Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Note:
Years ago, Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) and Cisco Unified
Communications Manager Express (CME) used to be called Cisco CallManager (CCM)
and Cisco CallManager Express (CME). Years later, the CallManager name lives on because
it's just simpler to say. So, if you ever hear someone say, “Let's get CallManager set up!,” it
probably wouldn't be the best thing for you to say, “Did you know Cisco renamed that to
Cisco Unified Communications Manager?”
Manager Express
The amount a Cisco router is able to accomplish is simply amazing: routing tables, routing
protocols, security with access lists, Network Address Translation (NAT)...the list goes on
and on. But, what if someone told you that the Cisco router you've been using for years
could also support your IP telephony network? That was the goal with the Cisco Unified
Communications Manager Express (CME) platform. Your Cisco Integrated Service Router
(ISR) platform not only routes data, but terminates analog and digital voice circuits (such
as FXO, FXS, and T1 ports, which are discussed later), supports VoIP endpoints (such as
Cisco IP Phones), and even handles the more advanced features, such as conference call-
ing, video telephony, and automatic call distribution (ACD). Depending on the platform
you use, CME can scale to support up to 450 IP Phones, which makes it a good solution
for small and even some midsize businesses.
Although Cisco designed CME 8.X to operate on the ISR Generation 2 (G2) platforms,
you can also run it on the original ISR platforms (such as the 1800, 2800, or 3800 series),
provided you have the proper IOS upgrade. Cisco integrates CME into the IOS software
itself, based on the feature set you download. Since the release of IOS 15, a Product Au-
thorization Key (PAK) is needed to activate the CME feature set. Table 2-2 shows the cur-
rent ISR G2 platforms available and the maximum number of phones supported on each
platform.
Table 2-2
Unified CME Supported ISR G2 Platforms
Platform
Maximum Phones
Cisco 2901 ISR G2
35
Cisco 2911 ISR G2
50
Cisco 2921 ISR G2
100
Cisco 2951 ISR G2
150
Cisco 3925 ISR G2
250
Cisco 3945 ISR G2
350
Cisco 3925E ISR G2
400
Cisco 3945E ISR G2
450
