Re: UCCX and Webex Teams/Jabber

Jason Amick · ‎01-07-2021

Wanted to start a discussion and get some guidance on using webex teams softphone for our contact center agents and see if anyone is doing this successfully. Our current remote agents use CIPC and we are looking for a replacement and it would normally be jabber. From research and discussions with our local Cisco reps it looks like some of CIsco UC product lines are merging into a single APP call just "Webex". For example webex teams, jabber, and webex meetings will no longer be independent apps but under the name webex app or just webex. The UCCX compatability matrix does show support for webex teams.

The history of looking at webex teams now instead of jabber as a replacement for the IP Communicator is because our contact center agents currently float and use extension mobility, which jabber does not support. Does anyone know if the webex teams softphone supports extension mobility? I realize an agent on jabber or webex teams can work both in the office and at home but without extension mobility and the supported configurations for agents they would not be able to seamlessly switch between the softphone client and a deskphone without extension mobility because their IPCC extension can only live on a single device. To my understanding both jabber and webex teams register to UCM via SIP as a CSF device. CSFs do not have the ability to add the extension mobility service as an CIPC and a deskphone. Please let me know if you can provide any additional information or if I need to clarify anything. I have looked online and have found little technical references. Thanks!!

jim-j · ‎01-08-2021

I can't speak to the Webex client, however the replacement of CIPC will not be with Extension Mobility. Instead you'll need to upgrade UCCX to 12.5.1 SU1 which adds the ability for an agent to select the device they use for taking call center calls. I believe 12.5.1 SU1 is due out in Q1 2021. Info about 12.5.1 SU1 can be found at the 5:30 mark of this Cisco Live session:
https://www.ciscolive.com/global/on-demand-library.html#/video/1594749626021001ixof

At 9:45 they talk about how an agent can select their phone, for example desk phone or Jabber softphone.

Jason Amick · ‎01-08-2021

Jim:

Thanks for the response and for the Cisco live video. Just to clarify in order for an agent to be able to float between WFH and in the office using a deskphone using an alternative softphone other than CIPC we would need to upgrade UCCX to 12.5.1 SU1 correct? For example the agent can have a deskphone with IPCC extension 3000 and also have a secondary device such as jabber/CSF which also has its IPCC extension of 3000 then they would just select the device they are currently using at the Finesse login screen?

jim-j · ‎01-08-2021

@Jason Amick wrote:
Just to clarify in order for an agent to be able to float between WFH and in the office using a deskphone using an alternative softphone other than CIPC we would need to upgrade UCCX to 12.5.1 SU1 correct? For example the agent can have a deskphone with IPCC extension 3000 and also have a secondary device such as jabber/CSF which also has its IPCC extension of 3000 then they would just select the device they are currently using at the Finesse login screen?

Yes, upgrade is required. How you describe how it will work matches my understanding, but until it's released and I actually configure this I can't be certain Cisco's reality matches my own.

Jason Amick · ‎01-08-2021

So without that feature and upgrade there is no way for an agent in UCCX current versions to be able to float and use a deskphone and CSF/softphone unless it was a combination of IP communicator/deskphone with extension mobility? The key here is we are trying to give our agents a replacement for the IP communicator and also give them the same ability to use a deskphone like they do today. However it looks like if we were to replace the agents CIPC device with jabber or another softphone then EM is not an option and they have to always use the softphone no matter where they are working, at least until Cisco releases 12.5.1 SU1. Thanks again!!

jim-j · ‎01-08-2021

@Jason Amick wrote:
The key here is we are trying to give our agents a replacement for the IP communicator and also give them the same ability to use a deskphone like they do today.

That's the same situation we're in. We're waiting/hoping that the upcoming 12.5.1 SU1 solution works well.