Mobility

Regaining Control of the Wireless Network

Wireless and broadband markets are undergoing massive change. Faster networks, a growing array of data services and content and devices are changing the end user experience and business models across high-speed Internet and wireless services.

This brings new challenges. The heaviest users make up about one percent of subscribers and create 40 to 60 percent of network traffic, causing capacity issues during peak hours. Services with metered or pay-per-use pricing create risk of overspending.

With this comes a shift in thinking about telecom infrastructure. As little as a year ago wireless operators were satisfied to merely bill customers for the usage of metered services, and broadband providers were satisfied with tiered bandwidth speed offerings with unlimited usage for a monthly charge. Today providers are making what was once a vision—regaining control of their networks and service usage to generate revenue from the value that subscribers are gaining—a reality.

A range of capabilities are being deployed that control access to services and allocate resources on-demand. Examples include:
Fair usage policies that provide a monthly maximum traffic allowance and require heavy users to purchase additional capacity.
Dynamic bundles that restrict usage of bandwidth-intensive applications including streaming and P2P programs during peak usage times without a dedicated package.
Services that enable subscribers to configure limits with notification when exceeded and real-time control to govern additional spending.
Deploying tiered pricing models that bundle capabilities based on actual usage by logical subscriber groupings.

Solutions combine hardware capable of inspecting and controlling network traffic at a packet level with configurable and scalable software. This ensures real-time decisions to allow access to and allocation of services and resources, and price usage based on user subscription and location, time of day and day of week, and attributes of the service being accessed.

Cisco Business Mobility

Cisco announced an architecture that helps empower businesses to meet mobility demands and move beyond basic wireless networking by fostering broader collaboration and productivity. This is part of Cisco Motion, a vision that delivers solutions to integrate devices, applications, security and disparate networks into a unified platform.

The cornerstone is the 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine (MSE). This appliance-based platform offers an open application programming interface (API) for consolidating and supporting an array of mobility services across wireless and wired networks. Cisco is releasing four initial software offerings for MSE: Context-Aware Software, Adaptive Wireless Intrusion Prevention System, Secure Client Manager and Mobile Roaming.

"Today's mobility challenges cannot be solved using only traditional WLAN solutions when multiple network elements are converging and need to collaborate. Our approach is a services-oriented architecture that creates a mobility network as a platform for integrating business strategies, processes and goals," said Brett Galloway, senior vice president of Wireless and Security Technology Group. "To meet and exceed mobility expectations IT must secure and manage a range of devices, integrate multiple networks, enable applications, access information with a high level of security, and help ensure a consistent experience regardless of network connection or location."

Training

Global Knowledge announced the launch of its new Cisco Unified Communications Project Management training class, a five-day course where students learn to manage a deployment from start to finish. The course is designed for Cisco engineers and other technical professionals responsible for VoIP implementation. Suggested prerequisites include a basic understanding of project management or familiarity with Cisco lifecycle processes.

Using best practices and processes, students will learn to manage a real-world Cisco UC project. They will follow the formal project management training framework of initiation, planning, execution, control and formal closing as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI), as well as the Cisco Lifecycle Approach of prepare, plan, design, implement, operate and optimize (PPDIOO).

Productivity

Mind PhoneEx

Mind solutions such as PhonEx One Call Accounting, certified compatible with Cisco CallManager 6.1, and Enterprise IP System enable organizations to cut costs by managing, controlling, tracking, alerting, budgeting and analyzing telecom expenses, network resources and productivity. They provide an automated dashboard to view, measure and control what’s going on.

Enterprise IP is a comprehensive CA and management solution that can integrate with diverse network communication equipment including VoIP, hybrid and traditional PBXs. It cuts operational costs with a tool to monitor network activity and productivity, report usage trends and statistics, and optimize and efficiently allocate resources.

“What If“ reports compare costs of alternate carrier services for landline, VoIP, cell and CDR. It reports on activity from multiple sources. The report scheduler can automatically distribute the information via email, web and printer.

Additional features include tracking trunk and bandwidth, threshold alerts, 911 alarms, traffic reports and budgets to control and monitor expenses, resources and productivity. MACs can be automatically imported to save additional maintenance time.

More at mindcti.com.

Products

IP fax

Sagem-Interstar launched IP fax software to run on Cisco Application eXtension Platform (AXP) residing within the Integrated Services Router (ISR). It enables users to send and receive faxes from desktops, email and web applications, MFPs and mobile devices. The solution onstreamlines costs and improves document communication, collaboration and productivity and can be integrated into UCM. The boardless technology enables IT staff to efficiently combine and manage common resources for diverse applications. More at faxserver.com.

WhatsUp Gold

Ipswitch Network Management division announced availability of Version 12 Standard, Premium, Distributed and MSP Editions. It includes new features that enable real-time monitoring of network devices and configurable reports for up-to-the-second information and visibility. Modular framework provides predictive network management and monitoring of critical IT infrastructures and supports organizations of all sizes, providing consistent, easy-to-use management and monitoring interfaces, transparent upgrade paths and low TCO. More at whatsupgold.com.

EVOip

ASC EVOip records all customer interactions in Cisco environments, was certified through their Technology Developer Program and is compatible with any version of UCM. It can record encrypted calls and up to 230 channels can be recorded simultaneously through a single server. Active or passive versions may be chosen and it works for bulk, rules-based or on-demand recording of internal or external communications and provides recording at a central location for companies with multiple branches.

It is entirely software-based and available for Linux and Windows. An optional application runs on the phone’s display and functions such as keep/delete, last call repeat and call tagging may be initiated at the touch of a button. More at asctelecom.com.

Security

Softel Secure Identity Management

Users require access to company systems around the clock. Given the multi-pronged attacks against corporate and customer portal systems, there is a need for solutions to address questions of securing access and providing authenticated users with the ability to restore access.

Softel offers a comprehensive self-service solution built on Cisco CVP, UCCe or UCCx which provides identity management automation. It is available as an on-premise appliance or hosted platform suitable for multi-tenants. It is fully scalable and can address virtually any number of users.

All include secure authentication procedures:
User Registration – users provide personal information over a web-based portal for later authentication. Challenge/response questions are entirely provisionable.
Telephony portal – users can access self-management over the phone via IVR.
Multifactor Authentication – users speak their ID or enter it over the web and respond to questions, with optional IP/ANI validation and DTMF challenge.
Voiceprints – users can pre-register and authenticate themselves.
Administration Tool – web-based portal to manage the system and user identities and access reports. More at softel.com.

Partners

TelStrat

TelStrat launched Engage Contact Center Suite. Any size organization can start with call recording and add capabilities as growth and needs dictate. It blends voice and screen recording, agent performance evaluation, tracking and coaching, scripting and call automation, and workforce forecasting and scheduling.

Record electronically archives customer calls on any phone or conventional radio in multimedia format that can be reviewed, emailed or posted to enhance service or resolve legalities. Capture records and plays back agent on-screen activities along with conversations in multimedia format. Administrators can monitor service quality, build agent training libraries and pinpoint areas of inefficiency.

Score assesses, tracks and evaluates agent performance with a consistent and enterprise-wide score. Coach drives consistency with an Alignment Index that tracks agent performance against resident experts and enables agents to self-assess performance on-the-fly. If an opportunity arises for additional training or comments, the supervisor can send bite-size tutorials for downtime or electronic popup windows with improvement prompts.

Assist provides dynamic, automated scripting. The web-based application aids in preventing costly mistakes by automating agent desktops, freeing them to focus on customer interactions and create a uniform experience. Manage forecasts, schedules, monitors and notifies on-site or remote staff in a real-time online interface. It features forecasting algorithms that include curve mapping and pattern recognition for complete workforce management. The scheduling tool handles complex tasks such as scheduling agents to multiple serving teams by skill set or talent, and by taking into account time-off requests to reduce labor costs. More at telstrat.com

Nice

Nice Perform Active Recording for Cisco UCM can improve performance at the agent, operational and enterprise levels. It leverages interaction capture and analytics, workforce management, coaching and customer feedback. Existing technology for passive VoIP recording requires mirroring sessions. These have to be maintained for supporting MACs. IP phone-based active recording does away with the need for mirroring, thus reducing network management load.

Centralization reduces expenses and lowers support costs thanks to simplified and consolidated administration, management and maintenance. More at nice.com.

About Cisco Tribune

Cisco Telephony Tribune is a quarterly reporting on Cisco IP Telephony, Cisco partners and customers. We welcome news, product news, case studies and other coverage of the Cisco IPT community. Please review our submission guidelines for details on how to send an article, and here is a fill-in form for requesting information about advertising in the hardcopy edition.

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