Cisco Unified Communications Solutions enable collaboration so that organizations can:

• Adapt to market changes while increasing productivity
• Improve competitive advantage through speed and innovation
• Deliver a rich-media experience across any workspace, securely and with optimal quality
• Accelerate deployment and provide cost savings

These solutions, available both on premises and on demand, offer you choice and flexibility while enabling powerful new ways to collaborate with co-workers, partners, vendors, and customers - within and outside of your organization. And more than 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies now use Cisco Unified Communications.

Cisco is unique in its ability to provide a comprehensive unified communications solution that includes:

• Network infrastructure
• Security
• Wireless
• Management applications
• Lifecycle services
• Flexible deployment
• Outsourced managed service options
• Third-party applications

To find and consult with a certified Cisco reseller that specializes in unified communications, use the Partner Locator tool.

Cisco Unified Communications and Collaboration Components

The Cisco Unified Communications System comprises five basic components. Select the following links to learn more and view products in each component category:

• IP Telephony: Cisco award-winning call-processing software, IP phones, and endpoint devices can help your organization efficiently run voice, data, and video communications over a single, converged network.
• Customer Contact: Proven Cisco contact center software has multichannel, self-service and assisted service capabilities that can help your organization turn reactive support into proactive, unique customer centric experiences.
• Unified Communications Applications: Innovative Cisco conferencing, unified messaging, unified communications clients, mobility products, and interoperability with third-party applications provide next-generation unified communications capabilities. Cisco Unified Communications licensing and software subscription offerings enable customers to maintain a competitive advantage, increase productivity and transform their business.
• Communications Infrastructure: Cisco industry-leading routers and switches form an intelligent, secure network foundation for unified communications. In addition, Cisco offers a comprehensive suite of security products and features for unified communications.
• Unified Communications Management: Cisco management software provides comprehensive network management for the entire Cisco Unified Communications solution, helping to increase operational efficiency through advanced monitoring, alerting, diagnostics, provisioning, and reporting capabilities.
• Cisco Webex: Cisco WebEx solutions make it easy for global employees to work with colleagues over the web like they do in person. They allow them to connect across firewalls, across platforms, and across the globe.
  • Cisco WebEx meeting applications provide a full suite of web meeting applications with services to deliver presentations, share documents, demonstrate applications or control a remote desktop.
  • Cisco WebEx Connect is an enterprise-class, on-demand unified communications client that combines instant messaging, team spaces, and business applications to bring people, data, and processes together. WebEx Connect is the first collaborative software as a service (SaaS) platform that allows developers and customers to integrate multiple applications to create powerful collaborative business solutions.
• Cisco Telepresence: The Cisco TelePresence meeting solution creates a live, face-to-face meeting experience over the network, empowering you to interact and collaborate like never before. Cisco TelePresence combines high-quality audio, high-definition video and interactive elements to deliver an in-person meeting experience over your network.

IP Telephony

IP telephony provides a way for organizations to extend consistent communications services to all employees in their workspaces, whether they are in main campus locations, at branch offices, working remotely, or are mobile. IP telephony transmits voice and video communications over the network using the open-standards-based Internet Protocol.

Cisco began developing IP telephony solutions in 1997. Today, Cisco is number one in worldwide enterprise voice and the leader in top IP telephony categories. IP telephony delivers an initial wave of business value to our customers by making it possible to:

• Consolidate platforms and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and telephony costs through toll-bypass
• Take advantage of underused network capacity by carrying voice traffic on the data network, accelerating network usage and maximizing ROI
• Lay a strong foundation for advanced communications and collaboration capabilities

Call Processing

Cisco provides call-processing solutions for organizations of all sizes and types to manage voice, video, mobility, and presence services between IP phones and endpoints, voice-over-IP (VoIP) gateways, mobile devices, and multimedia applications. According to SearchNetwork.com, these industry-leading IP private-branch-exchange (PBX) solutions have received stellar marks from users, who give high ratings to voice quality, network integration, and interoperability.

Table 1 gives an overview of the Cisco call-processing solutions

Endpoints

Cisco Unified IP Phones

Cisco offers a wide variety of endpoints to address all your business needs, from the company lobby to the manufacturing floor to the executive suite, at home, on the road, or in branch offices. Cisco has shipped more than 18 million Cisco Unified IP Phones, and they support:

• Standards-based (XML) application development environment
• Built-in on-screen user guides
• Audio and visual alerts
• Hearing-aid compatibility
• Reduced installation and cabling costs
• Easy moves, adds, and changes
• Integrated Gigabit Ethernet and wideband audio on selected models

Table 2 lists some of the Cisco Unified IP Phone and IP endpoint offerings.

Product	Ideal Location	Benefits
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7985G	Executive and manager offices	Enables executives and managers to enjoy personal desktop video with instant, face-to-face communications Incorporates all the components required for video calls (camera, LCD screen, speaker, keypad, and handset) in one easy-to-use unit Provides LAN connectivity through an integrated Ethernet switch and 10/100BASE-T Ethernet connection through an RJ-45 interface
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7975G	Offices of executive or major decision maker, administrative assistants, and those working with bandwidth-intensive applications on co-located PCs	High-fidelity wideband audio for vibrant, lifelike conversations; Internet Low Bitrate Codec (iLBC) support for use in lossy networks Large backlit touch-screen color display for easy use of Cisco Unified Communications and third-party telephone applications Improved navigation cluster for easier navigation and feature and function selection Gigabit Ethernet connectivity Eight programmable line and speed dial and feature keys and five programmable context-sensitive softkeys Support for higher-value, more visibly rich XML applications and double-byte languages
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7965G	Offices of executive or major decision maker, administrative assistants, and those working with bandwidth-intensive applications on co-located PCs	High-fidelity wideband audio for vibrant, lifelike conversations; Internet Low Bitrate Codec (iLBC) support for use in lossy networks Large backlit color display for easy use of Cisco Unified Communications and third-party telephone applications Improved navigation cluster for easier navigation and feature and function selection Gigabit Ethernet connectivity Six programmable feature buttons and four interactive softkeys to guide you through call features and functions Support for higher-value, more visibly rich XML applications and double-byte languages
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G	Offices of managers and administrative assistants	High-fidelity wideband audio for lifelike conversations; iLBC support for use in lossy networks High-resolution grayscale display for easy use of Cisco Unified Communications and third-party endpoint applications Six programmable feature buttons and four interactive softkeys to guide you through call features and functions Support for higher-value, more visibly rich XML applications and double-byte languages
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7961G	Offices of managers and administrative assistants	A higher-resolution, graphical 4-bit grayscale display (320 x 222) Support for higher-value, more visibly rich XML applications and double-byte languages Accelerated access to network data and applications with an integrated Gigabit Ethernet port that connects to a PC or desktop server Six programmable feature buttons and four interactive softkeys to guide you through call features and functions
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7960G	The Self-View button switches the video image from incoming to outgoing video. The Self-View button displays your outgoing picture in full-screen mode, allowing you to see what you are transmitting.	Maximizes call-coverage capabilities Extends the capabilities of select Cisco Unified IP Phones with additional buttons and an LCD display Allows you to program 12 additional buttons as directory numbers, line keys, or special dial keys (24 total with use of a page key for an additional 12 keys) Supports up to two modules per Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G, 7965G, and 7975G model
Cisco Unified IP Phone Expansion Module 7915	Offices of administrative assistants and others who must monitor, manage, and cover the status of various calls	Maximizes call-coverage capabilities Extends the capabilities of select Cisco Unified IP Phones with additional buttons and a color LCD display Allows you to program 12 additional buttons as directory numbers, line keys, or special dial keys (24 total with use of a page key for an additional 12 keys) Supports up to two modules per Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G, 7965G, and 7975G model
Cisco Unified IP Phone Expansion Module 7916	Offices of administrative assistants and others who must monitor, manage, and cover the status of various calls	Maximizes call-coverage capabilities Extends the capabilities of select Cisco Unified IP Phones with additional buttons and a color LCD display Allows you to program 12 additional buttons as directory numbers, line keys, or special dial keys (24 total with use of a page key for an additional 12 keys) Supports up to two modules per Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G, 7965G, and 7975G model
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7945G	Offices of professionals with significant phone traffic, and workers with bandwidth-intensive applications on co-located PCs	High-fidelity wideband audio for vibrant, lifelike conversations; iLBC support for use in lossy networks Large backlit color display for easy use of Cisco Unified Communications and third-party telephone applications Improved navigation cluster for easier navigation and feature and function selection Gigabit Ethernet connectivity Support for advanced XML applications and localization requiring double-byte Unicode encoding for fonts Direct access to two phone lines (or combination of line access and telephony features)
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G	Offices of professionals with significant phone traffic	High-fidelity wideband audio for lifelike conversations; iLBC support for use in lossy networks High-resolution grayscale display for easy use of Cisco Unified Communications and third-party telephone applications Support for advanced XML applications and localization requiring double-byte Unicode encoding for fonts Direct access to two phone lines (or combination of line access and telephony features)
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7941G	Cubicle environments of transaction workers	Offers enhanced functions for businesses that require advanced communications capabilities Provides a high-resolution, graphical 4-bit grayscale display (320 x 222) Allows for the inclusion of higher-value, more visibly rich XML applications and double-byte languages Provides two programmable backlit line and feature buttons and four interactive softkeys that guide you through call features and functions
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7940G	Basic office environments with moderate amount of business done by phone	Access to at least two telephone lines (or a combination of one line and one direct-access telephony feature such as AutoDial) High-quality, full-duplex hands-free speakerphone capability Built-in headset connectivity A large pixel-based display Easy access to caller information, applications, and telephone features
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7931G	Advanced commercial and retail environments with moderate telephone traffic and specific call requirements	Provides functions that are commonly needed in commercial and retail environments Facilitates simple and rapid call handling with hard hold, redial, and transfer keys Guides you through call features and functions with 24 lighted line keys and 4 interactive softkeys Gives a clear indication of speaker status with illuminated mute and speakerphone keys
Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G	Advanced commercial and retail environments with moderate telephone traffic and specific call requirements	Delivers powerful, converged mobility using voice over wireless LAN Supports a host of calling features and voice-quality enhancements such as wideband audio Enables presence so you can know where other parties are in a mobile Wi-Fi environment Supports push-to-talk through XML Provides much longer battery life (100 hours of standby time)
Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7925G	Rugged, industrial campus environments and enterprise desktops where mobility is required	Support for Bluetooth v2.0 headset profiles gives you more freedom The hermetically sealed phone display is IP54-rated for protection against dust, liquids, and moist wipes. This phone it is ideal for deployment in more demanding environments The ruggedized industrial design is compliant with military 810F standard and includes a rubber casing to shield the phone from damage caused by drops and shocks A more compact form factor gives you an IP phone that is easier to hold
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7911G	Cubicle, retail, classroom, and manufacturing floor environments with low to moderate telephone traffic	Combines intuitive features, calling information, and XML services to deliver a rich user experience Offers numerous important security features plus the choice of Power over Ethernet (PoE), Cisco Inline Power, or local power through an optional power adaptor Guides you through core business features and functions with four dynamic softkeys and a pixel-based display
Cisco Unified IP Phone 7906G	Cubicle, retail, classroom, or manufacturing environments with low to moderate telephone traffic	Guides you through core business features and functions with four dynamic softkeys and a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Combines intuitive features, calling information, and XML services to deliver a rich user experience Offers the choice of PoE, Cisco Inline Power, or local power through an optional power adaptor
Cisco Unified SIP Phone 3911	Lobbies, laboratories, manufacturing floors, or hallways where only basic, entry-level telephone needs are required	Provides one-touch access to redial, transfer, conference, hold, line select, mute, and voicemail access features Supports additional capabilities such as caller ID, call history, and phone configuration Offers the choice of PoE, Cisco Inline Power, or local power through an optional power adaptor Enables support for additional capabilities such as caller ID, call history, and the ability to configure the phone
Additional IP Endpoints
Cisco Unified IP Conference Station 7937G	Desktops, in conference rooms, and in executive suites	Combines state-of-the-art wideband speakerphone conferencing technologies with award-winning Cisco voice communication technologies Offers superior wideband voice and microphone quality, with simplified wiring and administrative cost benefits Provides support for a third-party lapel microphone kit Covers up to 30 x 40 feet with the optional external microphone kit
Cisco Unified IP Conference Station 7936	Small to midsize conference rooms or offices	Delivers full-featured, hands-free conferencing Guides you through call features and functions with three softkeys and menu navigation keys Offers superior voice and microphone quality, with simplified wiring and administrative cost benefits Effectively expands a suggested conference room size of 20 x 30 feet with optional external microphone kit
Cisco ATA 180 Series Analog Telephone Adaptors	Enterprise and small office environments with mixed traditional and VoIP devices	Enables analog devices to support VoIP services Supports a variety of devices including analog phones, teletypewriter (TTY) machines, fax machines (fax pass-through support), and audio conference telephones Protects traditional analog investment
Cisco VG248 Analog Phone Gateway	Enterprises that wish to migrate to VoIP at their own pace	Supports traditional analog devices within a Cisco Unified Communications Manager enterprise voice system Allows 48 full-featured analog phone lines to be used as extensions to the Cisco Unified Communications System
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and 802.11 IP Phones		Deliver dual-mode fixed and mobile business functions over Cisco wired and wireless IP infrastructure Communicate directly with Cisco Unified CallManager 4.0 and Unified CallManager 5.0 through SIP and Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) as an integrated IP phone device

Unified Communications Applications

Cisco offers a comprehensive portfolio of unified communications applications, including application development; rich-media conferencing; telephony applications; unified communications clients; and unified communications mobility, voicemail, and unified messaging, all of which enable more effective personal communications and collaboration. In addition, Cisco offers cost-effective licensing and software subscription to help customers maximize the full power of Cisco Unified Communications.

Unified Communications Clients

Cisco offers a wide array of unified communications client applications, including:

• Cisco IP Communicator: A softphone application that delivers rich Cisco IP telephony directly from your PCs
• Cisco Unified Video Advantage: A software application that brings video telephony functions to Cisco Unified IP Phones
• Cisco Unified Personal Communicator: A software application for PC and MAC that transparently integrates your most frequently used communications applications and services - softphone, presence, instant messaging, visual voicemail, click to call, employee directory, communication history, video, and web conferencing - into a single, unified
• Cisco Unified CallConnector: A software application that delivers easy-to-use call-control and presence features using toolbars in common applications such as Microsoft Office (for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express environments)
• Cisco Unified CallConnector Mobility: A software application that provides single-number-reach capabilities through Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express 4.0
• Cisco Unified Mobility Advantage: Call routing software that enables single number reach and the ability to seamless transition calls from a mobile phone to your Cisco Unified IP Phone, and vice versa.
• Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator: An easy-to-use software application that extends unified communications capabilities to mobile phones and smartphones

Cisco Unified Presence

Cisco Unified Presence is a standards-based platform that collects information from multiple sources about user availability and communications capabilities to provide rich presence status and facilitate presence-enabled communications with Cisco Unified Communications and other critical business applications.

Cisco Unified Communications Widgets

The following free-to-download and easy-to-add Cisco Unified Communications Widgets provide a productive and personalized user experience with Cisco Unified Communications applications and Cisco Unified IP Phones:

• Phone Designer enables you to quickly customize Cisco Unified IP Phone displays with wallpapers of your choice and to create or change ring tones.
• Click to Call for PCs lets you connect and collaborate with everyone by instantly placing Cisco Unified Communications Manager calls directly from your desktop productivity applications and web browsers.
• Visual Voicemail enables you to view, listen, and respond to Cisco Unity® and Cisco Unity Connection voicemail messages right from the Cisco Unified IP Phone display, without having to dial into your corporate voicemail box.

Cisco Unified Application Environment

The ability to quickly develop and easily manage customized applications: Cisco Unified Application Environment 2.5, a rich portfolio of applications and development tools, makes it possible for web or enterprise developers, who have not yet developed telephony and unified communications skills, to use their current development tools to quickly and easily integrate network services and advanced unified communications capabilities (such as presence) with other business applications or develop entirely new transformational applications.

Voicemail and Unified Messaging

Cisco messaging solutions are secure and reliable, and they are designed to meet the diverse needs of small, medium-sized, and very large enterprises. These award-winning solutions deliver:

• Powerful voicemail
• Unified messaging
• A flexible platform
• Time-saving, productivity-enhancing features

Table 3 lists some of the Cisco messaging solutions.

Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing

Your organization can flexibly meet its business needs by procuring a broad range of Cisco Unified Communications applications and services on a per-user basis. Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing is an easy-to-use, affordable program. It packages client and server software, licensing, service and support, and software subscription and provides the opportunity to give the full suite of Cisco Unified Communications applications to all users in their workspaces - helping organizations maximize the potential of unified communications.

Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing is available in three versions:

• Business Edition: Built on the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Business Edition platform, this edition offers call control, voice messaging, unified clients, mobility, and presence in a package optimized to the needs of smaller businesses.
• Standard Edition: Built on the reliable Cisco Unified Communications Manager platform, this edition includes call control, voice messaging, unified clients, mobility, and presence with the enterprise scalability to support your business as it grows.
• Professional Edition: This edition includes all features in Standard Edition, mobile communicator client, audio, video and web conferencing, and other advanced capabilities.

Table 4 lists the applications available in Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing.

Cisco Unified Communications Software Subscription

The Cisco Unified Communications Software Subscription enhances communications system and increases business value by offering an economical and timely approach to upgrading to the latest Cisco technology. Through a one-, two-, three-, or five-year subscription, customers have access to the latest major software version upgrades of various Cisco Unified Communications products with Unified Communications Software Subscription. Savings can be optimized by purchasing a multiyear plan.

Cisco Unified Communications Software Subscription is available for the following Cisco Unified Communications products:

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Express
• Cisco Unified MeetingPlace
• Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express & MeetingPlace Express VT
• Cisco Unity
• Cisco Unity Connection
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Hosted
• Cisco Unified Communication Manager Business Edition
• Cisco Unified Presence
• Cisco Unified Personal Communicator
• Cisco Emergency Responder
• Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal
• Cisco Intelligent Contact Management Hosted
• Cisco Intelligent Contact Management Enterprise
• Cisco Unified PhoneProxy
• Cisco IP Interactive Voice Response (IP IVR)
• Cisco Unified Application Server
• Cisco Unified Media Engine
• Cisco Unified Attendant Console
• Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator
• Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing
• Cisco Unified Expert Advisor

Conferencing

Cisco offers a wide range of multimedia conferencing solutions that integrate voice, video, and web conferencing capabilities to make remote meetings natural and effective. According to Frost & Sullivan, Cisco is the market leader in both web conferencing and on-premises voice conferencing.

Table 5 lists some of the Cisco conferencing solutions.

Contact Center Applications

By using Cisco Unified Contact Center solutions in its own contact centers, Cisco has increased customer satisfaction while lowering time to resolution and reducing operating costs. Cisco offers solutions for small and medium-sized companies as well as very large, multisite enterprise deployments, plus hosted or managed service environments. These solutions deliver:

• Skills-based contact routing
• Voice and video self-service
• Computer telephony integration (CTI)
• Multichannel contact management over an IP infrastructure
• Inbound and outbound capabilities
• Presence integration

Table 6 lists some of the Cisco Contact Center solutions.

Additional customer care products provide integration with traditional automatic call distribution (ACD) systems, perform speech-enabled self service, deliver advanced reporting and analytics capabilities, and enhance the customer experience with assistance from presence-enabled experts. These products are listed in Table 7.

Communications Infrastructure

Cisco is unique in its ability to provide an end-to-end integrated unified communications system. This comprehensive solution includes the industry-leading routers and switches that comprise the basic infrastructure elements of an end-to-end, integrated network. According to Sage Research, organizations that use a single, primary vendor for IP telephony have a 43-percent lower network cost of ownership than those that use multiple vendors.

When choosing a router for your Cisco Unified Communications Solution, consider:

• The number of phones
• The call-processing solution
• The other functions the router will perform

When selecting a switch, PoE removes the need for each phone to have an external power source. Cisco switches autosense the power need of each Cisco Unified IP Phone, reducing administrative and power costs.

Table 8 lists some of the Cisco routers and switches with PoE.

The Cisco integrated unified communications system can be more secure than traditional PBX systems. Cisco security solutions are integrated and optimized to provide an additional layer of defense to supplement the security available in the Cisco Unified Communications endpoints, applications, and call control.

Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances are easy-to-deploy solutions that integrate world-class firewall, Unified Communications (voice/video) security, SSL and IPsec VPN, intrusion prevention (IPS), and content security services in a flexible, modular product family.

Management Tools

Cisco solutions for network management allow businesses to actively monitor, manage and configure Cisco Unified Communications Solutions to:

• Reduce operational costs
• Proactively discover potential problems
• Maintain quality and user satisfaction
• Help minimize service downtime

Table 9 lists some of the Cisco network management offerings.

Financing from Cisco Capital

Cisco Unified Communications offers significant benefits to your business. When financed with Cisco CapitalSM, you can amplify these benefits. Flexible and competitive financing can help you match costs with benefits, preserve cash, protect your investment, and manage lifecycles. Consider the most effective way to make your acquisition.