Ask the Expert: Jabber for Windows 9.2 - Configuration and Features

[ciscomoderator]

With Maqsood Mushtaq

Welcome to the Cisco Support Community Ask the Expert conversation. This is an opportunity to learn how to install, configure, and troubleshoot Cisco Jabber for Windows 9.2 with Cisco engineer Maqsood Mushtaq. With Cisco Jabber for Windows 9.2, you can now define multiple comma-separated values to filter search queries, use different product modes, and set up secure audio and video traffic. In this session, you’ll learn what requirements are necessary in order to set up the client properly and new features in this release.

Maqsood Mushtaq is a software engineer at Cisco in the Clients and Mobility Business Unit in Galway. He has provided support/bug fixes for Cisco Unified Personal Communicator (UPC) 8.x and Cisco Unified Communications Integration for Microsoft Office Communicator/Lync. Currently he supports Cisco Jabber for Windows. This includes setup, configuration, tracking customer feedback, and maintenance releases. He has over three and a half years of experience in working with Cisco Unified Communications applications, including work as a developer on visual voicemail for Cisco IP phones, Cisco Phone Designer, and Cisco UPC 8.x. He also has worked with Java MIDlets, C#, .NET, Windows Presentation Foundation, and InstallShield.

Remember to use the rating system to let Maqsood know if you have received an adequate response. 

Maqsood might not be able to answer each question due to the volume expected during this event. Remember that you can continue the conversation on the Collaboration, Voice and Video sub-community   discussion forum shortly after the event. This event lasts through June 14, 2013. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other community members.

[tenaro.gusatu.novici]

Hi there,

it will be great if you can start this session by giving us some overview of what actually is this product, i.e. how it relates to CUP client and/or Tandberg Movi client and/or CIPC. Also, any chance we can know what to expect in near future?

Cheers,

Tenaro

[Muhammad Maqsood Mushtaq]

Hi,

Jabber for Windows provides very flexible deployment options supporting both cloud and on premise deployment models with a single client. This flexibility allows a customer to deploy Jabber instant  messages, presence and contact search using the infrastructure model which best supports their business. Customer also has the choice to deploy in IM-only mode, Phone-only mode or full UC deployment. Jabber for Windows is also the client evolution path for users currently using Cisco Unified Personal Communicator (CUPC) and Cisco Webex Connect. 

Jabber provides a strong set of instant messaging features including point to point chat, group chat, emoticons, screen capture and file  transfer. The administrator can control access to features and can implement compliance requirements for client and server logging.

The voice and video features of the client enable seamless communication with many different types of end points, be they registered to communication manager, telepresence rooms or even 3^rd party equipment using Jabber’s standards based architecture.

Jabber for Windows leverages the Cisco Precision video engine (PVE)  to deliver a high quality business video experience. Jabber’s visual voicemail integrates with Cisco Unity connection to allow users to listen to voice messages directly in the Jabber client and easily return calls.

Jabber for Windows also provides collaboration features to perform desktop sharing to both Jabber clients and other telepresence endpoints.

Whether you’re using Jabber on premise or in its cloud configuration you can escalate chat and conversations into the full collaborative environment of Cisco WebEx Meeting center. Using Meeting center escalation you can host meetings, share content and use the many feature of the WebEx meeting service.

Jabber fully integrates to the Microsoft Office suite allowing you to see presence within applications like Outlook, Word and Excel. You can use the native Microsoft communication controls to  initiate both point to point and multiparty chat and voice/video sessions directly from office applications. The Jabber integration is also extended to Microsoft Sharepoint exposing Jabber communication functions within its browser interface.

Note: Unlike CUPC or CUCILync, there is no separate Click2Call plugin bundled with the installer.

Further details can be found in the admin guide.

Near tearm road map items (subject to change) include following features:

1. Collaboration Edge

2. Service Discovery

3. URI Dialing

4. Personel Contacts

5. Group chat invite

6. Group chat rostering

7. Multidomain Support

8. UE Enhancements

9. Seamless Cloud Failover

Thanks,

Maqsood

[tenaro.gusatu.novici]

Thanks Maqsood,

for very detailed email. As I'm more an engineer type and less sales/marketing guy I'll appreciate if you can clarify some of the data you mentioned above:

- Can I use Jabber 9.2 as a standalone SIP client, i.e. without need to register to some "call-agent" like CUCM or CUPC?

- Will Jabber 9.2 work in environments where CUCM is the only UC server or I still must have CUP server (or whatever new name is) to establish basic audio call with another Cisco IP phone?

- When talking about PVE and "high quality business video" does it mean full HD support (1080p)?

- Is Jaber 9.2 using XMPP for IM and SIP for voice/video or there are some other protocols involved?

Cheers,

Tenaro

[Muhammad Maqsood Mushtaq]

Hi Tenaro,

- Can I use Jabber 9.2 as a standalone SIP client, i.e. without need to register to some "call-agent" like CUCM or CUPC?

• No, CUCM is required for telephony features.

-   Will Jabber 9.2 work in environments where CUCM is the only UC server   or I still must have CUP server (or whatever new name is) to establish   basic audio call with another Cisco IP phone?

• You can use Jabber for Windows in Phone-mode to work with  CUCM. CUP server is not required when Jabber is deployed in Phone-only  mode

- When talking about PVE and "high quality business video" does it mean full HD support (1080p)?

• Yes. More information is available in "Performance Expectation for Bandwidth" section in admin guide.

- Is Jaber 9.2 using XMPP for IM and SIP for voice/video or there are some other protocols involved?

• That is correct. There are other protocols involved depending on the type of deployment and services. See "Deployment Options" for detail of other protocols.

Thanks,

Maqsood

[charlesgv]

Hi Maqsood,

I would like to know what features has changed from the 9.1 version to the 9.2 version? For instance, about the Desktop Sharing feature, are there any improvements with the new version i.e. will it work in deskphone mode now? Does it still work on the BFCP protocol only or can we start a sharing session from a chat screen as well?

Thanks,

[Muhammad Maqsood Mushtaq]

Hi,

Jabber for Windows 9.2.0 includes following new features:

• Phone Mode
• Secure Phone (SRTP)
• Silent Monitoring and Call Recording Capabilities
• Accessory Manager API
• Cisco Unity Connection REST Interface
• Docked Window
• User Custom Embedded Tabs
• Supported Languages
• Installation Arguments
• Configuration Parameters

Details of these features can be found in 9.2.0 release notes.

Desktop sharing is still not supported in deskphone mode. Support of Desktop sharing for CUCM IM/P users when not on an active call is being targetted for Q4 CY13.

In hybrid cloud-based deployments, both Cisco WebEx and Cisco Unified Communications Manager provide desktop sharing functionality.

• If users initiate desktop sharing sessions during an instant messaging session, Cisco WebEx provides desktop sharing capabilities.
• If users initiate desktop sharing sessions during an audio or video conversation, Cisco Unified Communications Manager provides desktop sharing capabilities.

Thanks,

Maqsood

[KT4RJN]

Hi,

We are running Jabber 9.2, and with many of our users working outside our main headquarters office on Remote Access Servers via RDP, the new top drop down tab makes Jabber useful for them. It was a very welcome added feature for us.

One thing I have yet to hash out is the dialing rules for making external calls from Outlook. When I click on the call button once selecting the number from the outlook contact, it initializes the Jabber phone call, and dials the number as sent from Outlook. Is there a way to prepend a 9 on external calls from outlook in order to make outbound calls work from Outlook?

adding a 9 in front of outlook contacts is just not an option for us, because that would then change the numbers on mobile devices as well reaking all kinds of havoc.

I remember we ran into this issue several years ago when installing our Cisco IP system. I was completely new to Cisco at the time, and do not remember what we changed, or even if that fix would apply here.

Thanks,

- Jonathan Beardsley

[Muhammad Maqsood Mushtaq]

Hi Jonathan,

Have you configured dial plane mapping in CUCM? You could add a dial rule according to the the number format and specify a digit that you need to prepend.

Thanks,

Maqsood

[KT4RJN]

Nope. Sure haven't. I'm looking into this now. Thanks Maqsood! I'll let you know if I have further questions.

- Jonathan Beardsley

[KT4RJN]

My Application Dial Rules were correct. However, I had to download the cop file from a CUPC installation version, and load it to my TFTP servers and restart TFTP Service. After performing those steps, I was able to exit, and open Jabber and call via Outlook externally.

Thanks for the help!

- Jonathan Beardsley

[chris.burns]

Hi Maqsood,

We are currently deploying Jabber for Windows 9.2.1 Build 606 as are coming up against a few issues with DeskPhone mode for Jabber Video.

As per most of the documentation out there we have completed the relevant configuration parameters and from the Jabber client itself it advises DeskPhone and DeskPhone video are both ok (Green Tick) but from the client when you select the "Start My Video" button nothing happens, the audio is being presented correctly out of deskphone.

The media services interface has also been installed on the workstations and the service itself is running.

We found an open bug CSCug89903 but the workaround was not vailid as we were already a local admin on the workstation

Using the Jabber softphone the video works fine

Any ideas?

Cheers

ChrisB

[Muhammad Maqsood Mushtaq]

Hi Chris,

If you have already followed/checked all the steps mentioned in "Configure Desk Phone Video" section, then I would suggest to open a TAC case for further assistance.

Thanks,

Maqsood

[ampm_25]

Maqsood,

Can you tell us what is expected in the short term release of Jabber, such as targeted new features for Q4 CY'13 and beyond.  It would also be nice to know what are the targeted things in maintenance releases leading up to v10.

Thanks in advance,

Arras

[Muhammad Maqsood Mushtaq]

Hi Arras,

I have mentioned the near term items in an earlier post. It is not possible for me to mention any thing related to maintenance releases as it very much depends on the defects priorities.

Thanks,

Maqsood