Where to start with CUCM?

[JoshuaCadman21751]

So for the past few years I have been using FreePBX for a range or Mitel, Cisco and Grandstream phones that connected fine... fine as in it connected and calls could be made. However with scaling my business, I wanted to just use Cisco IP Phones so I bough 5 Cisco 8841, these connected with FreePBX once a patch was installed on the system. However what I wanted most was mobility extension and more adaptability with the server. I rang Cisco up and was told that a third party would contact me and that they would have to install the server, I didn’t like this idea as I like technology and would like to learn about this IP system just like I did with FreePBX. I have seen many videos online about people installing CUCM and it seems to have many variations. I simply just need a IP server that I can connect SIP trunks (9) with different phone numbers per user and have user mobility for my staff to login to the phones once they arrive at work. I have also seen that eBay sell licences but even that confuses me with the packages.

where should I go to find CUCM download/purchase and is just one server required for this to work? And can this be linked to active directory?

[TONY SMITH]

Cisco products are sold through what they call "Partners".  Any Partner should be able to advise you on exactly what you'd need to buy.  Are you intending to run on your own existing hardware?  If so then it needs to meet Cisco's requirements in terms of the hardware, VMware version etc.   You can use the free version of VMware.

If you've been offered products or licences and are not sure they're correct for you, we may be able to advise.  

[JoshuaCadman21751]

So would the best thing to do is contact a seller and ask about what I would need. I do want to use my own server yeah.

[TONY SMITH]

That would be the best bet.

[Jaime Valencia]

I'd probably start by looking at the HW/SW requirements for CUCM to make sure you meet them, and you cannot run the free ESXi version if you want Cisco support, as you require a ESXi license that enables vCenter, and vCenter to be deployed if you run on 3rd party HW

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/uc_system/virtualization/cisco-collaboration-virtualization.html

If you don't meet the requirements, it would not be supported by Cisco.

[TONY SMITH]

... you cannot run the free ESXi version is you want Cisco support, as you require a ESXi license that enables vCenter, and vCenter to be deployed if you run on 3rd party HW

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Yes sorry I'd missed that.  You can run free ESXi on TRC but not specs based. 

[JoshuaCadman21751]

Would buying the CUCM 11.x version from https://itprice.com/cisco/lic-cucm-11x-enh-a.html be trusted?

Can CUCM just run on one server?

[TONY SMITH]

Probably not based on what they say at the bottom of their page "itprice.com is neither a partner nor an affiliate of Cisco Systems & Juniper Network. ".   You should really be dealing with a Cisco Partner.