News Release

Cisco Technology Partners Develop Customized Applications with Cisco Unified Application Environment

Innovations Support RFID Tagging, Video Conferencing, Mobility, Speech Recognition and Paging on Cisco Unified IP Phones
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Feb 27, 2007

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Feb. 27, 2007 - Cisco® today announced that several of its technology integration partners have adopted the Cisco Unified Application Environment platform to develop customized applications that help companies streamline business processes and drive productivity through Internet Protocol (IP)-based Unified Communications.

The Cisco Unified Application Environment helps enable the rapid development, reliable execution and automated management of applications that integrate voice and video with enterprise applications and data. Organizations of all sizes can use these new converged applications to improve communications, transform business processes and create a competitive advantage.

Developers have used the Cisco Unified Application Environment to create customized applications that support a number of advanced IP telephony functions including mobility, recording, radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging, video conferencing, speech-enabled applications and paging. Companies working on innovative applications include:

Workbrain Corp.: Time and Attendance

The leading provider of workforce management solutions for large enterprises, Workbrain uses the Cisco Unified Application Environment to develop an integrated voice and data solution that allows real-time, two-way communication between employees, supervisors and workforce management systems through Cisco Unified IP Phones. Workbrain's clients use a unified communications employee environment to replace traditional clocking in and out. The Time and Attendance application, which uses Cisco Unified IP Phones, enhances workforce productivity, improves operational efficiencies and reduces by at least 60 percent the time spent by management on administrative tasks. The unified solution has opened the door to workforce and employer integration in the workplace.

Polycom: Video Call Control

Polycom, a leading provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, is working with Cisco to help customers move to a fully interactive video conference experience at the touch of a button. The company is using the Cisco Unified Application Environment to develop applications that will allow Cisco Unified IP Phones to make video calls and control Polycom video conferencing endpoints, thus eliminating the need to have a separate video remote control device. These video telephony control applications include basic features such as calling, volume control and camera movement, as well as more advanced features including directory services and video mail.

Intermec: RFID Tagging

A recognized innovator in RFID technology and a Cisco Strategic Technology Integration Partner for wireless applications, Intermec is using the Cisco Unified Application Environment with its RFID tag labels to tie applications to the Cisco Unified CallManager to streamline processes in industries including manufacturing, retail, warehousing, medical and field services. The solution allows Intermec to send and receive data from an RFID reader and communicate with RFID inserts and RFID tags while using Cisco Unified CallManager to share critical information to departments through text messages or automated calls.

Berbee Information Networks Corp.: Morning Announcements and Audio Analyzer

Berbee, a CDW company and a provider of Cisco IP telephony software since 2000, has developed two new applications for the Cisco Unified Application Environment. Morning Announcements sends live text as spoken announcements to IP speakers as well as Cisco Unified IP Phones, while simultaneously sending the announcement as an e-mail to selected addresses. Audio Analyzer detects sounds that trigger a Cisco Unified Application Environment script to send an announcement (for example, an intruder alert) to IP speakers and Cisco Unified IP Phones.

Radianta: Workplace Applications

Radianta is a Cisco Technology Development Partner and a provider of advanced workplace solutions that help customers use their communications infrastructure to derive tremendous productivity benefits. The company utilizes the Cisco Unified Application Environment as a platform to offer a wide array of business-driven communications applications for the finance, retail, healthcare and education markets. One such application is Smart Workplace, which helps enable a single event such as a fingerprint scan or card swipe to alert an employee's PC and phone that he or she is ready for business.