Hey Bud,
Remember, this really is a "terminology" issue. When Cisco says that CCM 6.x/7.x supports Call Recording what this means is that it supports the "new" "architecture" for Call Recording.
This means a change in the method used to record calls that is supported on some IP Phone models.
There is now a "built-in" architecture that does not require the configuration of "Span" ports etc. as shown below. You will however note that there is still a need for the ***"Recording Server/Software".
Pre - 6.X
Certain Cisco partners have provided customers with the ability to monitor and record using separate applications. Within Cisco, products such as Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise can perform call monitoring. These products deal with the Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) streams at the computer telephony integration (CTI) application layer. The observer receives RTP through a personal computer. Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) is often required to monitor and record calls.
The drawbacks of this approach include:
•SPAN is difficult to configure.
•Site-specific equipment is often required.
•Monitoring applications have limited scalability.
•Supervisors must listen to monitored and recorded calls through their computer.
•No provision for call admission control (CAC) or region-based codec negotiation
6.x/7.x
Cisco Unified Communications Manager Silent Monitoring Feature
Using Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 6.1(1), the silent monitoring capability:
•Allows supervisors to monitor agents through a Cisco Unified IP phone.
•Allows monitored calls to be managed like normal calls (for example, these calls can be transferred, held, or added to a conference).
•Does not require SPAN.
•Is network topology-friendly.
•Plays through a phone, not a personal computer.
•Supports CAC, bandwidth reservation, and codec negotiation.
•Provides notification tones when legal compliance is required.
The Unified Communications Manager silent monitoring and recording feature is invoked through CTI using Java Telephony Application Programming Interface (JTAPI) or TAPI instead of the previous method of using SPAN ports.
Cisco Unified Communications Manager Recording Feature
Using Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 6.1(1) there are two recording modes available:
•Automatic recording- All calls are recorded on line appearance; recording is invoked by Unified Communications Manager.
•Selective recording-The supervisor and/or recording server can elect to record temporarily based on business rules and events.
When a recording session is invoked automatically or selectively, Unified Communications Manager delivers the unadulterated speech (two RTP streams) to the recording server through a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunk established between the Unified Communications Manager server and ***recording server.
Call recording in Unified Communications Manager Release 6.1(1) is supported by all 3rd-generation phones (Cisco Unified IP Phone 7911G, 7931G, ,7941G, 7941G-GE, 7961G, 7961G-GE, 7970G, and 7971G-GE models).
Silent Monitoring/Recording Architecture
Cisco has adopted an IP phone-based approach for silent monitoring instead of the typical SPAN approach. The agent's phone mixes the media streams of the agent-to-customer call and sends that stream to the supervisor.
Cisco has also adopted an IP phone-based approach for call recording. The agent's phone relays the two media streams of the agent-to-customer call to the recorder.
Both features rely on the phone's internal DSP resources (BIB).
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/uc_system/UC6.1.1/features_apps/CMmonrec.html#wp998251
Hope this helps!
Rob
