PBX based Unity

[jasadi]

Hello,<br>In a IP based Unity connectivity where there is no Cisco Call Manager/CCM involved, can an IP card be installed in all the Unity supported PBXs so the connectivity between PBXs and Unity become IP based rather than through In-band, RS232, or Calista connectivity method? If yes, are there various IP card to select from (names, models, description would be appreciated).<br><br>Thanks...<br><br>

[#2]

The only supported Unity-IP integration is with CallManager. All legacy PBX support is done with voice boards and a serial connection if necessary. This is the case even if the Legacy PBX has IP capabilities.

Steve Olivier
Software Engineer
Cisco Systems

[jasadi]

Thanks Steve.
Can a Unity server be setup to support/integerate with both CCM and PBX ( having voice card installed in Unity). Or, need a dedicated Unity for CCM integeration and the other Unity server for PBX.

[#4]

Yes, Unity can support what we call dual-switch integration. That support is for connecting a single Unity to both a CallManager and a Legacy PBX. What is not supported is connecting to two Legacy PBXs.

Steve Olivier
Software Engineer
Cisco Systems

[jasadi]

A couple of clarifications for my sake:
-In a multi PBX scenario, I guess you can distribute the PBXs into a single PBX per Unity server?
-Remote PBX(s) integeration with Unity will be only through T1 integeration?
-Cisco's IP-PSTN gateway connects IP telephony to PSTN world. So, another way of integerting the "company" PBXs with Unity/IP telephony is through this gateway?

Thanks Steve...

[#6]

We would have to define "Multiple PBXs". If that means several PBXs of the same type all networked together to look and feel like one great big PBX, then yes it can be done. There are several NEC systems out there like this. Always remember, from Unity's point of view, it's all one big switch. It has no knowledge of the other switches it is not directly connected to. So, the PBX system must completely abstract the networked switches from Unity. It should make call addressing from and call control to the "remote" switches be exactly the same as it is for the directly connected switch.

You had mentioned T1 connections from remote switches. Unity doesn't really care which connectivity method is used to connect network switches, but you'd be hard pressed to support integration features from remote switches if they use something other than PRI. The network switches would connect to the switch that services Unity, not to Unity itself.

If "Multiple PBXs" means several PBXs of different types not networked together, then I don't see a way of it being done. It would not be TAC supported.

You are absolutely correct on the gateway. With the gateway, you can tie together a Legacy PBX and CallManager to give Unity a dual-switch integration (so if a call comes into the Cisco side of the Unity integration, Unity can transfer the call to a Legacy PBX extension).



Steve Olivier
Software Engineer
Cisco Systems