Cisco Unified Mobility and Mobility Applications

We will continue the coverage of softkey features in this blog with the Mobility softkey. As the writing for this blog developed, the conversation turned into a brief discussion of all the mobility features of CUCM 6.0. Cisco Unified Communications Manager 6.0 includes features that were previously only available via the addition of a Mobility Manager server in the CUCM cluster. The mobility softkey can be used for the mobile connect functionality. Mobile connect is also commonly referred to as single number reach (SNR). Many users have a business phone, business cell phones, personal cell phone, and home phone. Trying to get in touch with someone via the telephone can be a cumbersome act of dialing various phone numbers and leaving voice messages on various messaging systems. A Cisco Unified Presence Server could have reported the users availability and preferences to us, but let’s assume presence is not well deployed. The mobile connect service provides users the ability to provide resources with one main phone number in which every one of their devices will ring. Up to 10 configurable remote destination phone numbers can be configured per end user starting with CUCM 6.0. The service also provides end users with one single enterprise voicemail box by changing the call forward no answer ring duration on CUCM to be lower than any of the other remote destination call forward timers. The mobile connect service will work on H.323 or SIP configured gateways via an XML TCL script. The mobile connect service does not work on MGCP configured gateways. The first device to pick up the call will complete the call, but the call will be anchored at the PSTN gateway. The mobile connect feature will greatly increase the utilization of B channels on the PRI of the organization. One incoming call to the organization could result in the utilization of 2 B channels if a remote destination (cell phone, home phone, etc.) picks up the phone call destined to the direct inward dialing (DiD) phone number of the user. This utilization is due to the fact that each call will be anchored (picked up) at the gateway and re-routed to the destination. While B channel utilization could be a detractor of this great mobility application, the service will allow the organization to save a lot of cellular minutes. If the Mobility softkey of the Cisco IP Phone is pressed during a cellular phone call, the call is transparently re-routed from the cellular network to the Cisco IP Phone. The communication continues with minimal interruption. The mobility softkey is also supported on the Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator client which is currently supported for Blackberry RIM, Symbian, and Windows Mobile 6 cellular phone operating systems. Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator supports a Mobility softkey in which users can pass calls from Cisco IP Phones to cellular phones with minimal interruption. Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator (CUMC) also allows Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian devices with wireless LAN (WLAN) capabilities to register and make calls from CUCM. Calls can be passed to and from the cellular network to either a Cisco IP Phone or the cell phone using WLAN capabilities. It seems like we have taken a segway into the world of mobility here. The last mobility application is Mobile Voice Access. The mobile voice access feature is similar to the traditional direct inward system access (DiSA) service. These services allow callers to call into the enterprise network and make outgoing calls as if they were sitting at their desk. The Caller ID information presented to the called party will appear as if the user was calling from their office line. The service allows organizations to consolidate costs and accounting information via call detail records (CDR). The mobility features of CUCM 6.0 are covered in more detail in the CUCM 6.x and 7.x SRNDs (www.cisco.com/go/srnd). Since the CUCM 7.x SRND is almost 1,100 pages, you will probably want to go directly to the Cisco Mobility Applications chapter which covers all of the mobility services. We’ll continue our softkey phone feature discussion in the next blog. Feel free to ask questions and collaborate. What’s your experience with these mobility applications?