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Ask the Expert: Smart Services Cisco Smart Call Connector

ciscomoderator
Community Manager
Community Manager

Read the bioWith Shahryar Talukder

Welcome to the Cisco Support Community Ask the Expert conversation. This is an opportunity to get expert insights and learn about the Cisco® Smart CallConnector Suite of collaboration applications for the Small Business platforms from Shahryar Talukder. Shahryar is a team lead in the Small Business Technology Group at Cisco and he has been working on unified communications, collaboration, and mobility solutions for more than 15 years. He has lead the development team that has provided the Smart CallConnector suite of unified communication solutions for the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series (UC500) and the Communications Manager Express bundle for the Cisco ISR Integrated Services Router (CME-ISR.) The Cisco Smart CallConnector Suite delivers productivity improvements for main answering positions and employee desktops with click-to-dial and click-to-send from presence-enabled directories, as well as integration with Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer. Easy to sell and install, the Cisco Smart CallConnector Suite gives partners an opportunity to expand their applications business.

The Cisco Smart CallConnector Suite delivers productivity improvements for main answering positions and employee desktops with click-to-dial and click-to-send from presence-enabled directories, as well as integration with Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer. Easy to sell and install, the Cisco Smart CallConnector Suite gives partners an opportunity to expand their applications business.

The Smart CallConnector Suite includes:

Please visit the following sites for more details: https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-13190 and www.cisco.com/go/smartcallconnector

Remember to use the rating system to let Shahryar know if you have received an adequate response.

Shahryar might not be able to answer each question due to the volume expected during this event. Remember that you can continue the conversation on the Security sub-community SBCS - UC500 discussion forum shortly after the event.

This event lasts through December 22nd, 2011. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other community members.

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Hi Jeremy:

The SCC performs lookup against the contacts in the SCC directories and the Personal Outlook contact folder. Therefore the GAL contacts are not looked-up for the caller ID name resolution. You can import external contact data from other sources to the SCC Server directories. This is a manual process.

From the SCC Server->Configuration Manager you can import contacts from Active Directory and from Exchange. We currently do not have the Global Address as a selection option. However you can import from Exchange Contact folders. To import:

1. Start the Conifguration Manager on the SCC Server, login and select the Manage Users/Contacts tab.

2. Click on the Import button in the toolbar, form the menu select contacts. This opens the Import Wizard.

3. Select the Import Source. This can be one of UC500 (CME); Outlook Contacts, Text file (CSV format) or Active Directory.

4. If you have specified Outlook, it will try to connect to Outlook and allow you to select the contact folder for import.

5. Select the import target directory -- Corporate or External directory.

6. Then run import.

Until GAL lookup is available, the import method is the only option. It has limitations as it has to be repeated to keep the contact information current.

Thanks

Shahryar

View solution in original post

13 Replies 13

John Ventura
Level 1
Level 1

Hello, I would like to know if  the difference between Smart CallConnector and Unified CallConnector, other than cost. Can you also explain the main benefits of the Smart CallConnertor Toolbar?

Thank you, John

Hi John:

This question comes up quite frequently. The differences are in the composition of the products in the two suites, how support is delivered, SKUs and cost and name branding. The Smart CallConnector products are for the UC500 and supported by S-TAC. The Unified CallConnector products are for the CUCME and supported by TAC. But the common products (such as Operator, Server or Advanced Client) are identical in functionality, only the name is different.

The Smart CallConnector (SCC) suite is comprised of:

  • Smart CallConnector Operator -- designed for the main answering position of small businesses
  • Smart CallConnector Advanced Client -- providing CTI and Outlook integration, Presence, IM, Directories etc
  • Smart CallConnector Server (required for Advanced Client and for  two or more operators)
  • Smart CallConnector Toolbar -- toolbars in Outlook and IE providing basic call popup notification and call handling

The Unified CallConnector suite is comprised of:

  • Unified CallConnector Operator -- (same functionality as the SCC Operator)
  • Unified CallConnector Advanced Client -- (same functionality as the SCC Advanced Client)
  • Smart CallConnector Server (same as SCC Server)
  • Unified CallConnector Client -- provides standalone call handling, integration with Outlook, click to dial, directories and call logs.

Thanks

Shahryar

The second question related to the features and value of the Smart CallConnector Toolbar.

The Smart CallConnector Toolbar is a freely-downloadable component that is integrated in Outlook and the Internet Explorer as call control toolbars. Users can see the incoming call information popup in a notification window on their Windows computers, they can click to answer the call.

The basic call handling features are available from either the Outlook and Internet Explorer windows.To make a call the user can enter or paste a number in the toolbar, add in the dial out codes and click on the dial button to make the call.

mcasimirc63
Level 4
Level 4

Can you please clarify or expand on the following.

  • SCC's possible integration with Salesforce.com and other CRM's that use a TAPI session.
  • How many SCC Operator's can you use with one Server?
  • Does SCC affect the way Office Manager operates?

Hi Marcus:

SCC integration with applications using TAPI

Two points to make are:

1. UC500 allows one IP Phone control connection (commonly refered to as TAPI connection to the UC500). When the SCC is running, it uses this connection and therefore other applications that want to use the Windows TAPI driver to control the phone cannot do so. The reverse is also true. If a TAPI session is setup to a phone, then the SCC application will not work for that phone. YOu can have only one of them running.

2. We have a roadmap item to allow support Salesforce, CRM and other TAPI applications concurrently with SCC. Timing is dependent on the demand from the field.

Hi Marcus:

How many operator's can you have with one SCC Server?

The SCC Operator connects as a client to the SCC Server. The Server itself does not limit the number of Operator connections. However, the documentation does call out for a maximum numbers of ten (10) operators per server.

Deployments with more than a couple of Operators should use the UC500 hunt groups to route/distribute the calls between the operators.

Thanks

Shahryar

Hi Marcus:

Does SCC affect the way the Office Manager operates?

The SCC Server reads the configuration information from the UC500 and writes only two sets of information -- a) Radius configuration during the initial setup and b) if call forward changes are made by the operator, the user's phone forward settings can be changed.

So we do not see any way in which the Office Manager operations can be affected by the SCC solution.

Jeremy Koch
Level 1
Level 1

How do i get SCC Server to see my Global Address List in exchange? primarily for Caller ID name resolution

UC540 system with 8.6.2 Software Pack

Hi Jeremy:

The SCC performs lookup against the contacts in the SCC directories and the Personal Outlook contact folder. Therefore the GAL contacts are not looked-up for the caller ID name resolution. You can import external contact data from other sources to the SCC Server directories. This is a manual process.

From the SCC Server->Configuration Manager you can import contacts from Active Directory and from Exchange. We currently do not have the Global Address as a selection option. However you can import from Exchange Contact folders. To import:

1. Start the Conifguration Manager on the SCC Server, login and select the Manage Users/Contacts tab.

2. Click on the Import button in the toolbar, form the menu select contacts. This opens the Import Wizard.

3. Select the Import Source. This can be one of UC500 (CME); Outlook Contacts, Text file (CSV format) or Active Directory.

4. If you have specified Outlook, it will try to connect to Outlook and allow you to select the contact folder for import.

5. Select the import target directory -- Corporate or External directory.

6. Then run import.

Until GAL lookup is available, the import method is the only option. It has limitations as it has to be repeated to keep the contact information current.

Thanks

Shahryar

John Ventura
Level 1
Level 1

Thank you for your answer, Shahryar. I have other question: What are the advantages of the Smart CallConnector Advance Client and Server? How do I download this? Any pointer will be useful. Thanks.

John.

Hi John:

The key features of the Smart CallConnector Advanced Client include presence, instant messaging with federation, visual voicemail access, PC-based click-to-call, employee directory, communications history, and Outlook contact integration. Users can access communication services (call handling, IM, Presence) directly from toolbars within Outlook and Internet Explorer. The Advanced Client can improve communication efficiency in the following ways:

  • Allow you to make and answer calls, and access telephone features, from desktop PC. Auto-dial numbers from any Windows application
  • Get a popup notification of incoming calls with caller-id information from the directory and Outlook contacts
  • View presence and phone status of all your colleagues. Know if they are available, out of the office or on a call
  • View your voice messages and play back or return calls through visual voicemail
  • Ping internal employees and external partners with instant messages, send links and files
  • Access smart communication services from toolbar in Outlook. Synchronize your calendar with calendar and even change you voice mail greeting automatically
  • Veiw the history of calls and instant messages, with ability to click to call back or send messages. The call history is collected on the Server and is available for periods when the SCC application is not running
  • Click to Call, IM, Play Voicemail, View Presence and Phone Status

The SCC applications can be downloaded from http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10865/index.html; select the Download Software link.

Thanks

Shahryar

Dani Ma
Level 1
Level 1

Hello,  How  can I get support  for the SCC Operator installation? Any pointed will be useful. Thank you

- Daniel

Julio Carvalho
Level 1
Level 1

Hi, I have a question, Does  the SCC Toolbar support multiple directory integration, such as LDAP  Active Directory?

Julio

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