The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.
The Cisco® Unified Contact Center Express (CCX) product line helps businesses and organizations deliver a connected digital experience, enabling you to provide contextual, continuous, and capability-rich journeys for your customers, across time and channels. This easy-to-deploy and easy-to-use solution supports up to 400 agents and is designed for midmarket companies or enterprise branch offices. Secure and highly available, it supports powerful agent-based services and fully integrated self-service applications, including Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), and digital channels including email and chat.
Cisco Unified CCX helps deliver each of your contacts to the right agent the first time. It enables this accuracy with sophisticated business rules for inbound and outbound voice, email, web chat, and customer interaction management. Cisco Unified CCX also offers numerous agent and desktop services and can scale to larger, more demanding environments.
You can choose from two Cisco Unified CCX packages, Enhanced and Premium, to better match solution functions with your customer contact interaction management requirements. The Cisco Unified CCX solution is tightly integrated with Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Business Edition 6000 (BE6000), and Cisco Business Edition 7000 (BE7000).
Table 1 lists the features and benefits of Cisco Unified Contact Center Express 12.0(1)
Table 1. Cisco Unified Contact Center Express features and benefits
| Feature |
Benefits |
| Agent capabilities and benefits |
|
| Cisco Finesse® desktop |
● Cisco Finesse desktop is a next-generation agent and supervisor desktop for Cisco Customer Journey solutions embedded with Cisco Contact Center Express.
● It provides easy access to the applications and information required by your customer service organization through a customizable web-based interface.
● Cisco Finesse desktop, which has a refreshed user experience in 12.0, offers an intuitive, easy-to-use desktop design to help improve the performance and satisfaction of customer care representatives, enabling quality customer service.
● The embedded Cisco Finesse desktop supports inbound and outbound contact center functions. Core features include:
◦ Customizable agent and supervisor desktop layout
◦ Blended agents: inbound and outbound capability
◦ Call control
◦ Customizable logo and heading
◦ Multisession web chat
◦ Email
◦ Live data reporting gadgets
◦ Phonebook
◦ E.164 support
◦ Pop-over to view selective call-relevant information prior to answering a call
◦ Agent call history and state history gadgets
◦ Selection of multiple wrap-up reasons for voice, email, and chat channels
|
| Context service enabled |
● Context Service is a cloud-based omnichannel service that provides storage, tagging, and management of the data from interactions between businesses or organizations and their customers.
● The context and history that the service provides helps customer care agents better understand and respond to customer needs.
● More information about Context Service is available at
https://cisco.com/go/contextservice.
|
| Home agents |
● This feature provides flexibility for agents to use their Public-Switched-Telephone-Network (PSTN) phone devices to accept, transfer, conference, and disconnect calls, while Cisco Unified CCX manages the agent interactions.
● Home agents use the Cisco Unified Communications Manager infrastructure with extend and connect functions along with a Jabber
® client in extend mode to set their own remote device.
|
| Computer telephony integration |
Cisco Finesse Desktop
● The ready-to-use Cisco Finesse Desktop Call Control gadget provides screen pop information with complete customer information.
● Access to Customer-Relationship-Management (CRM) information is achieved by:
◦ Creating gadgets in house or through a third-party developer, to "pop" information from CRM databases
◦ Using HTTP workflows to "pop" any web-based CRM solution such as Salesforce.com into a gadget on the agent desktop.
|
| Interactive voice response and self-service |
● This feature provides an integrated, ready-to-use IVR solution including an IVR queue point, custom call treatment, arbitrarily deep voice menus, custom voice prompts, and the ability to process customer phone-keypad presses through Dual-Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) processing to make routing decisions or to present a screen pop to the agent. Advanced IVR ports, available with Unified CCX Premium licenses, enable database integration.
● Adding advanced self-service technologies such as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Text To Speech (TTS), and VoiceXML is supported.
|
| Desktop chat |
● The Desktop Chat feature, which is available via a gadget within Finesse, enables agents to chat with other agents, supervisors as well as experts outside the contact center.
|
| Management capabilities and benefits |
|
| Supervisor features |
● Advanced Supervisor Capabilities allow supervisors to manage queues, business hours, prompts and outbound campaigns enabling them to optimize contact center efficiency.
● The ability to monitor critical performance metrics allows managers to coach, train, and encourage agent behavior so that agents can consistently perform their job functions and process calls efficiently.
● The ability to chat with individual members or the entire team using desktop
● Supervisors can send broadcast messages to their teams using the Team Messages feature.
● Supervisors can view active call details of an agent call in progress.
● Supervisors can silently monitor inbound and outbound calls to listen for coaching opportunities.
● They can interrupt an agent's call using Barge In to interact with both the caller and the agent to help
resolve a concern.
● Supervisors can remove an agent from a call using the Intercept feature, so the supervisor and caller can complete the call on their own while the agent handles another customer request.
● Supervisors can change an agent's state from their desktops in a situation where agents may forget to make themselves available to take calls after a break, or neglect to log out when they are away from their workstations for an extended period.
● Supervisors can log out missing agents or make unintentionally idle agents ready to take calls. They can change an agent's skill profile in real time, so they can manage their agent teams and support contact center management objectives.
● Calls can be recorded using Workforce Optimization recording solutions, and supervisors can play back conversations using gadgets available on their desktop.
|
| Workflows |
● The Cisco Finesse desktop web administration allows easy configuration of complex screen pop actions using the Cisco Finesse HTTP and REST APIs.
● Administrators can easily set up workflows for voice and digital channels in Cisco Finesse using the logic-based, intuitive interface to provide improved service and reduce handle times. Cisco Finesse workflows can trigger two actions: REST API calls and browser-based screen pops.
● Any system that supports REST APIs or has applications that work in a standard web browser will work with the Cisco Finesse desktop.
|
| Administration |
● Web-based administration provides a run-anywhere, enterprise-wide point of control for single- or multisite contact centers.
● Cisco Unified CCX transparently integrates information from Cisco Unified Communications Manager and integrates with the Cisco Unified Communications Manager web-based administration to provide cross access and a common interface.
● Administration for the Cisco Finesse desktop is also integrated into the Cisco Unified CCX administration.
● Administration allows a wide range of real-time reporting statistics across all activity within the contact center, regardless of agent or supervisor location and for all calls in process.
|
| Integrated service-creation environments |
● Cisco Unified CCX offers a service-creation and scripting environment for mapping business rules to call-flow behavior and call treatments.
● A visual editor environment provides a simple, drag-and-drop, easy-to-understand interface for building powerful, custom, business-communication applications.
|
| Workforce optimization: advanced quality management |
● Manage personnel efficiently to deliver consistent customer service that matches your business goals with workforce management.
● Align compliance and quality goals with call recording and quality management.
● Cisco Finesse Search and Play Gadget allow agents to play interactions and earn gamification badges for quality and adherence. It gives supervisors visibility to agent badges earned, allowing them to apply the right peer coaching at the right time for the right agents.
● This feature is available with Cisco Unified CCX Enhanced and Premium versions.
|
| Advanced workforce management |
● This feature provides planning enhancements to allow supervisors to create hiring plans based on staffing needs, time to hire, and attrition.
● Capacity plans produce reports to identify resource needs over an established timeframe.
● Budgetary plans establish basic budgetary estimates over a defined timeframe.
● Dynamic scheduling aligns the agent’s scheduling desires with the staffing needs of the business.
● These strategic planning tools are easy to use and administer, and they allow schedulers to remain in control and ensure optimal staffing levels.
● For complete details regarding Cisco Unified Workforce Optimization, please refer to the data sheet at:
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps8293/products_data_sheets_list.html.
|
| Multichannel options |
|
| |
● Email enables contact centers to queue and route email messages to skilled agents, helping balance email and call-handling activities. Agent email is available with Exchange, Office 365, and Gmail.
● Integrated into the agent desktop, the email feature requires integration with a Cisco SocialMiner
® server.
|
| Web chat |
● Web chat provides multisession chat capabilities for managing customer interactions through
company websites.
● Integrated into the agent desktop, web chat requires integration with a Cisco SocialMiner server.
● You can blend voice and chat operations with the ability to allocate or not allocate chat contacts while an agent is on a voice call, and conversely for improved resource usage.
● Group chat enables an agent to bring in an expert from another queue into the chat and optionally transfer
the chat.
● New chat bubble that enables better experiences and easier administration to push changes to the
business website.
● Customers can originate chats with the business using Facebook Messenger, which can be handled by the agent on their familiar Cisco Finesse Chat and Email gadget.
● Post-chat surveys and reporting; download of chat transcript in HTML format
|
| Outbound dialing |
● This feature offers direct preview, progressive, and predictive outbound dialing with Cisco Finesse desktop, as well as outbound IVR capabilities.
● It can help you build campaigns to use preview dialing that is integrated with inbound calls to provide a blended inbound/outbound solution.
● It enables agents to serve both inbound calls and outbound campaign tasks when the inbound queue is empty, allowing for the most efficient use of agent resources for both inbound calls and outbound campaigns.
|
| Product functions and system capabilities |
|
| Routing capabilities |
● These capabilities offer call-routing behaviors based on conditional events, such as time of day, day of week, or holiday routing, as well as the ability to specify service levels, move contacts between agent groups, and reprioritize contacts in the queue based on your business rules.
● These capabilities facilitate categorization and prioritization of customer contacts in a way that best meets your business requirements.
● A wide range of routing logic that can accurately target and selectively route different classes of contacts, or even single out individual contacts for customized, prioritized routing treatment, is supported.
● These capabilities help ensure that each contact is routed to the right agent at the right location the first time to maximize resolution on the first call.
|
| Next-generation reporting |
● Next-generation reporting provides historical, Live Data, and dashboards with flexible presentation options using Cisco Unified Intelligence Center.
● Existing out-of-the-box reports allow you to view historical and Live Data reports, or view custom reports based on the information you want to track.
● In addition, the ability to report on service levels, thresholds, alerts, and short- and long-term views allows supervisors to create even more comprehensive reports.
● Off-box Cisco Unified Intelligence Center can accommodate multiple data sources and allows creation of custom reports, providing greater flexibility.
|
| Open systems |
● This feature allows you to take full advantage of industry-standard hardware platforms to enable the benefits of many software functions at a modest hardware cost.
● The open architecture of the system, which includes an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)-compliant database as well as Java interfaces for CTI applications, can integrate with existing contact center solutions, preserving investments in traditional systems and providing a platform for future applications.
|
| Redundant high availability |
● High-availability redundancy is supported for dual-server cluster deployments, including support for automatic failover of inbound voice ACD, IVR, and desktop services.
● Database replication and failover are supported, as well as load-balanced redundancy for historical reporting and on-demand recording.
● High availability over the WAN (HAoWAN) is supported.
|
| Single sign-on |
● Single Sign-On (SSO) permits the Cisco administrator, reporting user, supervisors, or agents to sign on only once with a username and password to gain access to all of their Cisco browser-based applications and services within a single browser instance. Cisco administrators can manage all users from a common directory and enforce password policies for all users consistently.
|
| Appliance model |
● Appliance model supports deployment only in a virtualized system.
● Appliance model is a secure, resilient, and robust model that is less complex and provides for faster installs, easier upgrades, and less-frequent patching.
● Remote deployment, operation, and support reduce the need for onsite support, potentially shortening maintenance cycles and reducing overall downtime.
|
| Scalability |
● Scalability provides a multichannel contact-center-in-a-box for up to 400 agents.
● Dual-server clusters provide redundant high availability.
|
| Security |
● Cisco Unified CCX supports Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux), an integrated Linux OS feature that provides access-control policies for a secure system.
|
| IPv6 |
● Cisco Unified CCX supports IPv6 with a dual-stack capability.
|
| Simplified deployment |
● Integration with Cisco Prime
® deployment includes fresh install and upgrades, hostname change, and IP address change.
|
| Virtualization |
● Virtualization requires deployment as an application on a virtual machine on the VMware platform running on the Cisco Unified Computing System
™ (Cisco UCS
®) or specification-based hardware.
● It allows Cisco Unified CCX to be part of a virtualized deployment where multiple Cisco Unified Communications applications can be deployed on the same server.
● Consolidating servers through virtualization results in significant cost savings and reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
● For more details about the hardware requirements, VMware requirements, supported VMware features, virtual-machine sizing, and best practices for this deployment, please visit:
https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/uc_system/virtualization/cisco-collaboration-virtualization.html
|
Each Cisco Unified Contact Center Express seat provides optimal flexibility in your contact center by offering full licensing to use the seat as either an agent or a supervisor seat. Enhanced and Premium agent seats can be either workstation or Cisco Unified IP Phone–based agent stations. Each seat provides full licensing for Cisco Finesse desktop and Cisco Finesse IP Phone Agent. With the Enhanced and Premium versions, even if a workstation failure occurs, an agent is fully licensed to continue working through the Cisco Finesse IP Phone Agent.
Cisco Unified CCX can be ordered using either the perpetual licenses or subscription licenses using Flex. The ordering guides are available at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/partners/tools/collaboration-ordering-guides.html
Upgrades from prior releases to Cisco Unified Contact Center Express 12.0 can be accomplished with a valid Cisco Unified Communications Software Support Service (SWSS) contract or by ordering an a la carte upgrade.
Cisco Unified Contact Center Express 12.0 features and specifications
For complete details about the feature packaging and system capacities, please refer to the design guide available at: https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1846/products_implementation_design_guides_list.html.
For details regarding Release 12.0, please refer to the release notes at: https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1846/prod_release_notes_list.html.
Cisco Unified Contact Center Express offers an integrated, full-featured solution for managing customer contacts involving voice, email, and chat while retaining all the benefits of fully converged Cisco Unified Communications deployment. It delivers sophisticated multichannel contact routing, management, and administration features for departmental, enterprise branch office, or small to medium-sized enterprise customer care needs.
Cisco Unified Contact Center Express offers ease of installation, configuration, and application hosting, as well as reduced business application integration complexity, ease of agent administration, increased agent flexibility, and network hosting efficiencies. With all these features, Cisco Unified Contact Center Express continues the evolution toward a true customer interaction network.
Adapt to market changes while increasing productivity, improving competitive advantage, and delivering a rich‑media experience across any workspace.
The combined strengths of Cisco and our partners provide a portfolio of services that can help you prepare your infrastructure for future changes aligning to long-term business goals. Together we create innovative, network‑centric architecture solutions resulting in a scalable and responsive foundation that can help you realize the full value of your IT and communication investment.
For more information about Cisco Unified Contact Center Services, please visit https://www.cisco.com/go/uccservices.
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For more information about the Cisco Unified Contact Center Express, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/uccx or contact your local Cisco account representative.