MeetingPlace 8.0 and WebEx

[a.gooding]

Guys,

just doing some labs here on the new MeetingPlace app. Im no guru by any means but im missing something basic and just wanted to clear up. Basically, i have the lab, registered for the demo licenses and everything is installed. Ive installed Meeting Place as well as the Web Server and all is working.

Im not able to have a meeting with full collaboration - desktop sharing and documents etc. The video and the voice is fine.

There is a webex component to configure and based on the design/Srnd documents i need to configure this to allow for sharing. If i configure the WebEx component it seems to work the way i want it to, if i dont, i only have the ability for Audio/Video only.

My question is

1. Do i need WebEx for full collaboration or am i missing something

2. if i do need WebEx, whats the point of meeting place. In that i mean, if i need to desktop share or application share then i still need to subscribe to Webex which is a subscription fee per month. It will also do everything that MeetingPlace does correct?

i always assumed the differnce between MeetingPlace and Webex is that the customer owns MeetingPlace and WebEx is hosted. Therefore, if i need desktop and application sharing, ill need WebEx and ill still have the recurring cost plus the initial meetingplace investment?

Any pointers in the right direction in understanding what im missing would be great. Im almost certain im misinterpreting something so dont flame toooo much

thanks in advance.

[Jonathan Schulenberg · Accepted solution]

Previous releases of MeetingPlace has utilized Adobe Breeze as the web meeting room. This has been replaced with WebEx for the web meeting room only in MeetingPlace 8.0. MeetingPlace is now an alternative to purchasing audio from WebEx. It also adds standards-based video conferencing functionality which WebEx does not provide.

There is a path for customers who require a completely on-premise solution where they can purchase Adobe Breeze and integrate it with MeetingPlace instead of performing the WebEx integration. You should speak to your Cisco Account Manager for additional details. This is only intended for customers who have security requirements where the meeting cannot leave the internal network.

To answer your questions:

1. Do i need WebEx for full collaboration or am i missing something

Yes, you need a WebEx Meeting Center contract for the integration.

2.  if i do need WebEx, whats the point of meeting place. In that i mean,  if i need to desktop share or application share then i still need to  subscribe to Webex which is a subscription fee per month. It will also  do everything that MeetingPlace does correct?

You do not need to purchase WebEx audio services, can reduce PSTN costs as on-net participants can remain on-net, have standards-based video conferencing, and additional integration options with other Cisco UC products.

[a.gooding]

Hi,

thanks for the detailed response.  Learning something new every day

[Jonathan Schulenberg]

Glad to help.

One other detail that is probably worth noting while I am thinking of it: The WebEx node is an OPTIONAL component in MeetingPlace 8.0. All it does is extend the WebEx SaaS cloud into your network. This allows internal meeting participants to attach to the local node for the meeting instead of each user needing to connect separately across the internet to the nearest WebEx data center. The goal here is to lower the impact on your internet connection. If you have lots of bandwidth and/or few internal participants joining the collaboration portion of the meeting, the WebEx node is probably not worth the investment.

[a.gooding]

I think i was also getting a little confused with the Webex and WebEx node. i assumed it was the same thing (dont ask, i have

issues reading SRNDs).

i think ill get the older versions and see what has changed from a practical standpoint so at least ill be able to have a bit more understanding. MeetingPlace Express VT was the only solution im somewhat familar with and i understand that these are no longer there..

[Jonathan Schulenberg]

Correct; MeetingPlace Express and MeetingPlace Express VT will have been merged into MeetingPlace 8.0.  The primary difference between them in previous versions was that the audio/video bridge was a software process in Express and a hardware MCU in full MeetingPlace. This is now an installation option you can choose depending on the feature and scalability requirements.

[Nicholas Sciarrilli]

Jonathan,

Can you clarify what a fully redundant MP 7 and MP 8 design would look like? I understand in MP 8 you can have redundant Application Servers, MCU hardware, and Webex nodes. But the internal and external web servers cannot be redundant? How does the meeting work if there is an internal and external web servers and Webex nodes for MCS? The Webex nodes for MCS are internal servers that connect to Webex through ssl 443?

I am reading the SRND for MP 7 and it says that the web servers can be redundant, 3 internal web servers, and 3 external web servers. But in the SRND for MP 8 it says that internal and external web servers cannot be redundant.

I am just confused as to how the Webex node for MCS fits in to the picture when you have internal and external web servers in MP 8. There are no detailed diagrams in the SRND as to where internal and external clients join to which web servers.

Regards,

Nick Sciarrilli

[ewan.dunlop]

Hello

My understanding with MP8 with Webex node for MCS, is that if you have a CUWL agrement you can get all your internal and external web ports through this and dont need to order directly from Webex therefore meaning you dont need to sign the WebEx contract,

Also head that you need to dimension the number of ports accurately as if you need to order more after the CUWL order, you have to order directly from Webex.

Any idea when the DMPS & IMPS course will be updated to version 8. Product has been out there since March and suprised this has not been arranged by Cisco.

Thanks

Ewan

ewan.dunlop@kcom.com