CCE's digital channels include chat and email via ECE, as well as SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Apple Messages for Business, via integration with Webex Connect.

Now, CCE supports both Webex Connect and ECE in a single deployment, allowing agents to use both platforms. Each agent can communicate via Chat and Email through ECE, and also use social channels such as SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Apple Messages for Business through Webex Connect from a single Finesse Desktop interface.

If you're using ECE as your main digital channel and plan to switch to Webex Connect digital channels, this new feature enables training for your agents in batches, making the transition smoother.

For more information on how to configure and use this feature, see the ECE and WebexConnect in Same Deployment for Same Agent chapter in the Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Features Guide at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-feature-guides-list.html.

Note

This feature is not supported in Packaged CCE deployments. A maximum of 400 agents can handle tasks from both ECE and Webex Connect Digital Channels at the same time. This 400-limit only applies to agents with both ECE and Webex Connect channels enabled, regardless of whether ECE is in a co-located 400 agent deployment or a distributed 2500 agent deployment. Ensure that ECE is configured within the configuration limits defined for your deployment type. This also means that the limits that apply to ECE also apply to the combination of ECE and Webex Connect. For more information on the configuration limits, see all limits defined for ECE in the Configuration Limits and Feature Availability for Reference Designs chapter in the Solution Design Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-feature-guides-list.html

Contact Center Enterprise integrates with Webex Connect, empowering businesses to connect with their customers across multiple digital channels. In addition to its existing support for Email, Live Chat, and SMS, this feature has now expanded its digital channel offerings to include WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple Messages for Business.

For details on how to configure the digital channel interaction using Webex Connect, see the Digital Channels Integration Using Webex Connect chapter in the following documents:

• Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Features Guide

• Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise Features Guide

For information on the design considerations, see the Digital channels integration using Webex Connect considerations section in following documents:

• Solution Design Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise

• Solution Design Guide for Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise

For information about how to configure the Manage Digital Channels gadget, see the Manage Digital Channels gadget section in the Cisco Finesse Administration Guide.

For information about how to use the Manage Digital Channels gadget, see the Cisco Contact Center Enterprise Manage Digital Channels Gadget User Guide.

To set up a WhatsApp Business account (WABA) and connect it with Webex Connect for interacting with Contact Center agents via WhatsApp on mobile, desktop app, or WhatsApp web, see WhatsApp Integration with Webex Connect User Guide.

To set up a Facebook page and connect it with Webex Connect for interacting with Contact Center agents via Facebook Messenger on mobile, desktop app, or web page, see Facebook Messenger Integration with Webex Connect User Guide.

Previously, modifying a cipher in Unified Intelligence Center, Finesse, Cisco VVB, and Cloud Connect required assistance from the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC). Now, administrators have access to a set of new CLI commands specifically designed for managing ciphers. These commands enable administrators to list, add, and remove ciphers. By directly managing the ciphers, administrators can guarantee that their systems adhere to security policies and industry standards.

For more information on the CLI commands, see the Cipher Management topic in the Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise guide at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-maintenance-guides-list.html

Contact Center Enterprise (CCE) components supports the following platforms:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2019 and Microsoft SQL Server 2019

• Microsoft Windows Server 2022 and Microsoft SQL Server 2022

Note	The cross combination of platforms is not supported. For example, Windows Server 2022 with SQL Server 2019 or Windows Server 2019 with SQL Server 2022 is not supported.

For more information, see the Preparation chapter the following guides:

• Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Installation and Upgrade Guide, Release 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-installation-guides-list.html.

• Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise Installation and Upgrade Guide, Release 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/packaged-contact-center-enterprise/products-installation-guides-list.html.

CCE has enhanced its capability to capture detailed information regarding agent states, enabling the creation of advanced, granular reports. The Agent Event Detail table captures agent transition events and tracks the duration the agent spent in each state.

To enable this feature, check the Agent event details check box in the PG Explorer, and check the Extended Event Detail check box under Call Settings > Miscellaneous window in the Unified CCE Administration.

Note

This feature is available only for 36000 agent deployments and requires the Logger VM to have 8 vCPUs, 12000 MHz, a physical CPU base frequency of 2.50 GHz, 16 GB of vRAM, an 80 GB vDisk, and 2 vNICs. This configuration is identical to Logger VM configuration for 48000 agent deployments as documented in the Version 15.0(1) section of the Virtualization Guide for Unified Contact Center Enterprise.

For information about the agent events, see the Agent_Event_Details topic in the Database Schema Handbook for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise, Release 15.0(1).

Cisco Smart Software Licensing now reports the product's version details, in addition to the license entitlement, to the Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM). You can access Cisco SSM at https://software.cisco.com to find the entitlement details.

For more information, see the Product Version Reporting to Cisco SSM section in the following guides:

• Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise, Release 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-maintenance-guides-list.html.

• Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise Administration and Configuration Guide, Release 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/packaged-contact-center-enterprise/products-maintenance-guides-list.html.

AI Assistant revolutionizes customer service by enhancing your efficiency and elevating customer satisfaction.

Here's what the Cisco AI Assistant offers:

• AI-generated call summaries at various touchpoints throughout the agent-customer interaction. Receive concise, context-rich summaries at critical points throughout the customer journey. By providing agents with a clear overview of previous interactions with AI agents, the AI Assistant reduces customer repetition and speeds up issue resolution—resulting in a smoother, more satisfying customer experience.

• AI-generated call transcription at various touchpoints throughout the agent-customer interaction. Automatically capture and display complete transcriptions of interactions between customers and AI agents. This enables the live agent to quickly reference past conversations, search for relevant details, and engage with customers more effectively—asking the right questions.

The Webex AI Agent, an AI-powered virtual assistant, is now available in Scripted mode. With the Webex AI Agent, you can create AI-driven voice agents to automate customer service and support interactions before involving a human agent.

These agents facilitate voice interactions with intonation, language comprehension, and contextual awareness throughout conversations. Customers will benefit from an experience similar to having a personal assistant, receiving help with inquiries, information retrieval, and reduced wait times.

Here's what the Webex AI Agent offers:

• Scripted Mode: Scripted agents use conventional machine learning algorithms for Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to capture user intents and respond accordingly.

• Voice Channel Support: Launch scripted agents effortlessly on voice.

• Human Agent Handoff: Escalate conversations to human agents as part of your workflows, using built-in AI assistant integration for handoff summaries.

• Multi-Lingual Support: Configure agents to support multiple languages (refer to the List of supported languages documentation).

  Non-English language support is currently in Beta. These languages will be made generally available once sufficient usage data and feedback are collected.

• Built-in Reporting: Access a wide range of out-of-the-box analytics and reporting within the AI agent studio.

• Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly connect with business systems and existing automation workflows via Webex Connect.

Orchestration now supports both Identity Token and API key as authentication methods for Cisco Devhub Artifactory. A new CLI option has been introduced, allowing administrators to configure their preferred authentication method. By default, the authentication method is set to API key, but administrators can switch to Identity Token and vice versa. After selecting the preferred method, authentication credentials can be configured using the CLI command for setting Artifactory Authentication Credentials.

For more information about Identity Token support, refer to the details available in the CLI to Configure Authentication Method for Artifactory topic in Deployment Tasks under the CCE Orchestration chapter of the Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Install and Upgrade Guide, 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-installation-guides-list.html.

Cisco Contact Center Enterprise now supports Smart Transport as the transport mode to communicate license usage information from the product instance to the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM). Smart Transport improves the performance and security of data transfer to CSSM.

For information about smart transport mode for smart licensing, see the Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-maintenance-guides-list.html.

Administrators can now configure the inactivity timeout for a session to avoid being logged out after 30 minutes of inactivity. Navigate to the Unified CCE Administration Portal > Call Settings > Miscellaneous > Global > Login Session > Session Inactivity Timeout to set the inactivity time.

Note	This feature is only applicable for sessions where administrators are using the Unified CCE Administration Console and does not apply to agent sessions in Finesse Desktop and ECE.

For more information, see the following guides:

• The System Setting for Unified CCE Deployment section in the Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Release, 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-enterprise/products-maintenance-guides-list.html

• The Miscellaneous section in the Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise Administration and Configuration Guide, Release 15.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/packaged-contact-center-enterprise/products-maintenance-guides-list.html

Administrators can now add third-party gateways to the inventory for routing calls. For instructions, see the Optional Configurations section in the Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise Administration and Configuration Guide.

Note	Cisco does not test or provide support for these third-party gateways.

Administrators and supervisors can now edit multiple attributes for a set of agents at the same time. Ensure that the agents belong to the same site and department. The agents can also be global agents.

For instructions, see the Agent Multi Edit Attribute section in the Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise Administration and Configuration Guide.

For instructions, see the Manage Agents section in the Administration Guide for Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise.

In the previous release, using MR PG with a third party integration by a partner consumed a Premium Agent license. Starting from version 15.0(1), only a Standard Agent license will be needed for third-party integrations, in line with the Flex CC 3.0 offer.

The 15.0(1) release brings major platform upgrades that align with industry standards. The improvements include a Linux change that guarantees long-term support. Furthermore, a move to a 64-bit application architecture has been implemented to handle memory constraints and lessen the impact of the impending end-of-life (EOL) of 32-bit architectures/processors.

Note	For the CCE VMs only the Router and SNMP agents are 64-bit applications; the rest remain as 32-bit applications.

Microsoft SQL Server 2016 and later includes a set of query optimizer enhancements. Under rare circumstances, queries against the Logger historical data have shown higher bandwidth and disk utilization. Interaction with the Logger VM becomes sluggish and the Windows Resource monitor shows close to 100 percent active time on the SQL Server database drive.

If you observe this issue, upgrade Microsoft SQL Server to the latest service pack. If you still experience this issue, run the following query against the database to set compatibility to Microsoft SQL Server 2014:

“Alter Database <dbname> set COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 120”

You can run this query while the system is in operation. For more information about this issue, refer to CSCvw51851.