Avaya/Nortel Roadmap

We’re announcing the new Avaya/Nortel Enterprise Solutions Integrated Roadmap Join us Tuesday, January 19th, 1pm EST We are pleased to announce that Avaya has completed the acquisition of Nortel Enterprise Solutions and Nortel Government Solutions. By combining the offerings and the expertise of these two companies, we’ll be delivering innovation more quickly—with a powerful commitment to help your business grow. Join us on January 19th at 1pm EST as we reveal our new technology roadmap. This one—hour virtual event will include: Announcement of Avaya’s Vision for the future of Business Communications, the Avaya Reference Architecture and the new Integrated Portfolio Roadmap. This session will be led by Avaya CEO, Kevin Kennedy, Dr. Alan Baratz, Joel Hackney, Chris Formant, and other Avaya leaders. In-depth breakout sessions focused on key product and service areas Q&A with product experts and sales leadership throughout the event

Register now

More solutions. More expertise. More choices. The combination of Avaya and NES products, solutions and expertise means that authorized channels will be able to deliver the best of both companies—you’ll have more ways to improve your company’s productivity, cut costs, and become more competitive. We want to thank you once again for being an Avaya customer. We’re excited about the future. If you have any questions, please contact me—and be sure to join us January 19th at 1pm EST.

BlackBerries hit by third major outage

BlackBerry users have reported a major outage affecting the BlackBerry smartphone. The outage seems to be affecting IM, E-Mail/BIS and BES, as well as browser funtionality.

Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications

Gartner updated the Unified Communications magic quadrant on Septemer 1st, 2009.    Here is the link to the whole article http://www.gartner.com/technology/media-products/reprints/microsoft/vol7/article3/article3.html

Unified communications (UC) offers the ability to significantly improve how individuals, groups and companies interact and perform. UC also enables multiple communication channels to be coordinated. In some cases, separate servers may be consolidated, but, more frequently, UC adds functionality to existing communication applications. Key technologies include Internet Protocol (IP)-PBX, voice over IP (VoIP), presence, e-mail, audioconferencing and Web conferencing, videoconferencing, voice mail, unified messaging (UM), instant messaging (IM), and various forms of mobility. Another key capability of UC is that it offers a method to integrate communication functions directly with business applications; Gartner calls this capability “communication-enabled business process” (CEBP).

Although there is significant interest in UC from many enterprises, it remains a daunting and confusing topic. As a result, many enterprises find it difficult knowing where and how to start. One approach is outlined in “Developing an Enterprise Unified Communications Road Map.” This research advises enterprises to review their inventories of communication equipment and business partners, then develop a vision for where their communication could be in five years. This plan can be accompanied by developing a UC center of excellence; this group brings individuals together from multiple areas, including IT operations, business applications and the line of business. This group then provides broad guidance and direction for the plans.

Table 1. Ability to Execute Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria	Weighting
Product or Service	high
Overall Viability (Business Unit, Financial, Strategy and Organization)	high
Sales Execution/Pricing	standard
Market Responsiveness and Track Record	standard
Marketing Execution	standard
Customer Experience	standard
Operations	standard

Source: Gartner (September 2009)

Table 2. Completeness of Vision Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria	Weighting
Market Understanding	high
Marketing Strategy	standard
Sales Strategy	standard
Offering (Product) Strategy	high
Business Model	standard
Vertical/Industry Strategy	standard
Innovation	standard
Geographic Strategy	standard

Source: Gartner (September 2009)

Alcatel-Lucent

The Alcatel-Lucent OmniTouch Instant Communications Suite (ICS) provides a complete UC solution. It is often combined with the OmniPCX for advanced telephony functions and with the Alcatel-Lucent Genesys Enterprise Telephony Software (GETS) solution, which provides integration middleware for interoperation with third-party PBXs and UC solutions.

Strengths

• Alcatel-Lucent has a comprehensive UC solution portfolio, offering its own native functions in all areas, combined with integration options for a wide range of partners, for instance, for video or collaboration.
• The OmniTouch ICS has strengthened its core capabilities in key areas, including conferencing, messaging, and interoperability standards. It has clear product enhancements planned for R10 scheduled for 2010.
• Alcatel-Lucent is well-represented in most regions of the globe, and has the ability to offer integrated solutions that span carrier and enterprise environments. This, combined with the Genesys software experience, facilitates key capabilities, such as the seamless hand over of fixed calls to mobile carriers, as well as monitoring routing preferences across carrier and private networks.
• Enterprises should evaluate the Omni family of UC solutions if they already have a commitment to Alcatel, wish to leverage the technical abilities of the combined Alcatel-Lucent company, or believe that they could benefit from the multi-PBX integration capability offered by the GETS product.

Cautions

• Alcatel-Lucent needs to execute a plan for expanding its presence in the critical North American market.
• The company must continue to advance and deepen its partnerships and integration agreements with leading collaboration vendors, such as IBM and Microsoft.
• Alcatel-Lucent’s investment for growth in the enterprise division’s UC solutions may be hampered by its recent poor financial performance, because the enterprise sector is such a small part (less than 10%) of the company’s business, and because UC-specific revenue is a small part of the enterprise group’s revenue.

Avaya

The Avaya UC solution set is made up of Avaya Aura, along with the separate Modular Messaging, Meeting Exchange, and the contact center portfolio. The Avaya Aura elements include the recently released Session Manager and Presence Services, as well as the established Communication Manager, Application Enablement Services, and System Manager components. Avaya also offers a range of Avaya One-X (R) client options.

Strengths

• The Avaya UC solution set includes several market-leading components, including the Avaya Aura Communication Manager telephony server, the Modular Messaging UM product, and strong contact center capabilities built around the Interaction Center.
• The Session Manager component provides a migration path from a heterogeneous network of separate IP-PBXs to an integrated, SIP-based application network.
• Avaya’s reorganization under private ownership has resulted in a more focused and streamlined organization. It has also restructured and simplified its marketing, channel and distribution models. Avaya continues expanding its partner ecosystem, including its well-established DevConnect developer partner program. These changes, when combined with Avaya’s well-established reputation and large installed base, have better positioned the company to succeed in the current economic and competitive climate.
• Consider Avaya’s solutions when your UC plans include telephony, messaging, or conferencing requirements; however, ensure that recently introduced functionality meets objectives.

Cautions

• Although Avaya is well-established as a leader in the telephony segment, it has been slow to expand other areas of its UC portfolio. The result is reduced availability of some UC functionality, as well as a lack of broad market awareness and UC mind share.
• The Avaya UC portfolio has weaknesses. Conferencing capabilities are uneven; while strong in audioconferencing and acceptable in videoconferencing, the portfolio is weak in Web conferencing, The Session Manager product, while a promising and important part of a next generation of UC architecture, is still new to the market. Presence Services is new and has seen limited deployment.
• While Avaya has expanded its partner ecosystem, some channels and partnerships must be deepened, including stronger voice integration with Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) and stronger partnerships with system integrators (SIs) and carrier partners, especially partners capable of global delivery. Avaya has only one active global partner (Orange Business Services) for service delivery.
• Since the acquisition of Avaya by Silver Lake (see Note 1) and TPG Capital in October 2007, Avaya has changed most of its senior management, has made significant personnel reductions, and has undertaken significant operational and sales changes. While these changes were needed and are promising, they have also been disruptive, and the new company must continue to stabilize operations and direction, and prove effectiveness.

 

 

 

  Cisco

Cisco offers a strong overall UC portfolio, with particular strengths in two critical UC areas: live voice and conferencing. Its VoIP-related products, built around Unified Communications Manager, remain a particular strength. Similarly, Unified MeetingPlace conferencing solutions, combined with the WebEx and TelePresence products, provide strong, though separate, conferencing solutions.

Strengths

• Cisco offers a comprehensive portfolio and is expanding integration across its components, offering access to key products via public standards such as SIP. Cisco also continues to expand its business application integration interface options and tools.
• Cisco’s telephony and network infrastructure client base position it well with enterprise UC buying and decision-making groups, including IT and operations departments.
• Cisco has advanced its vision for integrating the WebEx service and Enterprise premise architectures.
• Cisco has a strong and global channel program, with highly effective service operations. This allows presales and postsales support, as well as global reach for data and voice communications, coupled with good positioning with enterprise chief technology officers and IT personnel.
• Evaluate Cisco UC solutions when you have or plan to have Cisco for key voice and conferencing functions. However, ensure that any expected interoperability with other vendor products, as well as among your planned Cisco products, is available. Also ensure that your SI has experience with similar UC deployments.

Cautions

• Cisco’s network-centric approach can create interdependencies among the network infrastructure components and communication applications that are operating on the network. Although there are benefits to embedding communication application layer functions in the network layer, a possible negative effect of this is increased difficulty in supporting third-party components and applications.
• Cisco is initiating a blended on-premises service offering across its UC portfolio, starting with conferencing. This new architecture will leverage WebEx for the service portion, expand existing on-premises solutions, and embed some functionality in gateways, routers, and clients. While promising, the success of this hybrid approach is not assured, details are lacking, and initial impressions are that it will be complex.
• Cisco must continue to expand its business application partnerships to meet the demand for vertical UC solutions and for CEBP applications.
• The complexity of Cisco’s architecture requires certified support personnel for ongoing maintenance. Enterprises hoping to integrate Cisco’s solutions with third-party products, such as Microsoft OCS, should consider using external SIs experienced in complex integrations, rather than using in-house personnel for first-time integrations.
• Many organizations will find that Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing (CUWL) increases the cost of ownership, especially for firms that have yet to define a road map for UC and a partner strategy, and that have developed user profiles to identify the value of each package. The addition of Entry Edition extends the choice for CUWL, but organizations should insist that channel partners provide proposals for “a-la-carte” licensing to make a direct comparison of cost of ownership.

IBM

IBM’s Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC2) portfolio is based on Lotus Notes messaging, Sametime collaboration products and the Eclipse client framework. Together, these now offer a comprehensive UC portfolio.

Strengths

• IBM has a clear partner strategy that is based on coexistence on the back end and consolidation on the front end. On the back end, IBM offers its own key server functions, but also supports coexistence by supporting multiple partner communication servers and business applications. On the front end, IBM encourages consolidation through the use of the Sametime client, or, alternatively, it enables services to be integrated via middleware and a common Eclipse client framework. The company has an extensive network of independent software vendors, SIs and professional service partners, including IBM Global Technology Services and IBM Global Business Services.
• IBM’s extensive experience in delivering and enhancing business applications will assist the company in delivering communication as part of a business or collaboration application, rather than as a stand-alone solution.
• With the release of Sametime Unified Telephony, IBM has advanced its ability to integrate a range of telephony partner products. The solution is particularly suited to enterprises with several different types of PBXs that they wish to integrate.
• IBM continues to strengthen its capabilities in the small or midsize business (SMB) market through partners for Lotus Foundation Reach solutions.
• Enterprises should consider UC2 if they have investments in IBM UC functions, or if they wish to operate multivendor client and server application environments.

Cautions

• The Sametime Unified Telephony product is new. It must now establish Sametime’s telephony value in the market, and demonstrate that it can meet enterprise requirements, including integration with enterprise IP-PBXs.
• As IBM more fully develops its own UC portfolio, it must successfully offer its own solution set, while maintaining partnerships with leading communication vendors that are potential competitors.
• There is a perception that the IBM Sametime product is intertwined with the Lotus Notes product. As a result, this sometimes limits who considers the product. IBM must change this perception in order to increase its market opportunities.
• Customers should review IBM’s two approaches to telephony integration and how these fit their objectives. One approach focuses on a multivendor IBM telephony middleware (Sametime Unified Telephony), which enables multiple PBXs to be supported with an identical Sametime client. The other approach enables telephony vendors to extend the Sametime client, which may be useful for enterprises with one PBX environment.

Interactive Intelligence

The Interactive Intelligence Customer Interaction Center (CIC) is an all-in-one software solution. It includes telephony, audioconferencing, UM, rich presence with IM, business process automation, a range of client and device options, and the ability to integrate with contact center and other applications. The solution also integrates with leading third-party UC and video solutions.

Strengths

• Interactive Intelligence has an established record for delivering successful products in this market. Its standards-based product integrates with market-leading UC products, including Microsoft’s. It can function as a stand-alone, an all-in-one solution, or part of a broader enterprise UC portfolio.
• The flexible application program interface and architecture enable customization for vertical applications, while the all-in-one approach enables simpler administration and operation.
• The product is well-suited to integrating contact center functionality with enterprise UC functionality. It offers a new model for business process integration with contact center flows and for integrating employees into the flow.
• Enterprises should evaluate the CIC solution when seeking a tightly coupled, all-in-one solution.

Cautions

• Although the company is profitable and financially secure, it has limited market reach and visibility, especially outside North America, and continues to have trouble establishing itself in a market dominated by larger vendors.
• The company lacks visibility in IT departments, which reduces its effectiveness in delivering its broader UC product into enterprises.

Microsoft

Microsoft’s UC solution is based on Exchange Server, OCS, and Active Directory. Microsoft also has strategic partnerships in specific areas, such as live voice/IP-PBX and conference bridges, and a growing set of major system integration and channel partners.

 

    

 

   Strengths

• The OCS Pilot and Lighthouse programs have allowed Microsoft to increase OCS voice and audioconferencing deployments, despite the slow economy. Through these programs Microsoft, its partners, and its channels have gained experience with the OCS solution. As a result, while the UC solution remains in the early stage in key areas, it is making progress and is being deployed to more sites and to larger numbers of users.
• Exchange UM continues to gain acceptance and maturity in the market. Deployments have expanded beyond smaller (fewer than 2,000 subscribers), into the midsize (2,000 to 5,000 subscribers), with a few deployments in the very large (10,000 plus subscribers) market.
• Microsoft’s historic strength in several UC areas, combined with promising emerging initiatives, results in significant potential. Historically strong areas include clients (desktop, Web and mobile clients), e-mail, collaboration (IM, presence, Web-conferencing, and SharePoint). Emerging areas include increased visibility of SIP trunks from carriers and from IP-PBX providers, significant new end-to-end UC solution providers, such as HP, and increased presence in contact centers.
• Enterprises looking into UC, particularly those with Microsoft applications already in place, should understand the Microsoft portfolio, because it represents a new paradigm for communication by a market leader. Microsoft’s solution, while comprehensive, is also the basis for a range of partner offerings.

 

   

 

  Cautions

• The telephony functionality in OCS remains in the early stage. Although these have made progress in the last year, they are not yet competitive with best-of-breed products. Enterprise planners should understand their limitations before committing to expanded deployments. Planners should anticipate that clear, accurate material explaining the products and how to support them is sometimes lacking.
• While the UM component of Exchange has gained acceptance, it has limitations, including requiring an Exchange 2007 upgrade, third-party PBX integrations for trunks and alerts like message waiting notification (MWI), it requires an e-mail license for all users, even those who only want voice mail, and only one form of telephone user interface (TUI).
• Microsoft’s OCS audioconferencing and videoconferencing product set has expanded its interoperability and endpoint support abilities this year, but these functions remain new and have not yet been proved in the market.
• Many of the OCS communication functions, such as telephony, video and public switched telephone network (PSTN) integration, require solution integrators and employees with different skills than many firms presently have. Planners should ensure that their providers and internal staff have relevant experience in key areas.

Mitel

The Mitel UC solution is based on the Mitel Applications Suite, Mitel Unified Communicator clients and the Mitel Communications Director. Communications Director provides telephony call control on the 3300 switch, or on industry standard servers. The Applications Suite/Unified Communicator client includes support for audioconferencing and Web conferencing, desktop access, presence, IM, UM and collaboration.

Strengths

• The Mitel UC solution offers a comprehensive software suite. The telephony function can be offered with the Mitel 3300 switch, or on a number of industry standard servers. The entire suite can be operated as a Sun Ray, and shortly a VMware, virtual solution. This may be useful for midsize and large enterprises.
• The suite can be integrated with Microsoft OCS and IBM Sametime environments. It also offers several strong options for messaging. In addition to interoperating with third-party conferencing, Mitel has released its own video/telepresence option in addition to its audioconferencing and Web conferencing suite.
• The Mitel UC solution’s integrated design, administration and mobility functions provide a coherent single-point solution.
• Enterprises looking for an integrated UC approach or that are evaluating telephony communication functionality to go with Microsoft or IBM deployments should evaluate the Mitel UC solution.

Cautions

• Mitel is better-known for midsize solutions, and lacks visibility overall in many markets and segments. This hampers its marketing and sales efforts.
• Mitel is a private company and does not regularly make its financial status public. While it indicates that it is operating profitably, enterprises should conduct their own evaluation of viability before making long-term commitments.
• Mitel currently lacks the UC partner ecosystem of many of its larger competitors, including those with UC application development skills.

NEC

NEC offers two areas of UC solutions. Both are part of NEC’s Univerge family of products, and one of these extends NEC communication servers with UC functionality via OW5000 middleware; this is offered in one form for large enterprises and as a more tightly integrated solution for SMBs. The second UC option is based on the newer, scalable Univerge Sphericall all-software UC solution. All these solutions offer voice, conferencing, messaging, IM, presence, a range of clients, and support for business process integration.

Strengths

• NEC is a financially strong, global firm with an established presence in all regions.
• NEC continues to clarify its approach and services for delivering comprehensive UC solutions. As part of this effort, NEC has developed an approach to defining solutions for customers under its Univerge360 architectural definition, enabling solutions to be defined based on the role the individual plays within an organization.
• Enterprises with NEC switches that want to expand their communication functionality should consider migration using the Univerge SV8000 series of products. Companies that are moving toward a software-centric approach or are considering installing new UC solutions should consider the all-software Univerge Sphericall solution.

Cautions

• NEC utilizes a combination of a direct and an indirect sales and support channel, which includes a wide range of resellers. Buyers should be aware of both approaches, and should ensure that the appropriate experience is available to service their needs.
• The Univerge Sphericall is mature and proven software technology, but it appears to compete within the NEC Univerge portfolio and channel with the SV8000 series of IP-PBXs. NEC must clarify how and where to use its products, and must develop a market approach that establishes it as a software-based provider of UC technology. This may require developing new software-centric selling channels.
• NEC’s UC solutions are not well-known in key markets, and the recognition challenge is compounded by the independent approaches taken by the different divisions of NEC globally, including NEC Unified (North America), NEC Philips Unified (Europe, the Middle East and Africa [EMEA]) and NEC Corporation (Asia/Pacific).

Nortel

Nortel has developed a comprehensive UC approach built around its own products and around strong partner relations. Nortel-specific solutions are built around Communication Server 1000, the company’s messaging products, Software Communication System (SCS), the Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) 5100 and the Agile Communication Environment (ACE). However, the company offers a large range of additional telephony, conferencing, messaging, mobile, and client capabilities. Partner solutions are built through strong integrations with Microsoft’s OCS and IBM’s Sametime.

Nortel, after filing for Chapter 11 protection in January 2009, is now being publicly auctioned. There are several potential buyers for Nortel’s Enterprise Solutions business. The final decision of which bidder will be selected is likely to occur on 15 September 2009. The effects of this change on products and current clients will not be clear until after the sale is finalized. Gartner recommendations to clients is in “Create a Backup Plan for Continued Support of Nortel Environments.” We will provide additional recommendations as the bidding for Nortel assets proceeds.

Gartner plans to issue an update to this Magic Quadrant when the results of the Nortel Enterprise Solutions auction is announced and the acquisition is completed and approved.

 

     

 

   

Strengths

• Nortel has developed a comprehensive UC product suite and a clear vision of how UC markets are evolving.
• Nortel has multiple initiatives to provide integration with third-party solutions: the Innovative Communications Alliance (ICA) with Microsoft, the service-oriented architecture (SOA)-based ACE initiative, which supports multivendor UC interoperability, and a strategic partnership with IBM. These are coupled with a UC sales and training program.

 

     

 

  Cautions

• Enterprises with Nortel investments should include Nortel in the bidding process for new-equipment purchases and upgrades, but should factor in an additional risk criterion — using a shorter depreciation cycle for Nortel solutions than for other vendors under evaluation. Enterprises without Nortel investments should delay any Nortel purchases until after the auction has closed.

 

   

 

    SAP

The SAP Business Communications Management (BCM) product offers UC functions and interfaces that are natively integrated with SAP applications such as SAP CRM, SAP ERP, and SAP Business Intelligence (BI). The same application programming interfaces (APIs) are available for third-party applications and interfaces with NetWeaver. The SAP BCM product includes native telephony functions, several forms of voice and UM, its own IM and presence solution, and a range of clients.

 

   

 

  Strengths

• The SAP BCM UC functions are natively integrated into the SAP product line, and SAP BCM is generally better-known for its contact center capabilities, which can be leveraged seamlessly together with its UC functions. These are delivered through SAP’s strong global sales, support and partner network.
• SAP BCM offers out-of-the-box integration with Microsoft Office Outlook and OCS presence, SAP CRM (sales, marketing, service and interaction center business roles), SAP ERP and SAP Business ByDesign. This means that users with different roles across the organization can cost-effectively use SAP BCM telephony functionality through and with their most-used business applications.
• Enterprises should consider the BCM solution if they are SAP users and have individuals who would benefit from having communication functions directly integrated with their SAP applications.

 

 

 

  Cautions

• Overall, the UC capabilities are limited, with particular limitations in specific areas, for instance, conferencing. As a result, enterprises should verify whether the level of functionality meets their requirements.
• SAP is a large-business application vendor, but has not yet established its credibility as a large-scale enterprise communication vendor.

 

   

 

  ShoreTel

The ShoreTel 9 UC platform offers an appliance approach particularly suited to distributed organizations. The appliance at each site has no hard drives, but uses flash memory, which lowers failure rates. Survivability is ensured with ShorTel’s N+1 failover capability, for which an appliance can fail over to another appliance located anywhere in the network. These remote appliances operate independently, and are configured from a single ShoreTel Director Web application. ShoreTel supports its own phones, as well as SIP phones and SIP trunking.

 

   

 

  Strengths

• ShoreTel offers a bundled UC solution with limited installation and configuration requirements. The bundle includes IM, audioconferencing and Web conferencing, voice messaging that can integrate with third-party e-mails, and its own telephony presence service and client.
• The solution can integrate with Microsoft OCS and IBM Sametime for IM and voice with presence.
• Enterprises with distributed operations should consider ShoreTel for a cost-effective, telephony-focused, UC solution.

 

   

 

 Cautions

• The appliance architecture is less desirable for larger centralized environments.
• ShoreTel is a relatively small, emerging vendor focused on North America that is trying to increase its market and mind share in a market dominated by large competitors.

 

   

 

  Siemens Enterprise Communications

The Siemens OpenScape suite provides a full UC portfolio and comprises a set of software modules that can be combined according to an enterprise’s needs. The solution also offers consolidated administration and session control for the full suite. The product is fully standards-based, all-software, highly scalable and available as a single server. The key OpenScape modules are: the UC OpenScape Application module, which offers presence, IM, conferencing and customization tools; the Xpressions messaging module, which offers various forms of UM and now offers an upgrade to packaged UC capabilities; the OpenScape Voice module, which offers IP-PBX functionality; the Mobile UC module, which offers a range of fixed-mobile convergence functions; and Video, which includes desktop and conference room high-definition multiparty conferencing.

 

   

 

 Strengths

• Over the past year, Siemens Enterprise Communications (SEC) has established its corporate status as a joint venture of the Siemens parent company and The Gores Group, emerging as a significant competitor in the enterprise UC market. SEC has expanded and improved its marketing and service operations, and has continued to advance its market and technology partnerships.
• OpenScape is a mature, fully functional, all-software, all-SIP UC solution. It can operate as a virtual VMware, and offers its own components, including telephony. However, it can also be integrated with leading collaboration applications and with third-party SIP products, including IBM and Microsoft UC products.
• SEC now offers modular presence, IM, audioconferencing and Web conferencing within its established Xpressions messaging product. This will be in addition to the current offering as part of the OpenScape product suite, and will initially be targeted at the Xpressions installed base. This will allow SEC to increase market penetration and awareness.
• Enterprises should evaluate the Siemens UC solution if they are looking for a full-featured, software-based UC solution, if they intend to integrate UC with business applications, or if they are an existing Siemens customer.

 

  

 

 Cautions

• The SEC solution lacks market awareness in North America, which continues to slow adoption and acceptance.
• In a consolidating enterprise communication market, SEC may struggle for visibility because the market is increasingly dominated by larger competitors.

 

  

 

 TeleWare

The TeleWare solution is based on the Intelligent Office suite, which includes functions for soft-switch-based telephony, conferencing, messaging and presence, as well as other UC functions. Additionally, the Private Mobile eXchange product provides a range of mobility capabilities.

 

   

 

  Strengths

• The TeleWare Intelligent Office suite provides an integrated set of UC functions. These are integrated with Private Mobile eXchange, which provides enterprises with seamless roaming in and out of buildings, while retaining enterprise control and a low-cost structure.
• The platform is capable of being customized to meet specific enterprise requirements.
• Large enterprises that are interested in understanding emerging communication paradigms and that have a focus on Microsoft OCS can include TeleWare in their reviews.

 

  

 

 Cautions

• The Private Mobile Networks-TeleWare solution requires the right to use a specific wireless spectrum. In the U.K., this can be provided by TeleWare; however, in other countries, the specific options must be investigated.
• The videoconferencing and Web conferencing portions of the UC portfolio offer limited functionality.
• TeleWare has some key global accounts and is developing a presence in the Middle East, but it has a limited market and technical presence outside the U.K.
• TeleWare has a limited ability to market and support broad UC solutions in enterprise environments. 

Toshiba

The Toshiba UC solution is based on the Strata CIX family of IP business telephone systems. In addition to telephony, bundled UC functionality includes several variations of UM; audioconferencing, Web conferencing and videoconferencing (up to eight parties); telephony-focused presence; a range of client options, including Web and SIP; and the ability to launch a softphone-enhanced telephony presence and remote call control from Microsoft OCS.

  Strengths

• Toshiba has an established reputation for cost-effective IP telephony solutions, and is primarily designed for enterprises with fewer than 1,000 users.
• Consider the Toshiba UC solution if you are a SMB looking for a cost-effective, telephony-centric solution. However, ensure that you have support for all your locations.

 

    Cautions

• All the UC functionality requires the Strata CIX telephony environment, and this provides less UC functionality than many competitors. For instance, conferencing functions and presence do not integrate with third-party solutions, so separate investments are needed if larger or more-extensive capabilities are required.
• The company has U.S. headquarters in Irvine, California, with the parent company based in Japan. It sells directly and through channels in North America, Asia/Pacific and the U.K. Toshiba is less visible in other regions, including the rest of Europe.

Content failed to download due to a problem with the Conference Center configuration

“Content failed to download due to a problem with the Conference Center configuration.”.  Whiteboard was fine.  The issue was related to having the wrong credential for connecting to the Meeting content file share. 

In “Basic Settings” on the /Etc/Place/null/Filetree virtual directory (IIS7), the correct “Connect As” credential should be RTCGuestAccessUser.  If you don’t know the password, you can just copy that user in AD (to get group membership, etc), create your own password, and add that user as the “Connect-As” cred.  It is assumed that your meeting content is stored on a network share with permissions based on the MS OCS deployment docs (RTCComponentUniversalServices (Modify); RTCUniversalGuestAccessGroup (Read)).

You will need to input the user name as <domainname>\RTCGuestAccessUser otherwise it will say your password is incorrect.

IISRESET after you are done and test again.

Windows Server 2008 OCS 2007 R2 Certificate requests

After generating a certificate in OCS 2007 R2 and taking it to GoDaddy for a CSR request the request fails.  When generating the certificate in Windows Server 2008 use 2048 bit length also after the CSR is created open the file and see if the —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– and —–END CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– is present.  If it is not there you will need to manually add it to the beginning and the end of the file.  Also after importing it using the OCS 2007 R2 snap-in verifiy that your internal interface has not been modified.  I needed to renew a certificate and it actually modified the internal interface.

For some reason the dashes above do not appear correctly you need 5 dashes on each side of the ALL CAPS BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST and END CERTIFICATE REQUEST.  Lower case will not work.

Microsoft Business Productivity Online

Vox is announcing availability of the Microsoft Online Services. Below you will find a link that you can use to initiate a free 30 day trial. The Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite includes:

 Hosted Microsoft Exchange 2007
Hosted Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007
Hosted Live Meeting 2007
Hosted Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007

https://mocp.microsoftonline.com/site/services/bpos/signup.aspx?offer=suite”eid=2860610e-b5ef-4480-8ae4-7beaff86a513

** Business Productivity Online Standard Suite ** Sign up for a 30-day trial!
This trial includes 20 user licenses for Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting, and Office Communications Online

Move your business to the cloud and save money!

Please contact Chad McGreanor at Vox Network Solutions if anyone has any questions:

cmcgreanor@voxns.com

Vox Network Solutions is a Microsoft Certified Partner and a Microsoft Small Business Solutions Specialist

Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 in conjunction with Office Communications Server 2007 R2 would intermittently fail to communicate with AOL AIM clients via PIC. Note that this would only reproduce if your OCS 2007 R2 Edge role is running Windows Server 2008 (x64); not Windows Server 2003 (x64).

In order to change the cipher suite order, do the following on your Windows Server 2008 (x64) Edge server:

1. Start -> Run -> gpedit.msc -> OK
2. Within the Group Policy Object Editor, expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Network
3. Under Network, select SSL Configuration, and then double-click on SSL Cipher Suite Order (by default, the SSL Cipher Suite Order is set to “Not Configured”)
4. Select the “Enabled” radio button, and in the in the SSL Cipher Suites text box, copy the entire string into Notepad.  It should look like the following:
   TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,
   TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P384,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P521,
   TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P384,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P521,
   TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P384,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P521,
   TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P384,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P521,
   TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5,
   SSL_CK_RC4_128_WITH_MD5,SSL_CK_DES_192_EDE3_CBC_WITH_MD5,TLS_RSA_WITH_NULL_MD5,TLS_RSA_WITH_NULL_SHA
5. The objective is to move TLS_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5 to be a the front of the list.  The new order should look like the following:
   TLS_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P384,
   TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P521,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P384,
   TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P521,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P384,
   TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA_P521,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P256,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P384,
   TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P521,TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
   TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,SSL_CK_RC4_128_WITH_MD5,SSL_CK_DES_192_EDE3_CBC_WITH_MD5,TLS_RSA_WITH_NULL_MD5,
   TLS_RSA_WITH_NULL_SHA
6. Paste the newly-formatted string back into the text field in the GPO Editor, click OK, then restart your Windows Server 2008 (x64) Edge server for these changes to take effect.

OCS 2007 R2 MCU Factory issue

So today a customer called in with a wierd OCS 2007 R2 dial in conferencing issue.  The customer could not join any conferences.  The attendant would answer but the user could never join.

I was able to resolve it by doing the following:

1. Deactivate the Web Conferencing Component (Great now how do I reactivate it?)
2. Activate the conferencing componenet

LCSCmd.exe /MCU /Action:Activate /Role:DATAMCU /PoolName:Pool01 /Password:My$tr0ngPwd

Sustitute Pool01 with the server name if using standard edition.

3. Great I try it again and it still doesnt work
4. Stopped all OCS Services
5. Started all OCS Services
6. Tried again and it worked.

Microsoft Office 2010

http://www.office2010themovie.com/

OCS 2007 R2 Communicator Web Access Issues

I am going to keep this short.  I wish stuff would work the first time…

Apparently there is a bug with CWA and Windows 2008 where the Service Principal Name (SPN) isn’t created for the FQDN of your CWA site. The result is the following error when you attempt to sign in with integrated Windows authentication

Cannot sign in because your computer clock is not set correctly or your
account is invalid (error code: 0-1-492)

The Windows authentication site will fail with the error if your site is running on Windows 2008 Server

 

HOW TO FIX IT:

• You need to add an SPN matching the FQDN of your internal site (cwa.contoso.com) to the user account you assigned in AD for CWA.
• Open ADSIEDIT and navigate to the OU where your CWA service account is stored.
• Locate the CWA service account (mine is called ‘CWAService’) and right-click then choose Properties.
• Turn on the checkbox to ‘Show only attributes that have values’ and scroll down to an entry called ’servicePrincipalName’.
• Click the Edit button.
• Type in the SPN using the following format (http/). For example, if your site is called “cwa.contoso.com” then type in “http/cwa.contoso.com”.

NOTE: Do NOT type http://

 

 

CWA Sign in error code 0-1-492

With all the cool new features of CWA 2007 R2 I was excited to get ours fully functional. We received ambiguos errors publishing CWA with ISA (using both FBA and directly without authentication),  and this error code (0-1-492) beat me up for quite a while. Most posts/fixes I found were related to missing SPNs. After verifying all SPNs were correct on the CWA Service accounts I still received the error.

It turns out the CWA installer doesn’t always apply the correct authentication methods to the right locations. The fix is to enable anonymous authentication on Website/cwa/AuthMainCommandHandler.ashx to ensure clients can successfully authenticate.