Infonetics’ study, “User Plans for Unified Communications: North America 2008″, is based on interviews with 80 medium and large organizations based in North America to determine the market potential, product requirements, and implementation plans for unified communications products and services. More than 80% of those interviewed have already adopted either unified messaging or communicator, and all will adopt both by 2009, by study design.

The study features buyers’ ratings of 5 UC vendors–Avaya, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, and Nortel–on a number of criteria, including reliability, value, pricing, features, innovation, integration with third party vendors, and financial stability. According to respondents in the study, there are no clear ratings winners, with all manufacturers fairing well in some areas and not others. For example, Cisco rated high on reliability but low on pricing, and Microsoft rated high on financial stability but low on reliability.

Almost all vendors got docked for interoperability, indicating this area could use some serious improvements, and likely will be a major barrier to adoption of unified communications.

Other highlights from the study:
- The number-one reason given by study respondents for adopting
UC is improving employee productivity
- UC will start as a convergence of voice and e-mail, the most
widely used communication services, involving a single in-box for different message types, contact management, click-to-communicate capability, and presence
- Over time, companies will take on more complex projects; for
example, by adding new communication modes like video and new devices like mobile, or by integrating communications with business processes
- VoIP is not a requirement for UC, but there is a strong
correlation between the two; not having VoIP deployed pervasively is a barrier to deploying UC, and many respondents want to deploy VoIP first, then UC.
For more info on the report, head on over to Infonetics.

Cisco VoIP Products:

Cisco CP-7906G, Cisco CP-7914, Cisco CP-7936, Cisco CP-7936-PWR-KIT, Cisco CP-7940G, Cisco CP-7941G, Cisco CP-7960G, Cisco CP-7960G Refurb, Cisco CP-7961G, Cisco CP-7970G, Cisco CP-DOUBLEFOOTSTAND, Cisco CP-PWR-CUBE, Cisco CP-PWR-CUBE2, Cisco CP-PWR-CUBE3, Cisco CP-PWR-CUBE3 10Pack, Cisco CP-SINGLEFOOTSTAND,

Summary:

With NimBUS solutions, organizations can monitor and manage every service and system within their entire Cisco VoIP (Voice over IP) ecosystem:

• VoIP Networks
• VoIP Call Activity
• VoIP Messaging
• VoIP Unified Communications

By offering a comprehensive, centralized view into all vital areas that comprise the VoIP infrastructure, NimBUS solutions enable organizations to better optimize resource utilization, improve reliability, and better ensure SLA compliance.

Download our Cisco VoIP Monitoring Data Sheet

VoIP is increasingly relied upon to deliver vital communications services for organizations around the world. To ensure these services meet the reliability and quality demands of end users, organizations must be able to monitor and proactively manage every component within their VoIP infrastructure, including not only the underlying VoIP networks and components, but all the services that run on those networks.

NimBUS solutions offer organizations a centralized, cohesive way to manage all the VoIP systems and services that play a role in the quality of service end users ultimately experience. With NimBUS, organizations can more effectively ensure continuous SLA compliance and end-user satisfaction.

NimBUS solutions enable organizations to monitor these vital systems within their VoIP infrastructure:

• VoIP networks. NimBUS for Cisco IP SLA performs traffic simulations across Cisco devices to proactively detect and preempt excessive jitter, packet loss, and high latency.
• VoIP call activity. NimBUS for Cisco CallManager monitors all aspects of call activity in the Cisco VoIP environment, including CallManager services, H.323 calls, IP and ATA phones, gateways, ports, processes, memory utilization, and much more.
• VoIP messaging. NimBUS for Cisco Unity offers a comprehensive picture of the performance of both the Unity server operating system and all key messaging processes and services—including calls, log ins, greetings, playback, recording, and more—to ensure the end-user’s messaging experience is efficient, reliable, and productive.
• VoIP unified communications. With the NimBUS Cisco UCM probe, administrators can monitor key health and performance metrics for the entire unified communication system—including IP phones and devices, gateways, gatekeepers, voice mail devices, and media devices.

Critical Monitoring Data: When and How it’s Needed

NimBUS solutions compile, analyze, and monitor performance data to provide real-time tracking and historical reporting of the entire VoIP infrastructure, including VoIP networks, call activity, and messaging. NimBUS delivers this vital information via alarms, operator consoles, business dashboards, long-term trend reports, and SLA compliance reports.

Getting Started with NimBUS is Easy

NimBUS VoIP solutions are easy to implement and maintain, and require minimal administrator training. If you would like to request a free trial of NimBUS, please click here.

The Cisco VPN client only works on Vista machines that meet the below requirements:

• - 32 bit version only
• - Clean OS installation of Vista required
• - ‘Start before logon’ feature not supported
• - SmartCard Authentication not supported
• - 64 bit not supported

Cisco VPN Client: installation, setup and use…

These steps should be followed to prepare your computer to use the VPN Service at WSU:

• Download and install a VPN Security Certificate New 2008 certificate now available!
• Download and install the Cisco VPN client (version 5.0.01.0600)
• Configure the Cisco VPN client
• Using the Cisco VPN client
• (optional: setting up the VPN client to logon the VPN session prior to logging onto Windows)

Instructions to download and install the VPN Security Certificate…

The digital Security Certificate is used by the Cisco VPN client establish an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the WSU VPN Gateway. The Security Certificate must be installed (imported) before the VPN Client is configured.

Note: The following screen shots were made using Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6. If you are using different software, some of the screens may appear different but their function should be the same.

The result of this procedure will be the creation of two certificates on your computer. One will be the root certificate of the Information Technology Certificate Authority (CA) and the other will be the VPN Security Certificate that is used to configure the VPN Client Software. This latter certificate is a personal certificate. Click here for information on how to manage certificates using Windows 2000 and XP.

1. Start the download by clicking this file name: wsuvpn.pfx
   (this is a new certificate as of March 2008 that replaces the ‘old’ certificate) The “File Download” window will appear. Click the Open button to start the Certificate Import Wizard. (You could alternately click the ‘Save’ button, locate the file when the download is complete and then start the Certificate Import Wizard by double clicking the file.)
2. Click the Next button.
3. Click the Next button. This will cause the display of a password prompt window.
4. Enter wsuvpn in the password area. Ensure that the two check boxes are blank. Click the Next button.
5. Allow Windows to automatically select a certificate store and click the Next button.
6. Click the Finish button to start the actual importing of the certificates.
7. Click the Yes button to add the Information Technology CA’s certificate into your Root Store.
8. Click the OK button.

Both the CA Root and the WSU VPN Security Certificate are now installed on your computer. The second step (outlined below) will discuss how to download and install the Cisco VPN client.

Instructions to download, install and configure the Cisco VPN client…

1. Start the download of the Cisco VPN client by clicking on the file name: cisco_2000-XP-Vista_client.exe When the following “File Download” screen appears, click the Run button. (You could alternately click the ‘Save’ button, locate the file when the download was complete and then open it by double clicking.)
2. Select Run when prompted to run the software application.
3. The WinZip Self-Extractor window will appear as seen below.
4. Change the “Unzip to folder” to a name you can easily find. This example will use c:vpnclient as seen below.Click the Unzip button to create folder c:vpnclient on your hard drive.
5. Click the OK button to begin the Cisco VPN Client installation process. Please wait patiently while the installation proceeds (it may take a minute or more…).
6. Once the ‘Welcome’ windows appears, click the Next button.
7. Select the ‘I accept the license agreement’ radio button, then click the Next button.
8. Select the Next button to indicate the software is to be installed on your hard drive in the ‘C:Program FilesCisco SystemsVPN Client’ directory:
9. Select Next to begin the installation process…
10. Once the installation has completed, click the Finish button.
11. You can now restart your machine. Section C below will discuss the steps required to configure the VPN client.

Instructions to configure the Cisco VPN client.

1. Start the Cisco VPN client. You can either double-click your client icon or use the Windows Start Menu to execute the VPN client application using the path: Start Menu / All Programs / Cisco Systems / VPN Client / VPN Client (the actual file name of the client is: ipsecdialer.exe)Once launched, the below window will appear.
2. Create a new Connection Entry by clicking the ‘Connection Entries’ menu item (or tab), then clicking New
   This will bring up the below Connection Entry window.
3. Fill in “Connection Entry:”, “Description:”, “Host”:, click “Certificate Authentication” and select the “WSUPNb (Microsoft)” certificate.Click Save.
4. The main VPN Client window now looks similar to the image below.
5. You are now finished configuring the Cisco VPN Client.
6. To connect to the WSU Network, double click the “WSU VPN” connection entry.

Using the VPN Client.

1. Start the Cisco VPN Client and you will see the below window.
2. Double click the “WSU VPN” Connection Entry. The User Authentication prompt window will appear.
3. Type your WSU Network ID or Friend ID and password. Then click the ‘OK’ button.
   IMPORTANT – Friend IDs must append @wsu to the end of their Friend ID.A series of connection messages will appear on the status bar of the VPN Client window. When the connection is established, a Banner is displayed.

   

4. You may also see a ‘connected’ image near your Windows toolbar and see a yellow VPN Client icon in the toolbar as well.
5. Click Continue and the Cisco VPN Client window closes and an icon appears on your Task Bar.
6. You are now successfully up and running on the WSU network using a secure VPN tunnel.

Wireless Users and Off-Campus Users: All traffic bound for WSU campus locations will be securely passed through the VPN tunnel.

Off-Campus Users ONLY: Traffic bound for other non-WSU locations (like Yahoo, Google, etc…) will not pass through the VPN tunnel but will travel out your local ISP connection un-encrypted.

Today Cisco has introduced a suite of network management software named Network Magic 5.0 . This tool will improve various network tasks like- connecting and sharing computers(content & printer), control computers on network while accessing Internet, connection repairing features, manage performance problem to provide optimize performance and many more. This tool run in the background and indicate/alert each time when new device connect to your network.
The Network Magic 5.0 suit provide the various functionality and provide capability to

* Connect and share content or a printer across a network
* Manage, monitor and control how computers on the network access the Internet
* Diagnose and repair connection and performance problems
* Optimize performance and reliability
* Track network history and usage through reporting capabilities
* Manage active connections and get status updates Control user
* Access and help secure the network from intruders

Features:

* Connect your devices together in minutes.
* Share Internet connections, printers and files.
* Protect your network with enhanced WPA security capabilities and
status alerts.
* Repair your network and Internet connections to stay online and
productive.
* Control access to the Internet and track online activity with remote
desktop screenshots.
* And much more!

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