Cisco
Cisco UC 8.5 offers a full UC suite, as
well as a broad range of additional communication functions. Key parts of the
UC suite include Cisco Unified Communications Manager; Cisco Jabber, which
includes the desktop client; Cisco Unity Connection; Cisco Unified Presence;
Cisco Unified Videoconferencing; Cisco Client Services Framework; and a broad
range of client and device options. Cisco offers significant portions of its
software on VMware, which can now operate under the Cisco UCS servers and other
qualified servers. Cisco also offers additional communication and collaboration
functionality, notably its contact center products, its Quad collaboration
portal and the Cius tablet. Cisco partners offer CEBP applications.
Evaluate Cisco UC solutions when you have
or plan to acquire Cisco for key voice and conferencing functions. However,
ensure that any expected interoperability with other vendor products, as well
as among your existing or planned Cisco products, is available. Users should
also ensure that their system integrator (SI) has experience with similar UC
deployments.
Strengths
- The Cisco 8.5 release provides a fully
integrated UC suite. Although the number of full suites deployed is limited,
Gartner expects the number of enterprises deploying the full UC suite to
increase.
- Major enhancements during the
last year include the completion of the Tandberg acquisition and improved
integration across video portfolio, the release of the Jabber client and
related IM and presence services, expanded mobile UC functionality for a broad
range of devices, and a clarification of on-premises and WebEx service-based
conferencing offerings.
- Cisco's telephony and data
infrastructure client base, along with its strong global channel, services and
SI partners, position it well within enterprise UC buying and decision-making
groups, including many IT and operations departments.
- Cisco's UC solution for
service providers, known as Hosted Collaboration Suite (HCS), is based on the
same software as its UC 8.5 offering. This provides R&D synergy, as well as
potential opportunities for hybrid, on-premises and service-based offerings.
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