To answer your question about IPCC express, I know it used to be free with CallManager 4.x, not sure with 5.x and came with 5 licenses. But with IPCCx, you can do just about anything you want when it comes to queing, onhold, music, transfers, etc.

But from looking at the doc I sent you:

Understanding Call Queuing

You can configure a pilot point to support call queuing, so when a call comes to pilot point and all hunt groups members are busy, Cisco CallManager Attendant Console sends calls to a queue. While in the queue, the callers receive music on hold if you have chosen an audio source from the Network Hold Audio Source and the User Hold MOH Audio Source drop-down list boxes in the Device Pool window or the Pilot Point Configuration window. The attendants cannot view the queued calls. When a hunt group member becomes available, Cisco CallManager Attendant Console redirects the call to that hunt group member.

You enable queuing for a pilot point by checking the Queuing Enabled check box on the Pilot Point Configuration window. You must also enter a value in the Queue Size field and the Hold Time (in Seconds) field. The queue size specifies the number of calls that are allowed in the queue. If the queue is full, Cisco CallManager Attendant Console routes calls to the "always route" hunt group member that is specified on the Hunt Group Configuration window. If you do not specify an always route member, Cisco CallManager Attendant Console drops the call when the queue size limit is reached. The hold time specifies the maximum time (in seconds) that Cisco CallManager Attendant Console keeps a call in the queue. If the call is in the queue for longer than the "HoldTime," the call gets redirected to "AlwaysRoute" member. If the "AlwaysRoute" member is not configured, no action occurs.

This is saying that the CCM Attendant Console will take care of what you need. It's basically a big queing machine. You dont have to have a live person answer to start the que from what it looks like, just point the calls to the pilot number and let the server take control of the ques.

You can do this one ccm cluster, or hub and spoke in your case. Just remember, that if you are queing calls, you are tying up WAN bandwidth the more you que. But it may work out ok, depending on how much bandwidth you have.

You can get MOH streams off your local router at the remote site, so you are not streaming MOH over the WAN, so that should take care of itself.

Unity can act as a poor man's que. Basically you can have ccm hunt the groups, no one answer, go to Unity voicemail, play a message, transfer back to the hunt group, hunt the group, then possibly back to Unity to play a message, then take a message. (just using a different mailbox and a different pilot number)

Sometimes you have to get creative with these products to make them do what you want them to do. Out of the box, it's not always the exact feature you need, but you have to tweak it.

Most companies that use hunt groups, understand that they are basica in CCM until you port it to IPCC Express. Unity does do menu trees very well, multilevel voicemail, multiply extesnsions to one account, etc.

My best advice for you, get together with your local Cisco SE to go over the features you require and see how it can be done.

cheers!