Solved: Can you upgrade

jcollins3 · ‎10-14-2013

Can you upgrade Cisco TelePresence System Codec C40 TC4.2.0.260857 to TC4.2.4 or is it worth upgrading to TC60.2 and what is the cost?

John

Wayne DeNardi · ‎11-19-2013

Hi John,

Yes, it largely depends on which person you get at the TAC, and some don't believe it's possible and that you need a service contract... you just need to keep telling them they're incorrect and escalate it to their managers if required.

Here's the wording of my successful reqeust:

To: TAC@cisco.com

As per the Security Advisory at http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20130619-tpc, can we please be provided with a free TC6 upgrade key for one of our EX90 Video Conferencing units, serial number xxxxxxxxxxx? The advisory linked above states in the "Customers Without Service Contracts" section under "Obtaining Fixed Software", that "Customers without service contracts should request free upgrades through the TAC."

The ability to obtain the free upgrade to address these security vulnerabilities has been referenced multiple times in the Cisco Support Forums (https://supportforums.cisco.com/community/netpro/collaboration-voice-video/telepresence).

Can you please assist by providing the relevant TC6.1 upgrade key and software.

If they bounce it back to you, quote them the section in the Advisory:

Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC):

•+1 800 553 2447 (toll free from within North America)

•+1 408 526 7209 (toll call from anywhere in the world)

•e-mail: tac@cisco.com

Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade. Customers without service contracts should request free upgrades through the TAC.

If they still refuse to help - get them to forward your service request to the Cisco Global Licensing Operations Team - and refer them to Thomas's (A Cisco employee) response in this thread saying you can do it too.

In short - don't take NO for an answer - you can get the upgrade for free without a service contract - be persistent.

Wayne

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Wayne

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View solution in original post

Ashwani Pande · ‎10-14-2013

Hi John,

If codec is now running on software version TC4.2.0 and you want to upgrade it to TC4.2.4 you can do it with no need of release key.

If you want to upgrade from TC4.2.0 to TC5.X.X or TC6.X.X software version then you need this device to be covered under a service contract so that you can download the release key to do this software upgrade.

You can download TC4.2.4 using the below link.

http://ftp.tandberg.com/pub/software/endpoints/tc/tc4/s52000tc4_2_4.pkg

Hope this helps!!

jcollins3 · ‎10-15-2013

Thank you Ashwani.

All I now have to do is find out the cost of a service contract and convince the Senior Management Team of the need to upgrade to version TC6.X.X? The finance manager is know as scrooge

John

thobonho · ‎10-15-2013

Hi John,

You (and your finance manager) might find this page interesting:

http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20130619-tpc

Basically, because of security holes, you can get TC6.1 for free.

Wayne DeNardi · ‎10-21-2013

You should find the advisory linked by Thomas above (and in other discussions in the forums) is very useful.

You may have to request the FREE upgrade through the TAC a couple of times before you can get it though. It seems to be reliant on the person the call gets allocated to and is not a consitent approach throughout Cisco.

If your first try doesn't work - don't give up! Request the free upgrade again.

Note: For on-going software updates, you will however require a service contract, so it is a good thing to get one if you can.

Wayne

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Wayne

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jcollins3 · ‎11-19-2013

Thank you Wayne

Apparently we had a service contract via Saltash MCU with Direct Visuals who put the system in but it was only for one year and the company was taken over by Logicalis who promised to phone me but haven't and they also do not respond to emails.

TAC have said that as we previously had a service contract we need to get another one to upgrade the software. I did try again to get the free upgrade but no responce. from TAC?

John

Wayne DeNardi · ‎11-19-2013

Hi john, don't give up - you will be able to get the "free" upgrade, without a service contract to TC6.1 using the Cisco Security Advisory. It has been discussed quite often in these forums, and I have used it myself to gain access for a number of our devices.

Log a new call with the TAC, linking to the Security Advisory as proof you are entitled, and state the serial numbers of the devices - you should then get the upgrade keys and software provided. Point them to this thread, or any of the many others if they disagree again as further proof you are entitled to the upgrade to fix the vulnerabilities present in the old firmware.

Best of luck.

Wayne

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPad App

Wayne

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jcollins3 · ‎11-19-2013

Hi Wayne

I think they want me to give up.

Followed your instructions and this is the reply.

Thank you for contacting Cisco.

The serial number provided has expired. Please provide an active serial number in order for me to proceed.

Kind regards

Stacey

Cisco Support

John

Wayne DeNardi · ‎11-19-2013

Hi John,

Yes, it largely depends on which person you get at the TAC, and some don't believe it's possible and that you need a service contract... you just need to keep telling them they're incorrect and escalate it to their managers if required.

Here's the wording of my successful reqeust:

To: TAC@cisco.com

As per the Security Advisory at http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20130619-tpc, can we please be provided with a free TC6 upgrade key for one of our EX90 Video Conferencing units, serial number xxxxxxxxxxx? The advisory linked above states in the "Customers Without Service Contracts" section under "Obtaining Fixed Software", that "Customers without service contracts should request free upgrades through the TAC."

The ability to obtain the free upgrade to address these security vulnerabilities has been referenced multiple times in the Cisco Support Forums (https://supportforums.cisco.com/community/netpro/collaboration-voice-video/telepresence).

Can you please assist by providing the relevant TC6.1 upgrade key and software.

If they bounce it back to you, quote them the section in the Advisory:

Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC):

•+1 800 553 2447 (toll free from within North America)

•+1 408 526 7209 (toll call from anywhere in the world)

•e-mail: tac@cisco.com

Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade. Customers without service contracts should request free upgrades through the TAC.

If they still refuse to help - get them to forward your service request to the Cisco Global Licensing Operations Team - and refer them to Thomas's (A Cisco employee) response in this thread saying you can do it too.

In short - don't take NO for an answer - you can get the upgrade for free without a service contract - be persistent.

Wayne

--

Please remember to rate responses and to mark your question as answered if appropriate.

Wayne

Please remember to mark helpful responses and to set your question as answered if appropriate.

jcollins3 · ‎11-20-2013

Hi Wayne

I now have a Cisco case number.

Reply from Cisco Global Licensing Operations Team.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear John

Good day! Hope you are doing fine.

My name is Ruby and I am a member of the Cisco Global Licensing Operations Team. I am the current owner of your case number, 628252221.

From your initial email, I understand that you need TC6.1 release key for the Serial Number: ************. Please clarify if anything stated is incorrect.

Please be informed that in order to obtain the latest release key, the serial number of your device must be covered by an active Cisco Services Contract. I checked your Device Serial Number, F1AV11D00138, and found that it is covered under an expired Cisco Services Contract.

You can contact the Service Contract Sales department (1-800-553-6387, option 1, 3, and then 4) for more information about contracts.

For outside USA:

France- 0800 505 136

United Kingdom- 0800 085 4852

Germany- 0800 101 6793

Spain- 900 746 084

Spanish Customer Service- 1-408-526-7208 (Option 1) European CIN Team- +44 32 2 704-5555 International Customer Service- +31 20 357-4500

You can also try contacting the Customer Support at: cs-support@cisco.com for more assistance regarding this matter.

If you need further assistance with this software license request, please let me know as I will be glad to assist you. Otherwise, if I do not hear back from you, I will file this case as "resolved."

Hope to inform you well.

Have a wonderful day!

Thank you for contacting Cisco.

jcollins3 · ‎11-21-2013

After several more emails to Ruby (Cisco Global Licensing Operations Team) i asked her to escalate which she didi to the product manager where I then received an e-mail with the TC6.1.0 release key

The license key is now added to our Cisco TelePresence System Codec C40 along with software version TC6 and apart from diagnostics showing the two cameras have different software versions all is good.

Thank you to Thomas and Wayne.

Wayne DeNardi · ‎11-21-2013

Hi John,

Great to hear that you finally got it sorted. Persistence pays off for these things. I've had a couple of these requests go the long road like you've just experienced, and a few that have come back first time with the right response. It all seems to be which employee you get, and some of them can't read and throw back the same wrote response that you need a service contract.

Note: a fix for your camera firmware is to disconnect the 2nd camera and put it where the 1st one is - the codec can only upgrade the first camera.

Cheers

Wayne

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Wayne

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