Softphone apps compatible with Cisco Call Manager

[mammador]

Which softphone apps are within licence of Cisco Call Manager? And how can the licence be expanded?

I work in a team of 25 salespeople, and we want to have a softphone app on our cellphones (we all have Androids and iPhones, no RIM nonsense with us lol). I am the designate networking person, in that manage our local LAN and liaise with the general firm IT Dept for more resources and/or troubleshooting.

Getting our PBX profiles on the phones is evidently easy, simply get the server details of each and there you go. But our IT Dept doesn't have the licence for Cisco Jabber (which is the best app for Android/iOS compatible with a Cisco PBX I know of). We plan to use a mixture of mobile telephony data (3/4G) and wifi to take/make calls.

Is our plan still possible, and can IT be persuaded to expand their licence?

One alternative I can think of is a corporate 4G plan. So for all persons with phones to have specific corporate-paid accounts, for sending e-mail, MS Exchange, IP PBX connections, etc. Even in some cases video.

 

[jlazzaro]

What CUCM version are you on, and what is your current licensing model?

Jabber licenses can be added to CUCM on a per-user basis. The mobile client license is $150 (list price) per user. You may also need another device/phone license (depending on your existing licensing model) for users who have both a physical desk phone AND a soft Jabber phone.

Alternatively, it may make more sense to upgrade these 25 users to CUWL Professional which already includes the mobile Jabber client, unlimited user devices, WebEx, Contact Center, etc.

For Jabber for work over 3G/4G, you also need a VPN connection from the phone into your corporate network. You can use the SecureConnect client built into Jabber, or the separate Cisco Mobile AnyConnect Android/iPhone client. Your ASA firewall has to be licensed for AnyConnect Essentials ($150 list) and AnyConnect Mobile ($150 list). The ASA AnyConnect licenses cover the entire firewall (NOT a per-user license), so whatever your firewall's VPN Peer capacity is, you'll be covered.

Here is the Jabber SecureConnect deployment guide: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/col...7290/ps11678/deployment_guide_c07-697713.html

Your preferred Cisco partner should be able to walk to through the requirements, licensing, and cost of deploying Jabber. If you don't have a preferred Cisco partner, let me know

 

[mammador]

What CUCM version are you on, and what is your current licensing model?

Jabber licenses can be added to CUCM on a per-user basis. The mobile client license is $150 (list price) per user. You may also need another device/phone license (depending on your existing licensing model) for users who have both a physical desk phone AND a soft Jabber phone.

Alternatively, it may make more sense to upgrade these 25 users to CUWL Professional which already includes the mobile Jabber client, unlimited user devices, WebEx, Contact Center, etc.

For Jabber for work over 3G/4G, you also need a VPN connection from the phone into your corporate network. You can use the SecureConnect client built into Jabber, or the separate Cisco Mobile AnyConnect Android/iPhone client. Your ASA firewall has to be licensed for AnyConnect Essentials ($150 list) and AnyConnect Mobile ($150 list). The ASA AnyConnect licenses cover the entire firewall (NOT a per-user license), so whatever your firewall's VPN Peer capacity is, you'll be covered.

Here is the Jabber SecureConnect deployment guide: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/col...7290/ps11678/deployment_guide_c07-697713.html

Your preferred Cisco partner should be able to walk to through the requirements, licensing, and cost of deploying Jabber. If you don't have a preferred Cisco partner, let me know

I don't know there exact licence, but as it stands now each staff member has an IP phone and extension (hard phone), plus IP communicator (softphone). I also don't know the Cisco Unified Communications Manager version.

I'll look into expanding the licence, as it seems the best option.

 

[Nothinman]

Your preferred Cisco partner should be able to walk to through the requirements, licensing, and cost of deploying Jabber. If you don't have a preferred Cisco partner, let me know

And then once it doesn't work as they say it should you can call TAC 3 or 4 times until it gets sorted out and kinda-sorta works.

 

[jlazzaro]

And then once it doesn't work as they say it should you can call TAC 3 or 4 times until it gets sorted out and kinda-sorta works.

its definately not without it's quirks and TAC wont troubleshoot connection/quality issues over 3G

 

[Nothinman]

its definately not without it's quirks and TAC wont troubleshoot connection/quality issues over 3G

I meant CUCM in general, I've never actually used the Jabber client. And the name is terrible, it means nothing with regards to phones and it's confusing because WebEx Connect is literally jabber client.

 

[Spineshank]

You dont need a license on CM for the iphone. I havent looked to see if it uses licenses from your pool but i believe it does. You would still need the mobile anyconnect licenses on your ASA however.

 

[botika]

I can recommend mizutech softphones. They have free softphone for all platforms including web, windows, ios and android.
The android softpone is called MizuDroid, recently republished to google play.

 

[shadowman724]

I have X-Lite SIP soft phones in mind. I played with them in the past and they are great.