SAN JOSE, Calif. -- September 13, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced new Enterprise IP telephony solutions and capabilities that deliver on the fifth phase of Cisco's Multiservice strategy. These hardware and software enhancements enable enterprise customers to deploy a single converged data, voice and video network today, which will result in a lower total cost of ownership and greater productivity through the use of advanced integrated applications.
The solutions being announced today include Cisco CallManager 2.4, Cisco Media Convergence Server 7830, two new Cisco Digital IP Telephony Gateways (DT-24+ and the DE-30+) and two models of IP Telephony handsets. Together with the IP telephony-based products from Cisco's acquisition of GeoTel, Amteva and the pending acquisition of Calista, these solutions deliver key infrastructure components and intelligent software to enterprise customers who are building converged networks based on the recently announced Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data).
Cisco AVVID enables customers to deploy a converged network today that seamlessly integrates voice and video onto the data infrastructure using Cisco's end to end solutions including intelligent routers, high performance switches, CiscoAssure Policy networking capabilities, gateways, IP telephony products, call control software, unified messaging software and advanced IP telephony call center applications. For more information on Cisco AVVID, see today's press release entitled "Cisco Delivers Enterprise Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data Networks."
Cisco Call Manger 2.4
Cisco CallManager (CCM) is the primary software application that extends enterprise telephony features and functions to enterprise packet telephony network devices. CCM 2.4 comes pre-installed on the Cisco Media convergence Server 7830 and a provides basic call processing, signaling and connection services to configured devices including IP phones, soft-phones, Voice over IP gateways, switches, routers and software applications.One of the New World features now enabled is "single button collaboration". This means that once a user calls another user on an IP phone and would like to edit, review, create or discuss some information contained on his/her PC, all they need to do is push a single button and a collaborative work session will be simultaneously launched on the users' PCs. This type of New World tool enables more efficient and personalized communication and opens the door for many other converged applications and is not possible in Old World architectures.
Other enhancements include the integration of necessary IP Call Center and unified messaging functionality from the recent GeoTel and Amteva acquisitions. In CCM 2.4, users can also perform remote troubleshooting, debugging, call tracing and maintenance. Cisco Call Manger is now compliant with the 911 and E-911 call locator regulation in the US.Because Cisco CallManager is a software application, enhancements can be added via a software upgrade thus avoiding costly forklift upgrades.
Cisco Media Convergence Server 7830
The Cisco Media Convergence Server 7830 (MCS-7830) is a high availability server platform for the Cisco IP Telephony solution. With Cisco CallManager software pre-installed in this fault-tolerant server, networking professionals can easily and efficiently roll out wide-scale deployments of converged data, voice and video networks.One of the key requirements in any environment that is running mission critical applications (such as voice) is high system availability. The high-availability design of the MCS-7830 delivers a robust platform with hot-swappable redundant power supplies and two redundant 9.1GB SCSI hot-plug hard drives running RAID-1 disk mirroring.
Additionally, a remote management board (RMB) is also included to provide a robust fail-safe solution for server management. The RMB operation is fully independent from the host hardware (self-contained processor, memory, and battery), host operation system, and network connection. This high level of independence ensures that regardless of the server status, network administrators and the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) engineers have access to the MCS-7830 from virtually anywhere.
In multiserver environments, Cisco CallManagers running on the MCSs are logically coupled through an H.323 signaling interface. Individual MCS-7830s may be backed up by a duplicate, hot-standby MCS-7830, providing complete call processing redundancy. The Cisco CallManager also provides redundancy through automated fail-over of gateways and phones to secondary MCS-7830s in the event of a primary server failure.
In terms of scalability, whether a deployment starts small or involves global enterprises, the MCS-7830 server allows customers to grow according to their needs. Network administrators can determine what levels of redundancy they need and how many users to support 3/4then allocate servers accordingly. The flexible Cisco CallManager architecture allows for a natural progression to a scalable network of multiple, redundant MCS-7830s.
Cisco Digital IP Telephony Gateways
As the established leader in gateway products with over 45% market share in packetized voice ports shipped to date, Cisco is further enhancing its offering by adding two new digital IP Telephony Gateways: The Cisco DT-24+ and the DE-30+. These Gateways are managed, controlled, and administered through the required Cisco CallManager and provide a connection path between the Cisco packet telephony network and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a PBX using digital (ISDN PRI) trunks.The DT-24+ supports 23 voice channels on a T1 interface while the DE-30+ supports 30 voice channels on an E1 interface. Each gateways consists of a single PCI bus based card and mounts in any PCI bus to draw power.
Both gateways communicate with the Call Manager, which allows the implementation of supplementary services like hold, transfer, and forward on outside calls. Also, with proxy signaling provided by the Call Manager, both the DT-24+ and the DE-30+ is fully H.323 v2 compatible.
Cisco IP Telephony Handsets
Cisco is now shipping two models of IP telephone sets: Cisco IP phone 12SP+ and the Cisco IP phone VIP30+. The Cisco IP Phones are full-featured telephony sets that provide programmable line and feature buttons, built in two-way speakerphone with microphone mute, and traditional hold, forward, redial, volume, etc. functionality. The Cisco 30 VIP also provides a large 40-character LCD display consisting of two lines of 20 characters each. The display provides features such as date and time, calling party name, calling party number, and digits dialled. An LED associated with each of the 30 feature and line buttons provides feature and line status.Cisco's Complete End to End Solution is Here Today
In addition to the new IP telephony solutions announced today, Cisco's end to end solutions involve a range of products that are here today to enable true convergence in the enterprise. Products like the Catalyst family of switches, the Cisco series of intelligent routers, Cisco caching technologies, and advanced software capabilities to enable unified messaging and intelligent call center applications.- Catalyst Switches
Cisco's end-to-end convergence solutions work with over 20 intelligent Catalyst switches including the industry leading Catalyst 2900, 4000, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500 and 8500 series. Through the deployment of consistent Catalyst system software, Cisco IOS. software, highly integrated ASICs and CiscoAssure policy networking, these platforms provide the QoS, security, performance and other intelligent network services necessary to run converged applications on mission critical enterprise networks.With over 40 million ports of switched Catalyst connections in operation today, Cisco customers that invest in this platform can quickly and seamlessly deploy IP telephony solutions today.
- Cisco Routers
As the leader in high-end intelligent routing solutions, Cisco has been developing and implementing multiservice capabilities enabled by Cisco IOS software on a wide range of products for many years. Cisco routing solutions that are now capable of integrating voice and video with traditional data traffic include the Cisco 700, 800, 1750, 2600, 3600, MC3810, 5300, 5800, 7100, 7200 and 7500 series products. - Cisco Caching technologies
As part of an end-to-end converged solution, Cisco also offers leading edge caching capabilities. By significantly reducing WAN bandwidth usage, the Cisco caching solution increases existing WAN capacity for multiservice traffic. The Cisco caching solution combines network-integrated Cache Engine 500 series solutions with cache-aware, multiservice routers running industry-leading Web Cache Communication Protocol v2 (WCCP v2) found in Cisco IOS software. - Advanced software
There are a number of new applications that will emerge as a result of the integration of data, voice and video onto a single network. One of those areas is integrated contact centers. These next-generation call centers represent the New World for customer care organizations. By melding IP telephony, intelligent contact management technology, as well as legacy call center applications and hardware into a unified platform, organizations can implement business rules and objectives while personalizing and streamlining customer service for every customer contact.
Pricing, Availability and further information
The Cisco MCS-7830, Cisco DT-24+ and DE-30, CallManager and both handsets are available now. The MCS-7830 lists for $14,995 which includes the CallManager software already installed. The DT-24+ and the DE-30+ list for $10,000 and $12,000 respectively. The IP telephones start at $385 for the 12SP+ and $485 for the 30VIP+. Further information on Cisco's enterprise data, voice and video solutions can be found at http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/largeent/issues/dvvi/Cisco Systems
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