Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (CME)

SBCS-Expert2 · ‎11-25-2008

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is now on Facebook - Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express

Introduction

Simple, Affordable All-In-One Communications.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express provides call processing for Cisco Unified IP phones for small-office or branch-office environments. It enables the large portfolio of Cisco integrated services routers to deliver unified communications features that are commonly used by business users to meet the voice and video communications requirements of the small or medium-sized office. Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express allows the deployment of a cost-effective, highly reliable communications system using a single device with Cisco IOS® Software.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express provides the following benefits:

A cost-effective, converged data and voice solution inside Cisco Integrated Services Routers
Key system and small PBX features plus innovative convergence applications for up to 450 users
Increased user productivity with Cisco Unified CallConnector for Microsoft Office, a presence-based Windows application that gives users call control, location, and status of other users
Single number reach function, which can forward incoming business calls to mobile or home phones based on user-specified call handling rules
An intuitive GUI for easy installation; adds, moves, and changes
Internetworking with Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Industry-leading investment protection for future growth

Now you can scale IP telephony functionality to a small site or branch office with Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, a solution in a single appliance that is low-cost, reliable, full-featured, and simple to deploy, administer, and maintain.

Cisco Live 2009 - Unified Communications Enterprise Branch Demo Booth (Communications Manager Express and Cisco Unity Express)

CME 8.1 is scheduled to be released on July 31st, 2010 with IOS 15.1.2(T) - Stay Tuned

CME/SRST 8.1 Preview

Latest News on January 16, 2009

NEW: UC Express product portfolio receives 4 Stars from Current Analysis

"The enhancements in Unified Communications Manager Express 7.0, include: support for presence

and Cisco Contact Center Express, introduction of the CallConnector Productivity Suite, the 1861 ISR,

enhancements in the areas of security messaging, and new software licensing and product bundling initiatives.

Express 7.0, because the release adds presence tools to the SME PBX’s applications set, as well as introduces

new hardware options and enhancements that strengthen the platform’s customer care, messaging and security

capabilities. Customers and partners will find a more robust communications solution with Cisco’s latest release."

Cisco receives Product Leadership Awards - Cisco Communications Manager Express

CME 8.0 is now available with IOS 15.1.1T

CME 8.0 provides new features such as allowing multiple music-on-hold (MOH) streams to be sourced from router flash. It also provides support for new low cost 6900 series IP phones. CME 8.0 also provides a new Unified Communications Express Services Interface application programming interface (API) that facilitates development of computer telephony integration between Cisco Unified CME and third party applications to enable call monitoring, call control, and call provisioning with any Cisco Unified CME Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) endpoint.

CME 8.0 Data Sheet - http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6788/vcallcon/ps4625/data_sheet_c78-567246.html

New CME 7.0.1 Localization Packages - As of November 1, 2008, we have added an enhanced localization package for all the currently supported phones and languages. The main benefit of the new CME 7.0.1 localization package is that simplifies the process of adding a localization language to CME and reduces the install and configuration time. Instructions for installing the new localization package can be found at: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucme/admin/configuration/guide/cmelocal.html

Starting with CME/SRST 7.0.1, customers can now deploy CME and SRST with Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF). Virtualization is a technique for hiding the physical characteristics of computing resources from the way in which other systems, applications, or end users interact with those resources. This includes making a single physical resource (such as a server, an operating system, an application, storage device, or network) appear to function as multiple logical resources; or it can include making multiple physical resources (such as storage devices or servers) appear as a single logical resource.

More info here: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucme/vrf/design/guide/vrfDesignGuide.html

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express RSS Feeds

General Information

Compatibility Information

CME/IOS Compatibility Matrix - CME 7.1 is now available for early adopters with IOS 12.4(22)YB. For more information, please review the "Cisco Unified CME and Cisco IOS Software Version Compatibility Matrix"

CME Feature Map - For a list of features available with each CME version, a system administrator can refer to the CME feature history map.

CME History Feature Matrix January 2009

CME Configuration Tool

The Cisco Configuration Professional team is excited to announce the availability of the latest release of the product - CCP v2.3.

Background

CCP is an intuitive device management GUI for VARs or end-customers to configure Cisco ISRs with reduced cost and increased confidence and ease. CCP simplifies Router, Security, Unified Communications, Wireless, WAN and LAN configuration through GUI-based easy-to-use wizards. The workflows in CCP help Cisco partners to quickly and easily deploy a Cisco router.

CCP Feature Highlights:

Some of the feature highlights include:

Voice:

Voice system features - B-ACD,Paging groups, adhoc/meet-me conferencing, intercom, after hours, call park,..
Users/phones/extensions - speed dial, multiple lines per phone, hunt and pickup groups, dual line, call forward,..
Voicemail - Voicemail initialization, mailbox options,..
TDM trunks - T1-PRI, single-line TDM trunk (BRI, DID, and FXO),..
Dial plan - Class of restriction, incoming/outgoing dial plans, translation rules and profiles,..
Multisite deployment - H.323 and SIP voice-over-IP (VoIP) parameters,..
Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST) - MGCP or SIP or H.323 protocol support.

Useful Links:

CCP v2.3 is available today as a free download for all ISRs & ISR-G2's at http://www.cisco.com/go/ciscocp

Security Best Practices

CME Toll Fraud Prevention Technical White Paper -- It is highly recommended that Value Added Resellers (VAR)s and Systems Engineers (SE)s implement the security measures described in this application note to provide additional levels of security control and reduce the possibility of toll fraud.

Cisco Unified Communications Express Security Best Practices-- Additionally, it is higly recommended that VARs and SEs review the Communications Manager Express Solution Reference Network Design (SRND) Guide and implement the security best practices.

CME Localization

CME localization matrix - As of CME 4.3/7.0, we have added several new languages that will be supported with the CME localization packages. More information can be found at the CME localization page.

New CME Localization Packages - As of July 2008, we have added localization support for the new 7942/45, 7962/65, 7975 phones. Be sure to use the 4.1.0.2 locale package to support the new phones.

New CME 7.0.1 Localization Packages - As of November 1, 2008, we have added an enhanced localization package for all the currently supported phones and languages. The main benefit of the new CME 7.0.1 localization package is that it simplifies the process of adding a localization language to CME and reduces the installation and configuration time. Instructions for installing the new localization package can be found at: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucme/admin/configuration/guide/cmelocal.html

Design Considerations

CME SRND Guide - CME Service Reference Network Design (SRND) guide provides design considerations and guidelines for deploying Cisco Unified CallManager Express (Cisco Unified CME) in the context of standalone or distributed call control environments.

Product Literature

Presentations

ISR UC Bundles Presentation

Brochures

Case Studies

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express Case Studies

Data Sheets

External Configuration Guides

Technical White Papers

Cisco Unified Communications Express Labs

The labs in the following sections are provided by the Cisco UC Express team to help SEs and partners configure CME/CUE features in a lab environment to understand its capabilities.

First Look Presentations and Labs

VODs

Configuring Hardware Conferencing - This CME Tutorial VoD goes through the procedure to set up a CME system to use hardware conferencing capabilities. This VOD includes instructions on how to set up and use both an ad-hoc and meet-me conference.

CME 7921 Push-To-Talk - This CME Tutorial VoD goes through the procedure to enable Push-to-Talk capabilities on a CME system using a 7921 IP Phone.

Implementing IP Phones - This SBCS lab guides you through setting up the SBCS/Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express ephones.

How to configure line monitor using IOS CLI - This SBCS Tutorial VoD goes through the steps of using IOS CLI to configure the line monitor feature on the UC520. Line monitor feature allows an attendant to see the status of an extension.

How to configure line label using IOS command line interface - This VoD goes through the steps of using IOS CLI to configure the line label feature on the UC520. Use line label feature to label a line to display a more meaningful string on the phone such as person's name.

How to configure shared line using IOS command line interface - This SBCS Tutorial VoD goes through the steps of using IOS CLI to configure the shared line on the UC520. Use shared line feature to allow multiple phones to share the same extension number and ring when that extension is called.

Software Download

CME Forced Authorization Code files - this TCL script is not TAC supported.

CME Forced Authorization TCL Script files

CME Individual Files - use the CME individual files to add individual phone firmware and CME support files. CME Individual Files
CME TAR Files - Each TAR package will include a Readme file which provides the instructions for upgrading the CME - this includes all the commands such as tftp-server, load statements, etc. The cme-basic TAR package will contain the most common phone loads (7940/60, 7941/61, 7906/11, 7921, 7936) and the CME GUI files, while the cme-full package will contain all phone loads, CME GUI files, Ringtones, and Background images, and BACD prompts. CME TAR Files

Contact the CME Product Team

For general CME product related questions, please contact the Cisco Product team. CME product questions

For feedback on CCP, please mail ccp-feedback@cisco.com

Please let us know what you think of the page and how we can improve it -- CME product team

alissitz · ‎01-22-2010

Awesome update! Many thanks!

Alfred Sette · ‎04-16-2010

Thanks Tony for this resource! I have a question. I would post to the forum, but I also thought I should present it here.

The datasheet states "After the first rebuild of Cisco IOS Software Release 15.0(1)M, the 250 and 350 phone count will be supported." Is that released yet? If not, can we share an approximate date?

Tony Huynh · ‎04-18-2010

Using Cisco IOS 15.1.1T, CME 8.0 will be supported on the 2900 and 3900 series routers, along with the 2800 and 3800 series routers. With this new IOS, the 3925 will support 250 phones and the 3945 will support 350 phones. Also just recently announced, the new Cisco 3925E and 3945E ISR routers are now available. The new 3925E will support 400 phones while the 3945E will support 450 phones.

LSOTOGPDC · ‎04-30-2010

Thanks, but all IP phone requeried licenses, for CCME?

Tony Huynh · ‎04-30-2010

I'm not sure I understand your question or comment? Are you asking for specific information?

Alfred Sette · ‎05-11-2010

We're having trouble deciphering two critical procedures for a customer requiring a CME upgrade from 4 to 8 on an existing 2800/3800 ISR:

1) How to properly spec an order for an IOS upgrade for CME from 4 to CME 8 on a 2800 series ISR.

2) What the procedure is to execute this upgrade in the field (e.g. PAK or IOS 15 image reload)

The customer has Smartnet support on the system. It is currently properly licensed for CME and CUE.

I'm reading through the CME ordering guide but would love to get some additional clarity on how this works.

Tony Huynh · ‎05-11-2010

If the customer has SmartNet, then they are covered for IOS upgrades and thus CME upgrades. Please make sure that there is enough memory to upgrade to CME 8.0, which requires 512MB to run on most routers.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucme/requirements/guide/cme80spc.htm

With a smartnet contract, they simply have to download the IOS that runs CME 8.0 and upgrade the phone firmware.

Shankar Ramachandran · ‎05-24-2010

Cisco Configuration Professional (CCP) v2.2, device manager for the ISR & ISR-G2's, is now available for download from www.cisco.com/go/ciscocp. CCP is an GUI tool for VARs or end-customers to configure Unified Communications (CME, SRST, CUE) features on Cisco's access routers.

Alfred Sette · ‎07-12-2010

Quick question - has the Call Accounting format changed from CME 4, 7, and now 8?

Last time I checked, the code points and format have not changed. However, in order to support exiting integrations, we need need to investigate.

Thanks for any affirmation.

feisalb · ‎07-21-2010

I have just installed ios 15.1T on a 2801. I can't see any cme files to download from the cisco website. The latest cme files are 12.4. Where can I find these files?

I am using this router in the lab, do I need licenses to enable cme or are there some nfr licenses I can use?