Field Notice: FN74296 - Migration to MPP Firmware: Important Information for Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series - Configuration Change Recommended

At Cisco, our priority is ensuring a seamless experience as our customers transition to cloud-based solutions. We want to keep you informed about potential performance impacts that may affect certain older Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series when migrating to Multiplatform Phone (MPP) firmware.

Phones that register to Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) are not affected.

Potentially Impacted Devices:

• Select hardware versions of Cisco IP Phone 8811, 8841, 8851, 8851NR, and 8861 that were manufactured between approximately 2013 and 2019. See the Products Affected section of this field notice for a complete list.
• Cisco 8845, 8865, and 8865NR video phones that have reached end of software maintenance support.

Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series are offered in Enterprise and MPP versions. There is a process, called firmware migration, that allows for the conversion of Enterprise firmware to MPP firmware on a Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series. Due to the hardware limitations of certain older models, the advanced capabilities of MPP firmware may exceed what these devices can optimally handle.

Some older Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series may experience reduced performance or a degraded user experience after migrating to MPP firmware. These issues were mostly observed in scenarios such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Use with Key Expansion Modules (KEMs)
• Executive assistant configurations handling high call volumes
• Phones with many Busy Lamp Fields (BLFs) on monitored or shared lines
• Environments with network latency

We understand the importance of reliable communications in your organization and are committed to helping you manage this transition with minimal disruption.

There is no workaround. However, if you do not plan to migrate to the cloud, you can continue using Enterprise firmware.

If you do migrate to MPP firmware and experience issues, reach out to the Cisco support team. They may be able to find configuration changes to mitigate the issue. If the issue cannot be resolved, Cisco recommends discussing upgrade options with your Cisco account team or Technology Partner. Our Partner Locator can help you find the right support.

To determine if your IP phone is affected, find the hardware version (VID) of your device, and then cross-reference the product identifier (PID) or VID with those listed in the Products Affected section in this notice.

To find the VID or PID for your device, do the following:

• If web access is enabled on the phone, check the model and hardware version (VID) listed for UDI on the device information page.
  
  
  
  
• If you have physical access to the phone, check the label on the back for PID VID to find the VID of the phone.
  
  
  
  

We realize that technology transitions can be challenging. Cisco has dedicated support teams that are ready to assist you in planning your migration and finding the best solutions for your needs. Please reach out to your Cisco representative or Technology Partner for further guidance.