CA Cisco UC Manager Express
5
Software version 9.0 Primary target market Enterprise Branch Office • UC Manager Express is a very mature product, having been on the market for many years. While this will no longer benefit the product in the SMB market in which it was previously sold, it will contribute to making the platform a stable branch office solution for Cisco’s enterprise customers. • UC Manager Express can be reconfigured to operate as SRST branch office nodes off a centralized Unified Communications Manager call control platform, with UC Manager Express licenses convertible to SRST licenses at no extra cost. • UC Manager Express leverages Cisco’s strong wireless networking and video portfolios to provide an optional integrated wireless LAN access point for voice over WiFi and video-enabled end points for point-to-point video conferencing. • UC Manager Express is highly scalable for a communications platform. Support for up to 450 lines should allow it to meet the needs of organizations on the higher end of the enterprise branch spectrum. • UC Manager Express is no longer sold as Cisco’s communications solution for SMBs, but rather as an adjunct branch office platform for its enterprise offering. Cisco resellers who for years actively sold the product to their SMB customers will need to retrain to sell and support Cisco’s Business Edition line of platforms, and gradually transition their customers to the new systems. • UC Manager Express runs on a range of Cisco Integrated Services Routers, each of which has specific scalability limitations. Businesses outgrowing the model they have deployed will need to purchase and install a new hardware platform for greater scalability. • UC Manager Express is based on a proprietary operating system rather than on Linux, like a number of rival products in the market for communications solutions. Linux is generally favored as an OS for communications systems because it is comparatively stable platform and cost- effective to deploy. • UC Manager Express has no integrated corporate IM and presence server. This does not compare well against rival platforms in the enterprise branch space that include IM and IM presence as part of the platform. Product Assessment: Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express Report Date: July 06, 2012 Analyst: Riggs, Brian Service: Hot Topics , Business Technology and Software Market: Unified Communications & Collaboration , Unified Communications and Contact Center Class: Business Communications Solutions Summary Current Perspective Vulnerable Vulnerable The Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is vulnerable in the market for communications platforms for SMBs. Its software runs on Cisco 1800, 2900, and 3900 Series Integrated Services Routers, can scale up to 450 IP lines, and is based on a proprietary operating system. Communications applications and functionality included on the platform include firewall and VPN, data connectivity via gigabit Ethernet switch and software-based router, voice mail, auto attendant, basic automatic call distribution software, mobility (single number reach), IVR, eight-party ad hoc and 32-party meet-me audio conferencing, and point-to-point video telephony on Cisco Unified IP Phone 9951, 9971, and 8961 terminals. Such a range of integrated software makes it easy and cost-effective for businesses and the reseller that support them to deploy and maintain the solution. Available November 2011, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express 9.0 added support for single number reach and paging for SIP phones and improved support for shared lines between SCCP and SIP phones and native video telephony features to SIP-based endpoints. However, Unified Communications Manager Express is no longer being positioned as a communication platform for SMBs. Rather, Cisco’s Business Edition series has become Cisco’s go-to-market platform for SMBs seeking a unified communications solution. Now relegated to a branch office solution for Unified Communications Manager systems deployed in the enterprise, Unified Communications Manager Express no longer directly competes against rival communications platforms. Existing Unified Communications Manager Express customers will likely need to transition off of the platform in time as the resellers who support them cease to actively sell and support the product. This is likely to disrupt Cisco’s position in the SMB market. Strengths and Weaknesses Metrics Business Communications Solutions Strengths Weaknesses
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CA Cisco UC Manager Express
Transcript of CA Cisco UC Manager Express
Softwareversion
9.0
Primary targetmarket
Enterprise Branch Office
• UC Manager Express is a very mature product, havingbeen on the market for many years. While this w ill nolonger benefit the product in the SMB market in which itwas previously sold, it w ill contribute to making theplatform a stable branch office solution for Cisco’senterprise customers.
• UC Manager Express can be reconfigured to operate asSRST branch office nodes off a centralized UnifiedCommunications Manager call control platform, w ith UCManager Express licenses convertible to SRST licenses atno extra cost.
• UC Manager Express leverages Cisco’s strong w irelessnetworking and video portfolios to provide an optionalintegrated w ireless LAN access point for voice over W iFiand video-enabled end points for point-to-point videoconferencing.
• UC Manager Express is highly scalable for acommunications platform. Support for up to 450 linesshould allow it to meet the needs of organizations on thehigher end of the enterprise branch spectrum.
• UC Manager Express is no longer sold as Cisco’scommunications solution for SMBs, but rather as an adjunctbranch office platform for its enterprise offering. Ciscoresellers who for years actively sold the product to theirSMB customers w ill need to retrain to sell and supportCisco’s Business Edition line of platforms, and graduallytransition their customers to the new systems.
• UC Manager Express runs on a range of Cisco IntegratedServices Routers, each of which has specific scalabilitylimitations. Businesses outgrow ing the model they havedeployed w ill need to purchase and install a new hardwareplatform for greater scalability.
• UC Manager Express is based on a proprietary operatingsystem rather than on Linux, like a number of rivalproducts in the market for communications solutions. Linuxis generally favored as an OS for communications systemsbecause it is comparatively stable platform and cost-effective to deploy.
• UC Manager Express has no integrated corporate IM andpresence server. This does not compare well against rivalplatforms in the enterprise branch space that include IMand IM presence as part of the platform.
Product Assessment: Cisco Unified Communications Manager ExpressReport Date: July 06, 2012
Analyst: Riggs, Brian
Service: Hot Topics , Business Technology and Software
Market: Unified Communications & Collaboration , Unified Communications and Contact Center
Class: Business Communications Solutions
Summary
Current PerspectiveVulnerableVulnerable
The Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is vulnerable in the market for communications platforms for SMBs. Its software runs onCisco 1800, 2900, and 3900 Series Integrated Services Routers, can scale up to 450 IP lines, and is based on a proprietary operatingsystem. Communications applications and functionality included on the platform include firewall and VPN, data connectivity via gigabitEthernet sw itch and software-based router, voice mail, auto attendant, basic automatic call distribution software, mobility (single numberreach), IVR, eight-party ad hoc and 32-party meet-me audio conferencing, and point-to-point video telephony on Cisco Unified IP Phone9951, 9971, and 8961 terminals. Such a range of integrated software makes it easy and cost-effective for businesses and the reseller thatsupport them to deploy and maintain the solution. Available November 2011, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express 9.0 addedsupport for single number reach and paging for SIP phones and improved support for shared lines between SCCP and SIP phones andnative video telephony features to SIP-based endpoints.
However, Unified Communications Manager Express is no longer being positioned as a communication platform for SMBs. Rather, Cisco’sBusiness Edition series has become Cisco’s go-to-market platform for SMBs seeking a unified communications solution. Now relegated to abranch office solution for Unified Communications Manager systems deployed in the enterprise, Unified Communications Manager Expressno longer directly competes against rival communications platforms. Existing Unified Communications Manager Express customers w ill likelyneed to transition off of the platform in time as the resellers who support them cease to actively sell and support the product. This is likelyto disrupt Cisco’s position in the SMB market.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Metrics
Business Communications Solutions
Strengths Weaknesses
Secondarytarget market
Enterprise branch office
Installed base Approximately 60,000 customers usings Cisco ISR G2(2900/3900)
IP lines percontroller
450
Digital lines percontroller
0
Analog lines percontroller
450
Soft phones percontroller
450
Number ofcontrollers thatcan beinternetworked
No limit
IP lines pernetworkedsystem
No limit
IP trunks percontroller
No limit
Digital trunksper controller
24 per gateway
IP trunks pernetworkedsystem
No limit
Digital trunksper networkedsystem
No limit
Underlyinghardwareplatform(s)
Integrated communications platform
Switch type IPOperatingsystem
Proprietary (Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS))
Proprietaryprotocol
Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP)
SIP trunksupport
Yes
SIP line support YesBHCC/BHCA Not knownMaximumNumber ofSimultaneousCalls
450
COTS option NoData centerserver option
n/a
Routerdeploymentoption
Yes. Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express runs onrouter
Data switchoption
No
Sessionmanagementoption
n/a
Branch officedeployment
Yes
KTSconfigurationoption (SMB PBXonly)
Yes
Voicemail/unifiedmessagingapplication
Unity Express
IM application Unified Call Connector (UCC)Contact centerapplication
Unified Contact Center Express
Scalability
Platform characteristics
Communications Applications
Audioconferencingapplication
Built-in for basic meet-me and ad-hoc conferencing (includesvideo too)
Webconferencingapplication
WebEx (not directly integrated)
OCS/Lyncsupport
No
Sametimesupport
No
Exchange-basedUM
No
Name ofmanagementsoftware
CLI, Cisco Configuration Professional, Cisco ConfigurationEngine , ArcanaNetworks iManage and other partner offerings
SNMP support YesWeb-basedmanagementconsole
Yes
Signalingencryptionbetween IPphones
TLS
Mediaencryptionbetween IPphones
SRTG
Signalingencryptionbetweengateways
TLS
Mediaencryptionbetweengateways
SRTP
Mediaencryption onWiFi end points
SRTP
Mediaencryption onsoft phone
SRTP
Mediaencryption on IMclient
Not known
Nativeencryption
Yes and possible to integrate into separate server as needed
Encryptionstandard/optional
Optional w ith data encryption on router
IP phoneauthentication
Yes
Embeddedfirewall (SMBplatforms only)
Yes
Embedded VPNserver (SMBplatforms only)
Yes
Embeddedintrusionprotectionsoftware (SMBplatforms only)
Yes
Embedded proxyserver (SMBplatforms only)
Yes
Hot standbyoption
No
Warm standbyoption
Optional, via second Cisco router configured as a redundantcall processor
Active/Active Optional, via second Cisco router configured as a redundant
Management
Security
Reliability
(or 1+1)redundancy
call processor
Active/Passive(or N+1)redundancy
Optional, via second Cisco router configured as a redundantcall processor
Automaticfailover betweenredundantservers
Yes
Hot swappablehardware
Yes
Redundantpower supplies
Yes on Cisco and 3900 Series of ISR platforms
Redundant harddrive
N/A
Redundantprocessors
n/a
Redundant callprocessor
Yes for redundant call control. In-built redundant callprocessor is not available.
Local redundantserver
Optional
Geographicredundantserver
Optional
Calls preservedduring failover
Standard
Automatic PSTNfailover
Standard if hardware configuration supports it (multiple PSTNconnections or redundant CME's)
RAID support NoServerclustering option
No
HypervisorSupported
Not an SMB PBX feature
Comms appssupported
n/a in SMB platform
Comms apps notsupported
n/a in SMB platform
VDI softwaresupported
None
Thin clientdevicessupported
None
Comms appssupported viaVDI
None
System list price Approximately $5,195 for lowest-end hardware-softwarebundle
Softwarewarranty
3 months
Hardwarewarranty
1 year
Virtualization
Pricing and Support
This report is tagged to the follow ing vendor(s):Cisco
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