The Cisco® Unified Enterprise Attendant Console is a feature-rich and scalable operator attendant console solution that is designed especially for Cisco Unified Communications Manager customers (Figure 1). The console can support up to 25 operator clients with a directory size of more than 100,000 Cisco Unified IP Phone users per system. Associated with a Cisco Unified IP Phone, this application provides the human attendant console operator with the tools to quickly accept and effectively dispatch incoming calls to enterprise users. The application offers a rich set of features, including a call-queuing engine, busy status, and directory search capabilities that are integrated into both the Cisco Unified Communications Manager directory and Cisco Unified Presence.
The Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console includes a web-based installation utility that guides you through configuring the application server with Cisco Unified Communications Manager. For each operator client, Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console client software is loaded on the operator's desktop PC.
Figure 1. Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console Main Operator Screen
Features and Benefits
The Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console uses a powerful queuing engine to direct calls to the operator and provides the operator numerous monitoring features to help ensure that incoming calls are handled efficiently. The application provides up to 50 call queues with prioritization and overflow options. [included in table 1]; in addition, fields for alternative contacts and absentee notes are provided.
Table 1 lists features and benefits of Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console.
Table 1. Features and Benefits of Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console
Feature
Benefit
Queue Features
Support for 50 queues with prioritization
You can configure queue names and priorities per customer needs. You can prioritize and answer calls out of order. For example, a Cisco Unified Communications Manager customer could have a sales queue, a service queue, and a general business queue. Sales calls could be prioritized and answered first, before service or general business calls.
Queue operator views
The operator can view all calls within a queue or view all calls within all queues. If the operator sees many calls in queue, the operator knows that calls need to be processed quickly. If the operator sees only a few calls in queue, then the operator can spend more time with each caller to provide a higher level of customer service. If the operator sees a high-priority caller, the operator can select and answer calls out of queue.
Overflow options
Both operator overflow and queue overflow features are supported to better process incoming calls. These features include queue wait time overflow, number of callers overflow, and the ability to provide a separate overflow destination such as an IP phone.
Queue salutations
A written script can be provided to ensure the operator can provide the proper greeting.
Directory Features
Support for more than 100,000 IP phone users
The operator can answer calls and view busy status for more than 100,000 Cisco Unified IP Phone users. Both the user's Cisco Unified IP Phone and cell phone numbers can be listed.
Directory integration
The Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console derives its directory from the Cisco Unified Communications Manager's embedded directory The application includes a utility for staying synchronized with the Cisco Unified Communications Manager directory.
Search options
Six directory search options are provided. They allow the operator to quickly find call destinations and then to quickly dispatch calls. Search options include last name, first name, department, extension, department, job title, and location.
Cisco presence integration
Rules-based consolidated presence can be provided so the operator can view a destination with multiple devices, with weighting per device. For example, mobile workers can have their mobile device weighted high and their desk phone weighted low. Alternatively, desk-based workers can have their mobile phone weighted low and their desk phone weighted high. This presence information is summarized "at a glance", allowing the operator to view the destination's presence status and best target to transfer the call to.
Telephony Features
Transfer reversion (call recall)
This feature allows a transferred call to revert back to the operator so that it can be answered and then transferred to a new destination.
Call park
With call park, the operator can place a caller on hold while announcing that a call is holding for a particular person or group. The call can be answered by any phone by using an access code. Both directed call park and undirected call park are supported. To ensure that parked calls are properly managed, they are viewable from a specific call park area on the operator's GUI, which informs the operator whom the call is parked for.
Call park recall
This feature allows an unanswered parked call to revert back to the operator so that it can be transferred to a new destination.
Call toggle
Call toggle allows the operator to shift between callers.
Conference
The conference feature allows the operator to provide a third-party conference call.
Emergency mode switch
This feature provides a manual switch within the application that redirects all calls to another destination in emergencies to alert callers that an emergency has occurred, such as a snow storm, and therefore the business is closed until further notice.
Night mode service
Operators can use a time and day or manual switch within the application to turn on night mode service. This feature can be used to alert callers that it is after hours and that the business is closed.
Accessibility
For use by the visually impaired, both zoom text and JAWS scripts are supported.
Product Specifications
Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console is supported on Cisco Unified Communications Manager Versions 6.0 and 7.0. Cisco Communications Manager Express is not supported.
Tables 2 and 3 list the server and client requirements for Cisco Enterprise Attendant Console, respectively.
Table 2. Server Requirements for Cisco Enterprise Attendant Console
(Note: The server software for the Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console must be installed to a dedicated Windows hardware server.)
Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console Server
• Pentium 4.2 2 GHz or better
• 2-GB RAM
• 72-GB hard disk drive (HDD)
• Network card
• SVGA (1024 x 768) display card with correct drivers
• Windows 2003 Server plus SP2 running Windows English Regional settings
• .NET Framework 3.5
• Microsoft SQL 2005 (Express)
• Internet Information Service (IIS) 6.0 or later
Note: The operator client for the Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console requires the PC specifications listed in Table 3. Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console client software can be installed on many PCs, but only up to 25 can be active one time per server (you must purchase a client license for each client, up to a maximum of 25 client licenses per server).
Table 3. Client Requirements
Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console
• Pentium 4 Entry Level Specification
• 1-GB RAM
• 1-GB available hard drive space
• CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
• Network
• Connected to network through TCP/IP
• SVGA (1024 x 768) display card with correct drivers
• Windows small fonts
• 17-inch monitor highly recommended
• Windows 2000 Professional plus SP2 or Windows XP with SP2 or Vista Professional (32 bit)
• SoundBlaster-compatible sound card and speakers recommended for attendant console operator.
Ordering Information
The Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console is ordered on a per-operator client basis. A maximum of 25 operator clients are supported per Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console server. For ordering, the first client includes the software license for the Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console server. Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console software and licensing keys are provided through the Cisco Software Center.
Table 4 gives ordering information for Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console.
Table 4. Ordering Information
Product Name
Part Number
Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console
CUE-ATT-CON
Ordering Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Consoles requires the use of the Cisco Dynamitic Configuration Tool.
The steps for ordering the Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console follow:
1. Access the Cisco Dynamitic Configuration Tool on Cisco.com.
2. Input "CUE-ATT-CON=" in the Dynamitic Configuration Tool to begin the configuration.
3. When the configuration tool appears, click the gray Select Options tab.
4. Then click the text "Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console options", which is located on the left side of the configuration tool below text "STEP 1: Select Item Category".
5. On the right side of the configuration tool, under "STEP 2: Choose Options and Select Desired Quantity Below", select from 1 to 25 Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Consoles.
6. Click the blue Check Configuration and Save Configuration boxes.
Service and Support
Using the Cisco Lifecycle Services approach, Cisco and our partners provide a broad portfolio of end-to-end services and support that can help increase the business value of your network and your return on investment. This approach defines the minimum set of activities needed, by technology and by network complexity, to help you successfully deploy and operate Cisco technologies and optimize their performance throughout the lifecycle of your network.
For More Information
For more information about the Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console, contact your local Cisco account representative.
