Cisco IP Communicator EOL

[loden]

Hello, 

I understand that the Cisco IP Communicator is EOS. Based on this: 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/obsolete/collaboration-endpoints/cisco-ip-communicator.html

I just need to know what replacement is available for this solution.

[Shalid Kurunnan Chalil]

Hi There,

The Cisco Jabber (reference: On-Premises Deployment for Cisco Jabber 14.0 - Configuration and Installation Workflows [Cisco Jabber for Android] - Cisco)

or you can go for Webex App for Unified CM (Deployment guide for Calling in Webex App (Unified CM) - Prepare your environment for Calling in Webex App (Unified CM) [Webex App] - Cisco)

Regards, 

[Maren Mahoney]

@Shalid Kurunnan Chalil correctly noted the Cisco replacements for the CIPC, note that they are applications and not 'phones' like the CIPC is. While Cisco has set CIPC to EOS some years ago, Cisco still supports it and will likely continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Cisco uses CIPC in their own labs in digital and ILT courseware as it is a 'phone' and not an app.

While you should look to the future for new deployments and upgrades, there is no rush to remove CIPC from your environment if your users rely on CIPC features not available in Jabber or Webex.

Maren

[Jonathan Schulenberg]

"Support" is a strong word choice. Cisco hasn't forcibly deprecated CIPC in CUCM/CME, so it can still register, but there is zero support from TAC for it. CIPC also runs on a Java runtime which I believe Oracle expects customers to license for commercial use now.

I respectfully disagree with Maren on this one: rip CIPC out of your production environment as soon as is feasible. Webex app is the recommended replacement. Jabber will continue to be supported & actively developed in the near term; however, you should expect it to also be sunset once Cisco releases air gap support in the Webex app. I cannot discuss product roadmap & timing details here as it requires an NDA. It costs Cisco more money to develop and support Jabber & Webex apps concurrently; the financial incentive to consolidate into one is clear.

Reminder: This is only my opinion and recommendation. If you want an authoritative statement from Cisco, you should be asking your account team.

[Nithin Eluvathingal]

Other peers have already provided suggestions on your query. My perspective is that if you’re in an Airgap setup, you should transition from CIPC to Jabber.

If you’re not in an Aigap setup, consider moving to the Webex app.

When opting webex app For a better user experience with the Webex app, Single Sign-On (SSO) is hihgly recommended. Otherwise, users would need two separate logins - one for Webex and another for the phone service.

In essence, the configuration for Jabber and the Webex app on the CUCM remains the same as they both utilize the same TCT, BOT, CSF profiles. However, for the Webex app, additional configurations on the Control Hub are necessary for users to log into the cloud-based Webex app.

An additional aspect to consider is the activation of push notifications for both Jabber and the Webex app. Without this feature enabled, users on mobile devices may not receive notifications when the apps are operating in the background.

With Cloud-connected UC, you can utilize the auto-provisioning feature of the Webex App for Calling in Webex (Unified CM). This feature in the Control Hub enables users to self-provision their devices for Calling in Webex (Unified CM) with little to no intervention.

There are numerous TAC videos available on YouTube that provide guidance on setting up Jabber on CUCM.