An indispensable volume for both specialists and field professionals, this guide looks into the world of IP communications and the societal impacts it will have. From corporate perspectives to voice over IP to quality of service, the authors share their distinct perspectives, making it a diverse study of the field.

Telephony solutions for the small and medium business, enterprise branch office, and small office Detailed information not available in any other resource enables you to deploy IP telephony solutions with maximum efficiency Building blocks of the product features provide solutions that enhance the operations and productivity of your organization Numerous examples show you how to configure the comprehensive suite of features available with Cisco IPC Express Insights from the experts demonstrate how you can enhance your IP telephony system with applications such as automated attendant and voice mail Management and troubleshooting tips will help you keep your network up and running smoothly Enterprise branches and small and medium businesses require IP telephony solutions particular to their size. Cisco® IP Communications (IPC) Express is the answer: a one-box solution that provides turnkey operation with an easy-to-use web-based interface for combined voice and data needs. Cisco IPC Express delivers a comprehensive suite of telephony features, security, and applications-but how will you use them to your best advantage? This book, Cisco IP Communications Express, provides the detailed information you need to maximize the use of this powerful product suite. By reading this book, you will learn how Cisco IPC Express and its applications can become a business solution for your office or enterprise. The experts from Cisco Systems® give you in-depth design guidance, full configurations, and valuable examples to serve as blueprints for your network. The feature operation and deployment discussions demonstrate how to configure and customize the system and how to use different product features to achieve your specific business goals. Once you deploy your solutions, you will be able to maintain your network through the troubleshooting guidance and examples of resolutions to common problems provided in this book. Cisco IP Communications Express is a must-have for any organization using Cisco CallManager Express or Cisco Unity® Express. Technology decision makers and network administrators will be armed with relevant information on how to deploy IP communications for their particular business needs. IT managers in larger enterprises will benefit from the plans for distributed call processing design for their networks. Service providers and resellers will be prepared to sell, install, configure, and troubleshoot Cisco IPC Express based on customer needs. Beyond its application in the workspace, Cisco IP Communications Express will also prove helpful to those studying for Cisco voice-related certifications. This IP communications book is part of the Cisco Press® Networking Technology Series. IP communications titles from Cisco Press help networking professionals understand voice and IP telephony technologies, plan and design converged networks, and implement network solutions for increased productivity.

The authors bring together all the diverse information network professionals and developers need to build IP-based multimedia and voice networks, including coverage on key technologies, protocols, standards, security, access, and more.

Focusing on the current forward momentum of IP applications and services, this practical resource offers a varied range of perspectives on the current status and future directions of IP communications.

Rapid deployment and acceptance of broadband networks, including the 802.11 a/b/g, 3G cellular networks, WiMAX, and emerging 4G cellular IP networks, have sparked a growing reliance on voice over IP and the quickly emerging IP TV and Mobile TV. Providing the necessary background and technical understanding to stay abreast of and even ahead of the IP trend, IP Communications and Services for NGN explores IP development for the delivery of next generation mobile services. Packed with detailed illustrations, this cutting-edge reference examines the primary IP protocols (IPv4 and IPv6), real-time protocols, and three major IP services (VoIP, IPTV, and Mobile TV). It clearly explains the different architectures of fixed, mobile, and wireless networks along with the major advantages and disadvantages of each. It includes coverage of the latest in: The VoIP Market SCTP and Vertical Handoff RSVP: Resource Reservation Protocol MPLS: MultiProtocol Label Switching SIP: Session Initiation Protocol IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem RTSP: Real-Time Streaming Protocol RTP: Real-Time Transport Protocol IPTV System Architectures and IPTV System Descriptions With a detailed listing of commonly used acronyms, along with a clear description of the role IP is likely to play in the development of next generation mobile services, this book provides educators, industry practitioners, regulators, and subscribers with the ideal starting point for developing the understanding required to deploy, train, and use IP services effectively and efficiently.

The real-world guide to securing Cisco-based IP telephony applications, devices, and networks Cisco IP telephony leverages converged networks to dramatically reduce TCO and improve ROI. However, its critical importance to business communications and deep integration with enterprise IP networks make it susceptible to attacks that legacy telecom systems did not face. Now, there’s a comprehensive guide to securing the IP telephony components that ride atop data network infrastructures–and thereby providing IP telephony services that are safer, more resilient, more stable, and more scalable. Securing Cisco IP Telephony Networks provides comprehensive, up-to-date details for securing Cisco IP telephony equipment, underlying infrastructure, and telephony applications. Drawing on ten years of experience, senior network consultant Akhil Behl offers a complete security framework for use in any Cisco IP telephony environment. You’ll find best practices and detailed configuration examples for securing Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM), Cisco Unity/Unity Connection, Cisco Unified Presence, Cisco Voice Gateways, Cisco IP Telephony Endpoints, and many other Cisco IP Telephony applications. The book showcases easy-to-follow Cisco IP Telephony applications and network security-centric examples in every chapter. This guide is invaluable to every technical professional and IT decision-maker concerned with securing Cisco IP telephony networks, including network engineers, administrators, architects, managers, security analysts, IT directors, and consultants. Recognize vulnerabilities caused by IP network integration, as well as VoIP’s unique security requirements Discover how hackers target IP telephony networks and proactively protect against each facet of their attacks Implement a flexible, proven methodology for end-to-end Cisco IP Telephony security Use a layered (defense-in-depth) approach that builds on underlying network security design Secure CUCM, Cisco Unity/Unity Connection, CUPS, CUCM Express, and Cisco Unity Express platforms against internal and external threats Establish physical security, Layer 2 and Layer 3 security, and Cisco ASA-based perimeter security Complete coverage of Cisco IP Telephony encryption and authentication fundamentals Configure Cisco IOS Voice Gateways to help prevent toll fraud and deter attacks Secure Cisco Voice Gatekeepers and Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) against rogue endpoints and other attack vectors Secure Cisco IP telephony endpoints–Cisco Unified IP Phones (wired, wireless, and soft phone) from malicious insiders and external threats This IP communications book is part of the Cisco Press® Networking Technology Series. IP communications titles from Cisco Press help networking professionals understand voice and IP telephony technologies, plan and design converged networks, and implement network solutions for increased productivity.

A complete IP Telephony migration planning guide Includes Steps to Success Poster It's everyone's "must have." This is a reference book for the entire project team who works on the deployment of an IP Telephony solution. Take advantage of best practices. Includes more than 200 best practices, lessons learned, and tips for getting you through your IP Telephony deployment successfully. Minimize risk and learn from the mistakes of others. Read the list of the top 10 things that can go wrong during an IP Telephony deployment. Ask the right questions. Get the project team thinking and collaborating together with Stephanie's "Checklist of Questions to Ask the Project Team." Use proven planning tools. Work from sample checklists, templates, project plans, and workflow documents to guide your planning process. Keep the Steps to Success on the minds of your project team. Use the enclosed poster, which illustrates every major step associated with an IP Telephony deployment. There is no better path to the successful implementation of a new technology than to follow in the experienced footsteps of an organization that has already been there. The Road to IP Telephony tells you how Cisco Systems successfully moved its own organization to a converged, enterprise-wide network. You will learn the implementation and operational processes, what worked, what didn't work, and how to develop your own successful methodology. After presenting this topic to hundreds of Cisco customers, including Fortune 500 companies, Stephanie Carhee consistently encountered the same question, "If I decide to move to IP Telephony, where do I begin and what can I do to ensure that I do it right the first time?" Although the needs of every enterprise are different, some things are universal; planning, communication, teamwork, and understanding your user's requirements are as important as technical expertise. The Road to IP Telephony shares with you everything you need to know about managing your deployment. It starts with where to begin, including what needs to be addressed before you even begin the planning process, to building your project team. Key best practices are also offered to help you set the project's pace and schedule, get your users on board, identify a migration strategy, develop a services and support strategy, and work toward the final PBX decommission. "Cisco IT wants to share its implementation experience with Cisco customers and partners to aide in the deployment practices of new Cisco technologies. While conducting our own company-wide cutover, we learned a great deal about what to do and what not to do. This book shares our experiences." -Brad Boston, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Cisco Systems, Inc. This volume is in the Network Business Series offered by Cisco Press. Books in this series provide IT executives, decision makers, and networking professionals with pertinent information on today's most important technologies and business strategies.