Jabber for Windows or CUPC Support for Microsoft VDI

[garethkirby]

Can anyone confirm if Jabber for Windows or CUPC is supported within a Microsoft VDI environment, or whether there is a roadmap for future support?

My customer is moving most users (approx. 2000) to Microsoft VDI.

In this case the users will have IP desk phones, so only require the Presence/IM/Desk phone control features – not necessarily the voice/video softphone parts.

The following CUPS client VDI support is specified in the relevant datasheets and release notes, but none of them mention Microsoft VDI:

• CUPC is supported within VMware View 4.5 and Citrix XenDesktop 4.0 environments.
• Jabber is supported within Citrix XenDesktop 5.0 or 5.5 Citrix XenApp 5.5 or 6.0 Enterprise Edition for Windows 2008 R2 64-bit, published desktop.
• CUCiLync does not specify any VDI support.

So, the questions are:

1. Is there a roadmap for Jabber for Windows to support Microsoft VDI in the future?
2. Is there any other solution now? (Cannot use VXC clients because they don’t support Microsoft VDI either)
3. Is perhaps Microsoft VDI support not specified in the datasheets because the clients are considered to be running on a standard Windows desktop, from a technical point of view?

Unless I can find a solution, the customer may have to deploy Microsoft Lync for Presence and IM, and configure RCC for desk phone control.

Also, does anyone have any experience that CUPC or Jabber for Windows will actually work OK with Microsoft VDI, even though it may not be officially supported by Cisco?

Thanks for any advice.

Gareth

Message was edited on April 19, 2013:  Lisa Marcyes from the Cisco Collaboration Community Team added community category and tags for greater ease in filtering (no change to content).

[jocostel]

Support for Microsoft VDI will not be supported with CUPC but is on the backlogfor Jabber for Windows.

However, we have yet not committed a release of Jabber for Windows for such support.

Can you please respond with additional specifics (relevant version numbers etc...) ?

Thanks,

John

[georgediavatis]

Sorry to latch onto your post Gareth but continuing the theme of virtualised desktop support.

Is there an estimated release date for Jabber for Windows with support for VMware View?

[sglenn]

Are there any updates on whether or not the CUPC and or Jabber are yet to be supported on Microsoft VDI?

[r.pennington]

+1 - and also the current support on Citrix too with Jabber for Windows 9.1.

[skilambi]

Are you referring to this? Of course for full UC experience you have to look at VXC. 6215 supports Jabber in UC mode

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/jabber/Windows/9_0_1/b_jabber_win_icg_chapter_01.html

Virtual Environments

Cisco Jabber for Windows supports the following:

• Citrix XenDesktop 5.0
• Citrix XenDesktop 5.5
• Citrix XenApp 5.0 Feature Pack 3 Enterprise Edition for Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 64 bit, published desktop
• Citrix XenApp 6.0 Enterprise Edition for Windows 2008 R2 64 bit, published desktop
• Citrix XenApp 6.5 Enterprise Edition for Windows 2008 R2 64 bit, published desktop

•   VMWare View Connection Manager 4.6.1.640196 with 
  • VMWare Agent 5.0
  • VMWare Client 4.6.1
•   VMWare View Connection Manager 5.1.0704644 with 
  • VMWare Agent 5.1.0704644
  • VMWare Client 5.1.0704644

Cisco Jabber for Windows supports the following functionality in virtual environments: 

• Instant messaging and presence
• Desk phone control

Thanks

Srini

[r.pennington]

Yeah just wondering if there was anything new for companies, those 99% that don't use Cisco VDI today . I see that Lync 2013 has some native development going on with Citrix and could be a good selling point for them.

[skilambi]

Yep already raised that issue today with the VXC BU today ☺

The issue is you have to terminate audio/video stack locally and so both Lync and Cisco have their stance. Cisco is using the 2100/2200/6215 to terminate audio/video locally especially the 6215.

Lync is using their Lync VDI connector to redirect audio/video locally through Citrix.

Of course Cisco has been doing it longer

PRO for Lync

HW independent(looks like it from reading articles)

Pro for Cisco

End to end solution(tested design guides right from the DC to the endpoint)

Video. This is unknown for Lync. Citrix is licensing their RT Video codec which is proprietary but in 2013 Lync announces support for SVC which again may not be standards based. Jabber with 6215 will support 720 standards based video which is a big plus

CC support. This is where Lync has no story and if Cisco blesses finesse quickly with 6215 it will be a killer.

Thanks

Srini

[r.pennington]

Cheers, thanks for the insight.

[mukeshsingh@hcl.com]

Hi Srini,

We have a requirement where customer is already running Citrix Xenapp 6.5 and Xendesktop 5.6 over Dell Wyse T10 (Thin Client) and lync 2010 for IM and Presence.

We are proposing Cisco UC solution over there want to confirm Following:

·       Over above Infra can we deploy CUCILync / Jabber  for IM, presence and Deskphone Control

Or

·     Remote Call control integration (CUCM and Lync 2010) is the only solution.

Thanks, Sarthak

[skilambi]

Jabber is supported in deskphone control in these enviroments below

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/jabber/Windows/9_1/JABW_BK_CA48EE46_00_cisco-jabber-for-windows-administration_chapter_01.html

If you plan to run in soft phone mode then today it is supported on the  6215 and soon in the future on Wyse Z50D

http://newsroom.cisco.com/release/1128816

CUCI Lync is supported in 6215

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/vxc/english/vxc_6215_1-0/rn_fw_8.6/6215_uc_fw_rn.pdf

Srini

[mukeshsingh@hcl.com]

Hi Srini,

Thanks for valuable information.

Pls clarify following doubt as well:

Will CUCI-LYNC be a supported integration only for IM, Presence and Deskphone Control feature  over mentioned Virtualized Desktop environment (Citrix Xenapp 6.5 and Xendesktop 5.6 over Dell Wyse T10 (Thin Client)?

Thanks in adv.

[skilambi]

Outside of VXC I am not sure if it is supported. It may work but the issue is TAC support. I would ping Heather Paunet you will see her posts on the community since she heads up this client

Srini

[hpaunet]

Hi,

CUCI-Lync is supported with Citrix  XenDesktop: 4.0, 5.0, or 5.5.

Heather

Product Manager, Cisco Systems

[skilambi]

Heather

Please call this out in the release notes clearly that it is only for desk phone control and not UC which would need VXI

Srini