Cisco Certified Network Consultants

Sending real-time voice and video over Internet Protocol has progressed from simply being being a savvy means to cut phone bills to being a required tool for competitive advantage. Converged IP communications, at one time limited to combining Internet-based voice calls and faxing on one system to take the place of expensive PBX equipment, now encompasses rich media, mobility, messaging, presence, collaboration services, and much more within a cohesive ecosystem that is manageable, scalable, protected, resilient, cost-effective, and user friendly.

Cisco is the market leader in providing solutions required to support the new paradigm of unified communications (UC). Cisco's unified communications product line adds to the productivity of information systems by cutting operational expenses; combining multiple collaboration features with familiar software programs to increase user output; facilitating collaboration among workers, associates, and suppliers to save time and enhance business outcomes; and simplifying the management of your communications infrastructure.

Cisco's Unified Communications solutions address these main product categories:,

• Call Control Agents for controlling calls and sessions
• VoIP and Video Endpoints to optimize worker productivity
• Unified Communications Software Applications for simplified access to presence, chat, voice and video, phone messages, desktop sharing, and conferencing
• Communications Gateways for accessing public networks and remote users

Call and Session Control Agents - Unified Communications Manager/CallManager
Cisco's call-processing agent is the core of the Cisco IP Communications infrastructure and gives you the versatility to deploy a centralized call-processing design, a decentralized design, or a combination of the two. In a centralized approach, Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UC Manager or CUCM) extends corporate phone capabilities to packet telephony devices such as IP handsets, media management devices, Voice over IP gateways, and multimedia programs throughout the network. Cisco Unified Communications Manager enables additional voice, video, and data functions such as unified messaging, multimedia conferencing, and group-based customer communication networks.

The most recent version of Unified CM, previously branded CallManager, includes a wealth of improvements that expedite your return on investment by cutting administrative and maintenance costs, improving worker productivity, facilitating collaboration, accommodating the BYOD style of working, strengthening security, and allowing optimal utilization of network infrastructure. Headline new features include Global Dial Plan Replication (GDPR), streamlined certificate management, extended support for standards-based single sign-on (SSO) for managers and users, device-agnostic call recording, mobile connectivity without requiring VPN, a new self-care utility that makes it simple for workers to specify their options for all devices, and support for Transport Layer Security for mobile clients.

When you deploy a central Unified Communications Manager cluster to manage voice processing for customers at remote sites, administrators can help ensure non-stop call operation through Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony, an IOS Software image for routers. If a Wide Area Network connection fails, Cisco SRST incorporated in the Cisco router provides basic Unified Communications Manager capabilities until the connection is returned. To learn about Progent's consulting support for Cisco ISR routers, see consulting and troubleshooting services for Cisco ISR routers.

For small business networks, branch offices, and retail environments that do not require the full feature set offered by Unified CM, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, previously named CallManager Express provides an economical solution that meets the needs of locations with up to 450 users. Because Unified Communications Manager Express Unified Communications Manager Express (Unified CCX) is embedded in the Cisco IOS Software operating on a Cisco ISR router, smaller organizations can quickly deploy a unified voice and data environment.

Cisco's BE6000 is a family of all-in-one platforms that offer fundamental collaboration capabilities such as routing, gateway, high definition voice/video, messaging, instant messaging and real-time presence, teleconferencing, and paging support, enabling any end user to collaborate on any device from any place. All BE6000 solutions come packaged preloaded with a virtualization hypervisor and UC applications, making implementation fast and easy and cutting cost of ownership for companies with from 25 to 1000 employees. All BE6000 versions come preinstalled with virtualization and collaboration applications. You can instantly enable UC applications whenever their needs dictate.

The office-in-a-box BE6000S supports five standard collaboration applications installed on one combination 2921V ISR router/IP gateway/virtualized blade server platform and supports as many as 150 users and 300 devices. The mid-market BE6000M includes 4 UC application options enabled on a single virtualized Cisco C220 M4 server platform and supports as many as 1000 users, 1200 devices, and 100 contact center agents. The high-end BE6000S Supports 8 unified communications software application options activated on a virtualized Cisco UCS C220 M4 server platform and can handle up to 1000 workers, 2500 endpoint devices, and 100 contact center agents.

For additional details about Progent's support for Unified Communications Manager, see Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) and CallManager planning, configuration, upgrades and technical support.

Cisco IP Phones: IP Voice and IP Video Phones
An IP communications endpoint is a user instrument, and can be a hardware phone or a software phone program on a PC or mobile computer. In the Internet Protocol environment, each VoIP handset or soft phone has an Ethernet connection. Voice over IP phones offer all of the features that an ordinary phone provides, but Voice over IP phones can also provide additional functions including being able to connect to websites or run productivity-enhancing software.

Unlike ordinary PBX systems, in a Cisco IP telephony network you can implement almost instantaneous relocations, additions, and changes. You simply move the IP phone to its new spot, attach it to the Ethernet jack, and the handset registers itself with Cisco Unified Communications Manager. All user permissions and configurations are automatically replicated, doing away with the cost and hassle of dispatching technicians to wiring closets. Another helpful feature is location independence, which allows you to log into any Cisco VoIP phone and get your personal phone extension and rights.

Cisco provides a wide range of Unified CM handsets. The low-cost SPA 300 family are no-frills IP and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications screenless or monochrome phones that feature high-quality audio, support for hosted IP phone environments or an IP private branch exchange, easy deployment and safe online provisioning, transparent software upgrades, and web-based configuration. The low-end SPA301 is a single-line IP endpoint with no display or speakerphone, a base dialer with a single Ethernet connector, and a corded handset without keys. The SPA302D, intended exclusively for operation with Cisco's SPA232D DECT ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter), is a multiline wireless Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications handset that supports 10-lines, a TFT 176 x 220 color display, and a keypad with speakerphone capability. The SPA303 is an entry-level 3-line IP phone with dual switched Ethernet ports, a 128x64 monochrome graphical display and a speaker.

The SPA500 Series VoIP phones are low-cost devices that support both SIP and SPCP signaling protocols, two integral Ethernet switch ports, speakerphones, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and voice conferencing support. Most versions have a 128 x 64 monochrome screen display, The SPA501G IP Phone supports eight lines and has eight programmable keys but no LCD display. The SPA502G has a single line and has no programmable buttons. The SPA504G VoIP phone supports four lines and has four programmable buttons. The SPA508G VoIP phone supports eight lines and eight soft keys. The SPA509G supports 12 lines and has 12 programmable keys. The SPA512G has four lines, no programmable keys and supports 1xGb Ethernet. The SPA514G IP Phone supports four lines, has soft keys, and supports 10/100/1000 Ethernet. The top-of-the-line SPA525G2 VoIP phone has a 320 x 240 pixel color screen, supports five lines, and includes five programmable buttons.

Cisco's Unified IP Phones 3900 Series and 6900 Series are specialty VoIP devices intended for occasional-use environments like cafeterias, elevators, and conference facilities. The Unified SIP Phone 3905 IP Phone features a 128 x 32 pixel mono screen, an integrated 10/100 Ethernet switch, a speakerphone, and Power over Ethernet (PoE). The simple Cisco Unified IP Phone 6901 is a single-line endpoint without a screen and uses a hook switch for transferring a call or conferencing.

Cisco's 7800 Series of value-priced IP phones are VoIP desktop devices with backlit monochrome screens, four programmable keys, 11 dedicated keys, an Ethernet port with PoE, and a speakerphone. The 7800 Series VoIP phones support only the SIP call control protocol. All models in Cisco's 7800 line feature the same advanced speakers and microphones as Cisco's 8800 Series IP phones to deliver a state-of-the-art audio experience. Cisco's EnergyWise power-save feature, offered 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 phone designed for common areas as well as for employees with infrequent call requirements. The IP 7811 comes with a 3.28-inch 384 x 106 display plus a narrow-band speakerphone. Wideband audio is available through an extra-cost wideband handset. Cisco's IP Phone 7821 is a dual-line VoIP phone with a 396 x 162 display. The IP Phone 7841 is a four-line VoIP phone with a 396 x 162 display and is the only device in the 7800 series to support Gigabit Ethernet. The high-end IP Phone 7861 VoIP phone is a 16-line device targeted for administrators, contact center personnel, and managers who have significant voice communications needs.

The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7900 Series are dual-protocol (SIP/SCCP) IP voice and video devices with a 320 x 240 pixel color display, an integral 1xGb Ethernet switch, Class 3 Power over Ethernet, 10 fixed-feature buttons and a speakerphone. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7945G is a two-line unit and the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7965G supports four lines. Both VoIP phones include a 5-inch display and four soft buttons. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7975G device is an eight-line IP voice and video phone featuring a 5.6-inch touch screen and five soft buttons.

Cisco's IP Phone 8800 Series is a line of SIP-only IP phones that includes desktop devices, a conference IP phone, and mobile wireless IP Phones. The desktop units are five-line IP phones featuring a 5-inch 800 x 480 pixel display, a Gigabit Ethernet switch, a speakerphone, four soft keys and 12 dedicated keys. Cisco's IP Phone 8811 includes a mono display and supports Class 2 Power over Ethernet. The Cisco 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 has a WVGA color screen and a USB connection with charging capability, supports Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice and Class 3 PoE, and is available in Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth models. Cisco's IP Phone 8861 has a WVGA color screen, Bluetooth, dual 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, a tiltable 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 IP phones are industrial-grade Wi-Fi handsets designed for workers who are on the move within office, warehouse, retail or other environments where IT management requires user endpoints that provide more control, security and durability than is possible with the Bring-Your-Own-Device style of workplace communications. Cisco's 8821 and 8812-EX wireless VoIP phones offer mobile on-premises users the benefits of voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) communications in workplaces that support 802.11x Wi-Fi infrastructure. The 8821 Wireless VoIP Phone features a 2.4 inch color screen, a rugged case designed for shock resistance and IP67 for dust and splash resistance, long-life batteries, a speakerphone, and an integrated Bluetooth 4.0 radio to support wireless headsets. The 8821-EX Wireless IP Phone adds spark suppression for potentially combustible environments. Cisco's 8821-EX also has a shell made of industry-standard yellow plastics, which makes the 8821-EX easier to find in a crisis. Find out about Progent's Cisco Wireless IP Phone integration consulting.

Cisco's legacy 9900 Series of advanced IP phones integrate high-quality voice with hi-res color video to offer a productive multimedia communications solution for knowledge professionals and executive management. The two IP phones in this family include an SD VGA color screen, a Bluetooth 2.0 transceiver to work with a broad range of headsets, and an integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet port. The Cisco EnergyWise power-save function is optional and can reduce off-work energy use by as much as 90 percent. The IP Phone 9951 features a 5-inch display and allows up to 2 IP Color Key Expansion Modules for adding scalability to customizable line and feature keys. The IP Phone 9971 features a 5.6-inch display, a built-in Wi-Fi transceiver for deployment with Voice-over-wireless LAN (VoWLAN) environments, and four programmable touchscreen keys to invoke Cisco Unified Communications features. The 9971 VoIP phone supports up to 3 IP Color Key Expansion Modules for expanding programmable line and function keys.

Unified Communications Applications
Under Cisco's Unified Communications architecture, IP telephony, video, and other converged applications are independent from the call/voice processing infrastructure, and they may be at any location within the system. A single connectivity framework provides an open platform for powerful business applications and acts as a firm foundation for downstream convergence-based software. Cisco works with leading IT industry partners to provide a wide range of IP phone and IP video applications and products. Cisco also supports the capability to create and manage specialized in-house programs.

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

Jabber
Jabber is a converge media client application that supports presence, instant messaging, business-quality voice, high-definition video, voicemail, desktop sharing, and online conferencing functions for PCs, Apple Macs, Apple and Android tablets and smartphones. Jabber is a rebranding and integration of the Unified Personal Communicator soft phone, Cisco Mobile, and WebEx Connect, with significant enhancements to HD video capabilities and desktop screen sharing, and expanding the team experience to more platforms and devices. Jabber operates with Cisco Unified Communications Manager for call control, Cisco Unified Presence for instant messaging and presence, Unity Connection for voice messaging and programmable attendant, and Cisco WebEx Meeting for conferencing and online meetings.

Because Cisco Jabber is based on key industry protocols, it can communicate with a broad range of third-party products. For example, Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) enables Cisco Jabber to exchange instant messaging and presence data with a variety of XMPP clients including as Adium for Mac, IBM Sametime, and Microsoft Lync and Office Communications Server. Jabber collaboration features are available from Microsoft Office programs including Outlook and SharePoint. This cross-platform support maximizes productivity by delivering a common end-user experience and fully enabling the bring-your-own-device paradigm of networking. Progent offers the services of Microsoft-certified Exchange and Outlook consultants and Microsoft SharePoint experts who can show you how to take advantage of Jabber with Microsoft's premier collaboration platforms. Progent also can provide help with Apple iPhone and iPad integration as well as Google Android smartphone and tablet integration to assist your organization to enhance the business value of your BYOD environment.

WebEX Meeting Center
Cisco WebEx Meeting Center enables online meetings for participants using a browser or almost any desktop or mobile computer. Cisco WebEx Meeting Center is offered as SaaS via Cisco's WebEx Cloud. This makes it simple to deploy and scale, streamlines administration, avoids high up-front investment, offers high availability and enterprise-grade data protection, and provides excellent throughput. Important features include the ability to share specific content or an entire screen display with remote attendees in real time, the capability to embed rich media into presentations including Microsoft PowerPoint and Flash videos, network-based recording plus editing and playback for future reference and training, single sign-on (SSO) and support for other Cisco collaboration applications like Jabber and TelePresence, plus stringent data privacy and encrypted access with tight policy management.

Cisco WebEx Meeting Center works with Windows, Mac, and Linux desktops and allows mobile workers to initiate, schedule, and attend conferences on Google Android devices, Apple iPhones and iPads, BlackBerry handhelds, and Windows Phone. Users can also launch web meetings instantly from Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and a selection of instant messaging applications.

Cisco TelePresence Portfolio for In-house Video Conferencing Ecosystems
For midsize businesses and enterprises who want to build a local or hybrid in-house/cloud environment for video conferencing, Cisco provides a selection of Cisco TelePresence platforms that deliver high-definition teleconferencing for participants with almost any endpoint device at any site. Cisco TelePresence Server is a scalable teleconferencing bridge that works in conjunction with Cisco Unified Communications Manager to bring multiparty video, audio and content sharing to UC environments and can expand conferences to include cloud-based Cisco WebEx Meeting Center users. Cisco TelePresence Conductor software simplifies management of the way video conferencing bandwidth and features are rationed for every individual attendee, allowing managers to specify the precise service level and experience needed for each user. Cisco TelePresence Content Server captures video and presentations for real-time distribution as well as on-demand viewing.

Cisco Unity Connection and Unity Express for Unified Voicemail
Cisco's Unity Connection, an integrated extension of Cisco Unified Communications Manager, is a converged voice messaging system that accelerates productive collaboration by offering flexible set of options for accessing calls and messages within an environment that is simple to implement and maintain. Unity Connection lets you read and manage voicemail from your email inbox, web browser, Jabber, a Cisco Unified IP endpoint, a smartphone, or a tablet. Unity Connection also offers sophisticated speech-recognition capabilities for hands-free management and extensive Automated Attendant features that include smart routing for incoming calls and custom call-filtering and message-alert settings. The Cisco Unity Connection system operates as a virtual machine that can reside on a Business Edition 6000 server or a Cisco SRE 910 router service module and can support up to 20,000 mailboxes on each server.

Cisco Unity Express (CUE), offered in select Cisco Integrated Services routers, offers cost-effective voicemail, unified messaging, IVR, and automated-attendant functions for small to mid-size businesses and enterprise satellite offices with up to 500 voice mailboxes. Unity Express allows you to access and manage voicemail using a Cisco IP Phone display, a browser, or your email client. ISR Routers for which Cisco Unity Express is offered as an advanced integration module include Cisco's 1861, 2800, 2900, 3800, and 3900 Series. Progent can provide certified deployment and support services for ISR routers.

Unified Contact Center
Unified Contact Center Enterprise (Unified CCE) integrates closely with Cisco Unified CM and agent desktop applications like Finesse to provide automatic call distribution (ACD) capabilities that allow an organization to match customers with the appropriate sales or service agent. Unified CCE or UCCE offers smart call routing, computer telephony integration, multiple channel customer contact management, network-wide call queuing, IVR and consolidated enterprise-wide reporting to streamline the creation and administration of a modern customer contact center. Cisco platforms supporting UCCE's client interaction management solution include Unified IP Phones, Voice, and Cisco LAN/WAN technology.

Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (CCX) provides a packaged bundle for creating a customer contact center for branch or midmarket systems that support as many as 400 agents. Multiple packages are available, plus a selection of optional advanced features. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express works with Cisco CUCM and offers intelligent call routing, contact management, reporting, interactive voice response, and management of voice, email, chat, and social media inquiries. Unified Contact Center Express includes Finesse, a web-based desktop agent that requires no client-side installation. Advanced options include conditional routing, expected-wait-time announcements, and workforce and quality management.

Cisco Mobile Connect for Single Number Reach (SNR)
Mobile Connect, popularly known as Single Number Reach (SNR), allows users to be reached via a single number that rings simultaneously on their desktop IP Phone and their smartphone. Users can switch active calls between their desktop IP phone and their smartphone without disruption. Unanswered calls can be transferred to a Cisco Unity or Unity Connection account. Users can create their own access lists that determine which calls get directed to alternate phones.

Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning
Cisco Prime Collaboration offers an automated platform for initial deployments as well as for follow-on moves, additions, changes, and deletions. An intuitive console delivers a single view of a user and the user's services. Cisco Prime Collaboration substantially speeds up company-wide rollouts and reduces the time needed to implement future changes. Prime Collaboration in addition provides advanced analytics including technology adoption and usage trends, enabling organizations to optimize IT resources and further lower TCO.

Cisco Communications Gateways
Cisco's collaboration gateways permit Cisco Unified Communications deployments to communicate with other systems and with clients operating outside the corporate firewall. Cisco's portfolio of gateways provide UC support for a wide variety of gateway as well as session-border-control deployments.

Communications gateways offered by Cisco and supported by Progent include:

Expressway Collaboration Gateway
Cisco's Expressway is an advanced converged media gatekeeper that enables companies to provide employees, vendors, customers and prospects, or business partners who are working on different network environments, collaboration applications, or endpoint equipment to access to Unified Communication functions. The Expressway collaboration gateway integrates with an enterprise Cisco Communications Manager system or Cisco BE6000, or can be run via the cloud with Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution to make productive collaboration more pervasive. Important features of Expressway are include:

• Mobile and Remote Connectivity: Remote workers who have any Jabber-supported client or teleworkers with Cisco TelePresence endpoints have the benefit of one-time sign-on as well as Transport Layer Security (TLS) and can connect to all their collaboration applications (video, business-quality voice, content instant messaging, and realtime presence) without the inconvenience a VPN connection. Also, teleworkers have the ability to utilize their Cisco TelePresence endpoints without the need for a VPN, delivering a user environment at home that is identical to the office.
• Cisco Jabber Guest Support: Cisco Expressway is critical for enabling the Cisco Jabber Guest, which permits “guests” to communicate with your organization simply and safely using streamlined web-browser and mobile video calls.
• Cisco Cloud Connectivity: Expressway can act as a gateway that creates a path between on-premises Cisco or non-Cisco collaboration solutions and Cisco's WebEx cloud. By supporting Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms, Cisco Expressway offers an advanced, scalable meeting experience that seamlessly integrates business-quality voice, HD video, and data sharing to anyone, at any location, on any endpoint.
• Interoperability: In case your company already has non-Cisco video systems, Cisco Expressway can assist you to migrate easily to a Cisco solution whenever it makes business sense. Cisco Expressway offers video interoperability with standards-based H.323, H.264 Scalable Video Coding, or Session Initiation Protocol systems. Interoperability standards supported by Expressway include IPv4 to IPv6, H.323 to Session Initiation Protocol, and Microsoft Lync H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC.

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

Cisco's End-of-Life UC520, UC540 and UC560 VoIP Phone Systems
The legacy Cisco Unified Communications 500 (UC500) product line is a VoIP and unified communications appliance and software package for small organizations. UC500 packages provide voice, data, voicemail, auto attendant, video, security, and WiFi functionality, run with older generation Cisco IP Voice endpoints, and support various public switched telephone network connections.

All Cisco's UC500 packages include a compact switch with 8 Power-over-Ethernet ports and additional foreign exchange stations (FXS) and FXO ports, a firewall, and VPN support. Built-in WiFi is optional. VoIP user capacity can be expanded by attaching Cisco Catalyst Express switches. Each UC500 model also includes software licenses for Cisco Unified Communications Manager for VoIP call processing as well as Cisco Unity Express for voice messaging and automated attendant. The Cisco UC520 system supports 8 to 16 VoIP users and include 4 foreign exchange stations and 4 FXO ports. The Cisco UC540 package supports 32 users and provides 8 FXO interfaces. The Cisco UC560 package supports 48 VoIP clients and 12 foreign exchange office interfaces.

Progent's Cisco-certified VoIP consultants can help you to maintain your legacy UC500 VoIP system or design and carry out an efficient upgrade to a current VoIP system such as the Cisco cloud-managed Business Edition 4000.

How Progent Can Assist You with Cisco IP Voice and IP Media Phones, CUCM, and Video Conferencing
Progent can provide remote or onsite access to a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Collaboration consultant to assist you to plan, implement, manage and repair unified communications environments based on Cisco Unified Communication products in an in-house, distributed, or hybrid environment. Progent's Cisco-certified engineers have in-depth experience integrating Unified Communications Manager and Cisco CallManager, IP voice and video phones and soft phones, Unified Communications applications like Jabber and WebEx Meeting Center, Cisco's teleconferencing technologies, collaboration gatekeepers, tools built into Cisco Catalyst switches and routers. Progent can also offer support for related technologies such as Cisco SRST, Cisco Unified Border Element, H.323 and H.264 gateways, CAC, IP voice trunks, PSTN, and Cisco's architecture for voice, video and integrated data. Progent's SIP infrastructure consultants can in addition assist you to build SIP infrastructure solutions that incorporate SIP VoIP phones and video endpoints, SIP trunks, and SIP administration tools via CUCM.

Progent's application developers can create specialized unified communications applications that will enable your organization to integrate the telephony capabilities of Cisco Unified Communications Manager into your company operations for enhanced efficiency. Progent can analyze your existing network and Internet connectivity infrastructure to determine whether your environment is optimized to support high-quality Voice over IP and HD video, assist you to select and install Cisco products appropriate for your current situation and downstream expansion objectives, and interface your Cisco collaborative communications products with products from other vendors. Progent's CISSP-ISSAP certified information security and compliance consultants can assist you to create, carry out, and validate an enterprise-wide security and compliance plan for your converged communications solution. In addition, Progent can help your organization to deploy Cisco high-availability technologies such as Cisco Unified SRST for cost-effective call control backup in remote-branch and teleworker environments, and Progent's disaster recovery and business continuity planning consultants can help you develop a viable disaster recovery strategy to protect your business-critical unified communications environment.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager/CallManager Upgrade Consulting
Versions of Unified CM earlier than 8.6 and all releases of CallManager have arrived at end-of-life. This means Cisco will cease to develop, fix, or test the product software. Security updates for this business-critical product will stop, which in some situations could cause compliance or potential liability issues.

Progent will continue to provide premier consulting and support for outdated editions of Cisco Unified CM and Cisco CallManager, but in case you are now running a legacy edition of this pivotal application you should start now to plan your upgrade. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants can help you to migrate non-disruptively to the current release of Unified CM and can often save clients as much as 50% off consulting service costs versus competing computer service companies because of Progent's documented procedures and hands-on experience in this area. By following leading practices, Progent can make sure your company sees a quick payback on your IT investment by helping you take full advantage of the enhanced features, lower administrative and maintenance expense, more productive collaboration capabilities, and stronger security offered by the latest version of Cisco Unified CM.

Progent's migration services include return-on-investment analysis, project management or co-management, pilot testing, Cloud connectivity, setting up collaboration endpoints from Cisco and third-party vendors, mobile connectivity, security and compliance services, management automation, business continuity planning, network infrastructure design, staff and user training, and ongoing consulting and troubleshooting. Progent also offers fixed-priced migration packages to keep your costs visible and affordable.

For more information concerning Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco solutions, select a topic:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Consulting Services
• Fast and Affordable Remote Assistance from a CCIE Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Firewalls: Integration and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Series Firewall with Firepower Services: Integration and Troubleshooting Support
• ASA 5500 Firewalls Troubleshooting Support
• PIX 500 Series Firewall Maintenance Support
• Cisco Routers Consulting Support
• Cisco Wireless Engineering Support
• Aironet APs Engineering Services
• Cisco Small Business Wireless APs Engineering Support
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Experts
• Meraki Wireless Access Points Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco Jabber Deployment Expertise
• Catalyst Switches Engineering Services
• Cisco Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Support and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco VPN and Security Setup and Troubleshooting Help
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunking and Cisco CUBE Integration Consulting
• Infrastructure Design for Cisco-based Datacenters
• Infrastructure Design Services for ISPs
• Centralized Management Techniques for Cisco-based Infrastructure