Cisco® Unified MeetingPlace® for Outlook and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator simplify rich-media conferencing setup and attendance.
Cisco Unified Communications is a comprehensive IP communications system of voice, video, data, and mobility products and applications. It enables more effective, more secure, more personal communications that directly affect both sales and profitability. It brings people together by enabling a new way of communicating-where your business moves with you, security is everywhere, and information is always available...whenever and wherever it is needed. Cisco Unified Communications is part of an integrated solution that includes network infrastructure, security, mobility, network management products, lifecycle services, flexible deployment and outsourced management options, end-user and partner financing packages, and third-party communications applications.
Product Overview
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing-part of the Cisco Unified Communications family of products-is an enterprise-class rich-media conferencing solution that makes remote meetings as natural and effective as face-to-face meetings. The solution integrates voice, video, and Web conferencing with industry-leading setup and control capabilities to meet the needs of organizations looking for a single solution and user environment for all their conferencing needs. The solution is deployed on-network, behind the firewall and integrated directly into an organization's private voice and data networks and enterprise applications, to provide significant cost savings, security, and a superior user experience. As a component of the the Cisco Unified Communications System, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace delivers productivity that goes beyond traditional conferencing solutions by enabling rich-media conferencing to be incorproated into a broad range of communication scenarios.
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing has multiple solution options that enable an organization to simplify the user experience and system management by integrating with a Microsoft environment. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook makes it simple to set up and attend integrated voice, video, and Web conferences directly from an Outlook calendar. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator takes advantage of presence information and instant messaging (IM) to enable fast and easy impromptu conferencing directly from the Microsoft Office Communicator (MOC) interface. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Directory Services integrates with Microsoft Active Directory to simplify administration, enhance security, and improve the user experience by providing an automated means for creating and updating Cisco Unified MeetingPlace user databases.
By integrating powerful collaboration capabilities directly into the desktop tools that are already being used for messaging and calendar management and providing simple, single-step setup and attendance, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator help promote adoption of rich-media conferencing and improve communication and collaboration.
Key Features and Benefits of Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Outlook
Simple Rich-Media Conference Setup from Microsoft Outlook
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook simplifies meeting setup by integrating with the Outlook calendar and meeting scheduling functions so that users can reserve voice, video, and Web conferencing resources at the same time as they invite people and reserve conference rooms (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Conference Scheduling in Outlook
To set up a Cisco Unified MeetingPlace rich-media conference, a meeting organizer simply checks the "Make this a MeetingPlace meeting" box on the Cisco MeetingPlace tab of the Outlook meeting request form. When the organizer sends the meeting invitations, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook reserves resources on the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace system and provides Outlook with all the meeting information to send to invitees (Figure 2). If the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conference cannot be set up because of insufficient system resources, then the meeting invitation is not sent and the organizer can click a link to view system availability. After successfully setting up the meeting on the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace system, Outlook sends the meeting invitation with the meeting attendance information. If the organizer needs to change the meeting time, then the organizer can simply make the change in Outlook and the associated conference is automatically rescheduled too.
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook offers extensive support for recurring meetings. When a user sets up a recurring meeting in Outlook, that sequence of meetings is carried over to the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace system. If a user cancels or reschedules one meeting of the sequence, the change is replicated automatically in the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace system.
Figure 2. Outlook Notification - Calendar Entry and Meeting Details
Easy Attendance for Rich-Media Conferences
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook makes it easy to join a meeting by providing simple point-and-click attendance options.. At the time of the meeting, the Cisco MeetingPlace tab includes a Connect Me button with options for connecting to the voice, Web, and video portions of the conference (Figure 3). Clicking this button automatically dials out to the user's telephone (or video system) and simultaneously connects the user's browser to the Web conference. This degree of simplicity helps meetings start on time so users are ready to be productive instead of spending valuable time struggling with the video remote control or connecting into separate voice and Web systems.
Figure 3. One-Click Meeting Connection from Outlook
Enterprise-Proven Integration into Microsoft Outlook
Shipping since 1999, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook is used by hundreds of organizations. The application is proven and mature, offering users and administrators a rich, simple, and dependable experience.
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Outlook Features
Conference Setup
• Integrated scheduling: Users can set up Cisco Unified MeetingPlace rich-media conferences directly from the Outlook meeting request form and the Outlook appointment form.
• Meeting ID: Users can select their own meeting IDs or allow the system to provide IDs for them.
• Resource availability: When Cisco Unified MeetingPlace resources are not available at the user's requested time, one click on the Check Availability link displays other times when Cisco Unified MeetingPlace resources are available, providing the user with the option to reschedule.
• Recurring meetings: Meetings can be set to recur on a regular basis for a specified number of occurrences. Options are daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly by date, monthly by day of week, and weekdays only.
Notification
• Automatic notification: Conference information and a link to the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Web conference are automatically included in the body of the invitation. Notifications are sent to Outlook users as calendar invitations that automatically populate their Outlook calendar.
• Meeting updates: Invitees are automatically sent an updated invitation with the new conference information whenever a meeting is updated or canceled.
• Notifications to participants not using Outlook are sent as e-mail messages containing all meeting details necessary to attend the meeting and a URL to click to take them directly into the Cisco MeetingPlace Web conference.
Attendance
• Joining conference: Users can join the voice or video and Web conference directly from the Outlook calendar entry or meeting reminder.
• One-click attendance: Users can click the Connect Me button on the application tab to dial out to a voice or video conference and launch the browser for the Web conference.
• Attend link: Users can click on the URL link in the body of the notification to be automatically connected to the Web conference.
• Configurable: Users can configure the data entry and notification message forms.
System Features
• Automatic update: If the system manager changes parameters or settings for the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook software add-in, or if a new version of the add-in is available for download, users see an Update link in the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace window that automatically downloads and installs new software.
• Configuration: The administrator can configure all Cisco Unified MeetingPlace forms for scheduling and attending Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferences as well as the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace information contained in the meeting notifications distributed by Outlook.
• Reservationless setup option: Users can conduct voice, video, and Web meetings by using a personal meeting ID, without the need to reserve resources.
Language support
• Language options: Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook supports English and Japanese.
Key Features and Benefits of Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator
Easily Initiate a Conference
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator helps organizations improve collaboration and speed business process by taking advantage of presence and IM for fast and easy impromptu conferencing. Initiating a Cisco Unified MeetingPlace meeting is as easy as clicking a button on the Microsoft Office Communicator client. Conferences can be started by escalating from an IM chat session to a conference or by highlighting the users you want to invite from the contact list and pressing the Conference button (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Initiating a Conference from Microsoft Office Communicator
When invited to a Cisco Unified MeetingPlace meeting, a participant receives a popup message (Figure 5). Microsoft Office Communicator stores and displays previously used phone numbers for users to select from, or they can enter a new phone number. To join the meeting, users click the Go button to have Cisco Unified MeetingPlace dial their phone and automatically connect them to the voice conference.
Figure 5. Joining a Conference from Microsoft Office Communicator
Control Conferencing from Microsoft Office Communicator
When two or more parties are in a conference, users can access controls on the bottom of the Microsoft Office Communicator client to manage Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing. The controls allow schedulers to mute themselves, leave the meeting, lock the meeting, mute everyone but themselves, and end the meeting.
Other participants can mute themselves and leave the meeting from the MOC controls (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Conference Control from Microsoft Office Communicator
Enhance the Power of Presence and IM with Conferencing
Microsoft Office Communicator delivers presence and text messaging capabilities that make it easy to reach and interact with colleagues. Integrated Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing capabilities let colleagues go beyond basic text messaging and effectively collaborate with multiparty conferencing.
Easily Deploy and Roll Out
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator is a server-based solution that requires no desktop software other than Microsoft Office Communicator. The conferencing controls are simple point-and-click options that are already available in the Microsoft Office Communicator interface. By taking advantage of existing investments, the solution allows organizations to easily deploy conferencing to every employee's desktop while minimizing training requirements.
Features of Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator
• Initiate conference: Users can start an impromptu Cisco Unified MeetingPlace audio conference directly from a Microsoft Office Communicator client.
• Join conference: When one participant in the Microsoft Office Communicator interface or IM chat session clicks to escalate to a Cisco Unified MeetingPlace meeting, the invitees see a dialog box, which they simply click to have Cisco Unified MeetingPlace call them and place them into the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace audio conference.
• Control conference: Schedulers can mute themselves, leave the meeting, lock the meeting, mute everyone but themselves, and end the meeting. Other participants can mute themselves and leave the meeting from the MOC controls.
Product Architecture for Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator
The Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator solution is installed on the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Web server, providing communication between the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace server and Microsoft Office Communicator client requests for initiating Cisco Unified MeetingPlace meetings.
System Capacity for Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator Integrations
Each Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook Server or Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator server supports one Cisco Unified MeetingPlace system and supports the same number of maximum users as the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace system.
System Requirements for Cisco MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator Integrations
Table 1 lists the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Outlook and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator system requirements.
Table 1. System Requirements
Component
Requirement
Voice conferencing platform
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 8100 Series
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Conference User Interface
Media convergence server platform
Cisco MCS 7835 or MCS 7845 (refer to the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Web Conferencing data sheet for details)
Application software for Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Outlook
Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002 (XP), or 2003
Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or 2003
Application software for Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator
Microsoft Office Communicator 2005
Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 (Standard or Enterprise)
Order the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Microsoft Integration package which includes integrations for using MeetingPlace in a Microsoft environment.
Table 2. Ordering Information
Product Name
Contents
Part Number
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Microsoft Integration Package
• Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Outlook
• Cisco Unified MeetingPlace IP Gateway
• MeetingPlace Video
• MeetingPlace Directory Services
• MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator
• One language
MP-INTEG-MSOFT-6.0
For More Information
For more information about Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/meetingplace or contact your local Cisco account representative.
Cisco Unified Communications Services and Support
Using the Cisco Lifecycle Services approach, Cisco and its partners offer a broad portfolio of end-to-end services to support the Cisco Unified Communications system. These services are based on proven methodologies for deploying, operating, and optimizing IP communications solutions. Initial planning and design services, for example, can help you meet aggressive deployment schedules and minimize network disruption during implementation. Operate services reduce the risk of communications downtime with expert technical support, and optimize services enhance solution performance for operational excellence. Cisco and its partners offer a system-level service and support approach that can help you create and maintain a resilient, converged network that meets your business needs.
