Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Just glancing through the Cisco product suite for VoIP, it appears that Cisco is trying to
say something. The resounding theme again and again is “unified” (with “collaboration”
coming in at a close second). When you peel back the glossy marketing surface, you find
that there is a lot more to “unified” than just VoIP. This topic crosses boundaries and
brings together all communication into one, seamless framework. The interaction we ex-
perience today was only seen in the science-fiction movies decades ago: rooms full of cor-
porate strategists interacting with a partner company half way around the world through
huge flat-panel monitors surrounding the conference desk. Virtual workgroups comprised
of telecommuting individuals sharing whiteboards, documentation, and project plans in
real time; a “road warrior” sales manager leading the video-streamed team meeting from a
mobile device in his car (while safely pulled over on the side of the road, of course). Yes,
we've definitely come a long way from dial-up modems and bulletin board systems (BBS).
The Cisco unified strategy encompasses all electronic communication types: voice, video,
and data. Nonetheless, most engineers who hear the phrase “Unified Communications” re-
late it directly to the Cisco VoIP products, which is what you're here to learn. The Cisco
Unified Communications products break down into four core solutions:
Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express
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Cisco Unified Communications Manager
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Cisco Unity Connection
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Cisco Unified Presence
Keep in mind that these are the “core” solutions, because you can add many additional ap-
plications to expand the features and functionalities of the system. For example, the Cisco
Unified Contact Center platforms allows you to add call-center capabilities to your net-
work, such as skills-based call routing, call queuing, live monitoring of conversations, and
so on. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace adds enhanced conference-call capabilities, document
collaboration, and training platforms. The list goes on and on; it's all impressive technol-
ogy, but not core to the system.
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Our goal in the rest of this topic is to give you the information you need to become profi-
cient using each core Unified Communications platforms. Keep in mind that “proficient”
does not equate to “expert level.” Just as the Cisco CCNA certification was created to lay
the foundation, technology needed to manage day-to-day operations in a Cisco-based or-
ganization (and hopefully lead you into the CCNP certification), the CCNA Voice certifi-
cation will also lay this same foundation as it relates to VoIP (and hopefully lead you into
CCNP Voice certification). As you go through this topic, you will be amazed at just how
much technology you learn, and you'll be amazed when you see just how much further the
technology goes.
Well, let's start off by discussing one of my (Jeremy's) favorite Unified Communications
platforms: Cisco Unified Communication Manager Express (CME).
