x 240 color display, supports five lines, and includes five soft keys.

Cisco's Unified IP Phones 3900 Series and 6900 Series are specialty IP voice devices designed for infrequent-use settings such as cafeterias, elevators, and conference centers. Cisco's Unified SIP Phone 3905 features VoIP phone features a 128 x 32 mono display, an integrated 10/100 Ethernet switch, a speakerphone, and PoE. The bare-bones Cisco Unified IP Phone 6901 is a single-line endpoint with no display and uses a hook switch for transferring a call and conferencing.

Cisco's 7800 Series of economical IP phones are VoIP endpoints featuring backlit mono displays, four programmable buttons, 11 dedicated buttons, an integral Ethernet port with Class 1 Power over Ethernet (PoE), and a speakerphone. The 7800 Series IP Phones support only the SIP call control protocol. All models in the 7800 family feature the same advanced speakers and microphones as Cisco's 8800 Series IP phones to deliver a best-in-class audio solution. Cisco's EnergyWise power-save technology, available on the advanced 7800 units, cuts after-hours energy usage by as much as 60 percent. The Cisco IP Phone 7811 is a single-line VoIP phone designed for shared areas and for workers with infrequent call needs. The IP 7811 comes with a 3.28-inch 384 x 106 display and a narrow-band speakerphone. Wideband audio is offered via an optional wideband handset. Cisco's IP Phone 7821 is a dual-line VoIP endpoint with a 396 x 162 display. The IP Phone 7841 is a four-line endpoint with a 396 x 162 screen and is the only device in the 7800 line that provides Gigabit Ethernet. The top-of-the-line IP Phone 7861 VoIP phone is a 16-line endpoint targeted for administrators, contact center personnel, and supervisors who have significant voice communications needs.

The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7900 Series are SIP and SCCP IP voice and video endpoints with a 320 x 240 pixel color display, a 10/100/1000 Ethernet switch, Class 3 PoE, 10 dedicated keys and a speakerphone. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7945G is a two-line device and the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7965G supports four lines. Both IP phones include a 5-inch screen and four programmable keys. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7975G unit is an eight-line media phone featuring a 5.6-inch touch screen and five programmable buttons.

Cisco's IP Phone 8800 Series is a family of SIP-only IP phones that features desktop units, a conference IP phone, and wireless IP Phones. The desktop units are five-line IP phones featuring a 5-inch 800 x 480 screen, a Gigabit Ethernet switch, a speakerphone, four programmable keys and 12 dedicated buttons. Cisco's IP Phone 8811 includes a monochrome display and supports Class 2 Power over Ethernet (PoE). Cisco's IP Phone 8841 has a WVGA color display and supports Class 2 PoE. Cisco's IP Phone 8845 has a WVGA color display, 720p HD video, an adjustable camera, Bluetooth, Cisco Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice, and supports Class 2 PoE. The Cisco IP Phone 8851 features a WVGA color display and a USB port with charging capability, supports Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice and Class 3 Power over Ethernet, and is offered in Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth versions. Cisco's IP Phone 8861 has a WVGA color screen, Bluetooth, two USB connections with charging capability, and supports Cisco Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice, Wi-Fi, and Class 4 PoE. The Cisco IP Phone 8865 has a WVGA color screen, 720p HD video, a tiltable camera, Bluetooth, dual USB ports 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 hardened wireless handsets intended for workers who are mobile within campus, hospitality, retail or other environments where IT management wants portable phones that offer more administrative control, data security and ruggedness than is achievable with the Bring-Your-Own-Device mode of mobile communications. Cisco's 8821 and 8812-EX wireless IP phones offer mobile on-premises users the advantages of voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) communications in environments that support 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi infrastructure. The 8821 Wireless IP Phone includes a hi-res color screen, a durable shell rated Mil-SPEC 810G to withstand dropping and IP67 for particulate and splash resistance, extended batteries, a full-duplex speakerphone, and a Bluetooth 4.0 radio to support wireless headsets. The 8821-EX Wireless VoIP Phone adds anti-sparking protection for use in potentially combustible work sites. Cisco's 8821-EX also features a case composed of industry-standard yellow plastics, which makes the device easier to locate the event of an emergency. Learn about Progent's Wireless VoIP Phone integration and troubleshooting consulting.

Cisco's discontinued 9900 family of advanced VoIP phones mix high-definition voice with business-grade color screens to provide a rich multimedia UC experience for knowledge professionals, managers, and executives. The two models in the 9900 family include a Standard Definition VGA color screen, a Bluetooth radio to support a broad selection of headsets, and a built-in Gigabit Ethernet switch. Cisco's Power Save function is optional and can lower off-hour power consumption by 90 percent. The IP Phone 9951 features a 5-inch display and supports up to 2 Cisco IP Expansion Modules for adding scalability to customizable line and function keys. The Cisco IP Phone 9971 features a 5.6-inch display, an integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi radio for deployment with Voice-over-WLAN environments, and 4 customizable touchscreen keys to invoke Cisco Unified Communications features. The 9971 VoIP phone supports up to 3 Cisco IP Color Key Expansion Modules for adding scalability to customizable line and function keys.

Cisco Unified Communications Application Software
Under Cisco's Unified Communications platform, IP phone, video, and other converged applications are independent from the call/voice processing infrastructure, and they may reside anywhere within the network. A cohesive network framework provides a versatile environment for feature-rich business applications and provides a solid basis for future convergence-based software. Cisco works with third-party IT industry vendors to offer a broad range of IP voice and IP video applications and devices. Cisco also supports the capability to create and manage specialized in-house applications.

Collaborative application software available from Cisco and supported by Progent include:

Cisco Jabber
Jabber is a unified communications application that supports presence, instant messaging, voice, high-definition video, voicemail, desktop sharing, and online conferencing capabilities for Windows PCs, Macs, iPads and Android tablets as well as smartphones. Jabber is an evolution and combination of the Unified Personal Communicator soft phone, Cisco Mobile, and WebEx Connect, with important enhancements in the areas of HD video capabilities and desktop sharing, and expanding the collaboration environment to more operating systems and endpoint hardware. Cisco Jabber operates in conjunction with Unified CM for call and session management, Cisco Unified Presence for instant messaging and presence, Cisco Unity Connection for voicemail and automated attendant, and Cisco WebEx Meeting for conferencing.

Since Jabber is built around key communication protocols, it can interoperate with a broad range of third-party products. For instance, XMPP enables Cisco Jabber to trade IM and presence data with other XMPP clients such as Adium for Mac, IBM Sametime, and Microsoft Lync. Jabber collaboration features can be accessed from Microsoft Office programs including Outlook and Microsoft SharePoint. This broad platform support maximizes productivity by providing a consistent end-user environment and fully enabling the BYOD model of networking. Progent can provide the assistance of certified Exchange consultants and Microsoft SharePoint programmers who can show you how to take advantage of Jabber with Microsoft's popular collaboration products. Progent also can provide help with Apple iPhone integration and management and Google Android phone and tablet integration to assist you to increase the productivity of your BYOD ecosystem.

Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
WebEX Meeting Center provides online conferencing for users with a web browser or almost any desktop or mobile computer. Cisco WebEx Meeting Center is delivered as software as a service (SaaS) through Cisco's WebEx Cloud. This makes it easy to roll out and expand, reduces the cost of administration, avoids high up-front investment, features maximum uptime and world-class data protection, and delivers fast throughput. Key capabilities include the ability to share specific content or an entire screen display with remote participants in real time, the capability to incorporate rich media into your presentations including PowerPoint and Flash videos, recording plus editing and playback for training, single sign-on (SSO) and integration with Cisco collaboration applications such as Cisco Jabber and Cisco TelePresence, plus stringent data protection and encrypted connections with strict policy management.

WebEX Meeting Center runs on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux-powered PCs and allows mobile workers to launch, schedule, and participate in conferences on Android devices, iPhones and iPads, BlackBerry phones, and Microsoft Windows Phone. Users can also launch web meetings with a few clicks from Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and a variety of instant messaging solutions.

Cisco TelePresence Portfolio for In-house Teleconferencing Ecosystems
For medium-size organizations and enterprises who want to create an in-house or hybrid on-premises/cloud solution for video conferencing, Cisco provides a selection of Cisco TelePresence platforms that enable high-quality teleconferencing for users with virtually any IP endpoint at any site. Cisco TelePresence Server is a scalable teleconferencing bridge that works in conjunction with Cisco Unified Communications Manager to deliver multiparty telepresence to converged deployments and can expand meetings to incorporate cloud-based Cisco WebEx Meeting Center participants. Cisco TelePresence Conductor software simplifies management of how video conferencing bandwidth and features should be allocated for every individual attendee, allowing administrators to define the precise service level and experience required for every user. Cisco TelePresence Content Server captures video and presentations for live distribution and on-demand viewing.

Cisco's Unity Connection Platform and Unity Express for Converged Voicemail and Automated Attendant
The Cisco Unity Connection, an extension of Unified CM, is a converged voice messaging system that promotes collaboration by offering a variety of options for accessing voice messages within a framework that is easy to deploy and maintain. Cisco Unity Connection lets you access and manage voicemail messages from your email inbox, web browser, Jabber, a Cisco Unified VoIP Phone, a smartphone, or a tablet. Unity Connection also provides advanced speech-recognition features for hands and eyes free management and extensive Automated Attendant functions such as smart routing for incoming phone calls and custom call-filtering and message-alert settings. The Cisco Unity Connection system operates as a fully virtualized system that can reside on a Business Edition 6000 server or a Cisco SRE 910 router blade service module and can support up to 20,000 voice mailboxes on each server.

Cisco Unity Express (CUE), available in select Cisco Integrated Services routers, provides cost-effective voicemail, integrated messaging, interactive voice response (IVR), and automated-attendant functions for small to mid-size businesses and corporate satellite offices with as many as 500 workers. Cisco Unity Express allows users to manage voicemail messages using a Cisco Unified IP Phone screen, your web browser, or your email system. Cisco routers for which Unity Express is offered as a network module include Cisco's 1861, 2900, 3800, and 3900 families. Progent offers certified deployment and support services for all ISR routers.

Cisco Unified Contact Center
Unified Contact Center Enterprise (Unified CCE) works with Cisco CUCM and desktop agent software such as Cisco Finesse to provide automatic call distribution capabilities that allow an organization to match customers with the appropriate sales or service agent. Unified CCE features intelligent call routing, computer telephony integration, multiple channel customer contact management, network-wide call queuing, IVR and consolidated enterprise-wide reporting to simplify the deployment and administration of a modern contact center. Cisco products supporting Unified CCE's customer contact management ecosystem include Cisco Unified IP Phones, Cisco Voice Gateways, and Cisco network infrastructure.

Unified Contact Center Express (Unified CCX or CCX) provides an out-of-the-box solution for creating a customer contact center for branch or midmarket deployments that handle up to 400 agents. Multiple packages are offered, plus a variety of special options. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express integrates closely with Unified CM and provides smart call routing, client management, reporting, interactive voice response, and the ability to manage voice, email, chat, and social media requests. Unified CCX includes Cisco Finesse, a web-based desktop agent that requires no client installation. Optional enhancements include conditional routing, projected-wait-time announcements, and productivity optimization with workforce and quality management.

Cisco Mobile Connect and Single Number Reach (SNR)
Mobile Connect, commonly known as Single Number Reach, allows users to be called via one number that rings simultaneously on their Cisco IP Phone and their cell phone. Users can switch live calls between their Cisco IP phone and their smartphone without disruption. Unanswered calls can be redirected to a Unity or Cisco Unity Connection voicemail account. Users can create their own access lists that determine which calls get extended to different phones.

Prime Collaboration
Prime Collaboration offers an automated platform for first-time installs as well as for “day 2” moves, additions, changes, and deletions. A user-friendly interface provides a single view of a user and the user's services. Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning substantially speeds up site installations and minimizes the time needed for ongoing updates. Prime Collaboration also offers advanced analytics that show technology adoption and usage trends, allowing organizations to make more efficient use of resources and further lower total cost of ownership.

Cisco Collaboration Gateways
Cisco's communications gateways allow Cisco Unified Communications deployments to communicate with public networks and with users operating outside the corporate firewall. Cisco's portfolio of gateways provide UC support for all types of gateway and session-border-control applications.

Collaboration gateways offered by Cisco and supported by Progent include:

Cisco Expressway Communication Gateway
Cisco's Expressway is a powerful unified communications and collaboration gateway that enables organizations to provide employees, vendors, consumers, or partners who are working on different network environments, collaboration platforms, or endpoint equipment to access to Unified Communication functions. Cisco's Expressway works in conjunction with an enterprise Cisco Communications Manager deployment or Cisco Business Edition 6000 (BE6000), or can be run via the cloud with Cisco HCS to make productive collaboration more pervasive. Key features of Expressway are include:

• Mobile and Off-site Access: Remote workers with any Jabber-supported desktop or handheld computer or teleworkers with Cisco TelePresence endpoints have the convenience of single-sign-on (SSO) plus TLS security and can connect to all their Jabber workloads (high-definition video, high-quality voice, data instant messaging, and realtime presence) without requiring the inconvenience a VPN connection. In addition, telecommuters have the ability to use their Cisco TelePresence endpoints without a VPN tunnel, delivering a user environment at home that is the same as the office.
• Jabber Guest Support: Expressway is required for supporting Jabber Guest, which allows “guests” to communicate with your business easily and securely through streamlined web-browser and mobile video calls.
• Cisco Cloud Connectivity: Cisco Expressway can act as a gateway that connects between onsite Cisco or non-Cisco collaboration solutions and the WebEx cloud. By offering support for Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMRs), Expressway offers a world-class, extensible teleconferencing experience that seamlessly combines voice, video, and content sharing to any client, anywhere, using any endpoint.
• Interoperability: In case your organization already has third-party video products, Cisco Expressway can assist you to migrate easily to Cisco products when it makes business sense. Cisco Expressway offers video compatibility with industry standard H.323, H.264 Scalable Video Coding, or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) environments. Interoperability capabilities allowed by Expressway include IPv4 to IPv6, H.323 to Session Initiation Protocol, and Microsoft Lync H.264 Scalable Video Coding to H.264/AVC.

• Cisco WebEx Cloud Connected Audio for high-capacity SIP-media-connected audio conferencing
• Voice/Video recording
• SIP-based Call-center and IVR applications
• Policy-led evaluation of phone calls
• Business-to-business immersive telepresence over SIP

Cisco's End-of-Life UC520, UC540 and UC560 VoIP Phone Systems
The end-of-life Cisco Unified Communications 500 product line is an all-in-one VoIP communications solution for small businesses. UC500 models deliver voice, data, voicemail, auto attendant, IP video, firewall, and wireless capabilities, work with older Cisco IP Voice endpoints, and support PSTN interfaces.

All of UC500 packages include a compact switch with 8 Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) ports plus additional FXS and FXO ports, a firewall, and VPN. Built-in WiFi is an option. User capacity can be increased by attaching Cisco Catalyst Express companion switches. Every UC500 offering also includes licenses for Cisco Unified Communications Manager for VoIP call processing and Cisco Unity Express for voice messaging and automated attendant. The Cisco UC520 system supports 8 to 16 VoIP users and incorporate 4 foreign exchange stations and 4 FXO ports. The Cisco UC540 package allows 32 clients and provides 8 FXO ports. The Cisco UC560 system allows 48 VoIP clients and 12 FXO interfaces.

Progent's Cisco-certified VoIP experts can assist you to support your legacy UC500 VoIP gateway or design and implement an efficient upgrade to a current VoIP solution like Cisco's cloud-managed Business Edition 4000.

How Progent Can Assist You with Cisco IP Voice and IP Media Phones, CUCM, and Telepresence
Progent offers remote or onsite help from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Collaboration specialist to assist you to plan, install, manage and repair converged communications environments supported by Cisco Unified Communication products in a centralized, cloud-based, or hybrid environment. Progent's Cisco engineers have extensive backgrounds with Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco CallManager, Voice over IP and video phones and soft phones, Unified Communications applications such as Jabber and Unity Connection, Cisco's teleconferencing technologies, collaboration gatekeepers, utilities built into Cisco Catalyst switches and routers. Progent can also offer expertise with technologies like Cisco SRST, Cisco Unified Border Element, H.323 and H.264 gateways, CAC, VoIP trunks, PSTN, and Cisco's architecture for voice, video and integrated data. Progent's SIP integration consultants can in addition help you to create SIP infrastructure environments that include SIP VoIP phones and media phones, SIP trunks, SIP conferencing and SIP administration tools with Cisco Unified CM.

Progent's custom application programmers can build specialized IP telephony software that will help your company to integrate the telephony capabilities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager into your company processes for increased productivity. Progent can analyze your current network and Internet access infrastructure to make sure your environment is optimized to support business-quality Voice over IP and HD video, assist you to choose and install Cisco products that make sense for your present situation and downstream expansion strategy, and interface your Cisco Unified Communications solution with products from other suppliers. Progent's CISSP-ISSAP certified data security consultants can assist you to develop, carry out, and test an enterprise-wide security and compliance strategy for your unified communications ecosystem. Also, Progent can assist you to configure Cisco high-availability mechanisms like Cisco Unified SRST for cost-effective call control backup in remote-branch and teleworker environments, and Progent's disaster recovery planning experts can help you create a viable DR/BC plan to ensure the availability of your crucial communications environment.

Unified Communications Manager/CallManager Upgrade Services
Releases of Cisco Unified CM lower than 8.6 and every version of CallManager have reached end-of-life. This means Cisco Engineering will no longer develop, repair, or test this older software. Security updates for this business-critical application will stop, which in certain situations may cause regulatory compliance or even legal liability issues.

Progent will continue to offer comprehensive consulting and troubleshooting support for outdated versions of Cisco Unified CM and CallManager, but in case your company is now running a legacy edition of this critical application you should start immediately to plan your upgrade. Progent's collaboration consulting professionals can assist you to upgrade non-disruptively to the latest version of Unified Communications Manager and can often save customers as much as 50% off consulting fees compared to competing IT service firms thanks to Progent's documented procedures and experience in this area. By following best practices, Progent can ensure that your company sees a fast return on your investment by showing you how to benefit fully from the new and improved features, lower administrative and support costs, more productive collaboration capabilities, and tighter data protection offered by the newest version of Cisco Unified CM.

Progent's migration consulting services include ROI analysis, project management or co-management, system testing and validation, Cloud integration, setting up collaboration endpoints from Cisco and third-party suppliers, smartphone and tablet connectivity, data protection consulting, management automation, disaster recovery planning, network infrastructure design, staff and user training, and continuing consulting and troubleshooting. Progent also has put together ultra-affordable upgrade packages to make sure your costs are visible and under control.

To see additional information concerning Progent's consulting help for Cisco networking products, choose a topic:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Network Support
• Timely Online Assistance from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Integration and Management Support
• ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower: Configuration and Management Services
• Cisco ASA 5500 Firewalls Integration Assistance
• PIX Firewall Consulting Assistance
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Support
• Cisco Aironet Access Points Consulting Support
• Cisco Small Business WiFi Access Points Engineering Services
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Consultants
• Cisco Meraki Access Points Consulting Help
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Configuration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco Jabber Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Deployment Services
• Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco Meraki MS Switches Support and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco Security and VPN Engineering Help
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design Expertise for Cisco-based Datacenters and Colocation Centers
• Data Center Design Services for ISPs
• Centralized Management Solutions for Cisco-based Infrastructure