Cisco

Cisco Patches CUCM Security Flaw

Cisco is preparing to launch the next release of their Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) product - CUCM 7.0. But, last week they released an update for the current CUCM release. Actually, they released a total of 12 security updates or patches, but 11 of them deal with Cisco’s IOS and only 1 of them is related to CUCM.

The CUCM threats have been rated by Secunia as ‘moderately critical’. Vulnerable systems may be exposed to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks from a successful exploit. You can get more information from the Cisco Security Advisory and download the appropriate updates directly from Cisco.

Video Conference Via SmartPhone

Throw away your excuses. You won’t be missing any more meetings. As long as you have your mobile phone, you will only be a click away. CallWave is rolling out the Beta version of FUZE which, according to a Network World article, “delivers high-definition synchronized video, document collaboration and audioconferencing from any Web browser-, 3G- or Wi-Fi-enabled device.”

That sounds pretty impressive. What is more impressive is that CallWave has also integrated this application with Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007, enabling expanded unified communications functionality including the ability to invite / add users to a meeting with a simple click of the mouse. FUZE also works with the Cisco Unified Communication Manager (CUCM) IP PBX. In addition, CallWave has announced imminent support for the Apple iPhone, as well as support coming soon for Avaya, Mitel, Nortel, and other IP PBX platforms.

Cisco Reversing Course?

As unified communications entered into the mainstream consciousness, a few major players emerged. Two of them were Cisco and Microsoft. They have very different visions for what unified communications means and very different approaches to get their customers there.

At one point, they actually called a cease fire of sorts and agreed to cooperate in the interest of the greater good. That amiable agreement was quickly tossed aside though once they started rolling out products and one-upping each other about which is the right way to do it.

Now Gurdeep Singh Pall, the head of Microsoft’s Unified Communications team, offers up some insights in a recent blog post. He claims that Cisco has now seen the error of their ways and that they are shifting gears and reversing course to try and play catch-up with Microsoft’s Unified Communications platform. Recent purchases, like the announcement that Cisco is buying Jabber, seem to support this change of strategy and direction on the part of Cisco.

Cisco Buys Jabber

With the speed of computers and networks today, email is virtually instant. But, many corporations consider instant messaging to be a valuable complement to email communications and a vital component of efficient communications. When 10 seconds is just too long to wait for an email to be delivered, you can rely on instant messaging to get your message there even faster.

When instant messaging first emerged, it was primarily consumer oriented and handicapped by its own proprietary nature. AOL users could only communicate with AOL users. ICQ users could only communicate with ICQ users. Etc. Jabber came onto the scene as one of the first products to legitimize instant messaging for corporate use. Jabber enabled companies to house the instant messaging server on the internal network where they could monitor, maintain, log, and secure the communications. It also provided cross-platform support, allowing users of Jabber to communicate with AOL, ICQ, Yahoo, and other instant messaging platforms.

I used Jabber at a former employer. It seemed like a solid and functional tool and I liked the ability to communicate with disparate instant messaging systems. Cisco apparently has seen the value in Jabber as well. They are purchasing the instant messaging company to add the functionality and capabilities to their line of unified communications products. You can learn more from this Information Week article.

Cisco Unified Communications Vulnerability

Security vulnerability research firm Secunia reports “A vulnerability and a security issue have been reported in Cisco Unified Communications Manager, which can be exploited by malicious people to bypass certain security restrictions or to cause a DoS (Denial of Service).” The vulnerability is only rated as Less Critical by Secunia, so it is not an urgent issue, but users of Cisco Unified Communications Manager should be aware and investigate the availability of patches or updates to address the problem.

D-Link Takes on Cisco for UC Switching

D-Link, an established name in consumer wired and wireless networking, is targeting rival Cisco to deliver switching solutions for unified communications. D-Link is one of the primary partners with Microsoft for their Response Point communications package, a simple, cost-effective product for small and medium businesses (SMB) which provides many of the benefits of an enterprise unified communications implementation without the cost or complexity. D-Link plans to deliver a range of products aimed at providing unified communications for the SMB market, and they envision being able to achieve 50 percent profit margins in this hot, cutting edge arena.

Wireless VoIP

If you have ever set up or worked with a wireless network, you are probably familiar with the fact that the signal quality isn’t always the best. Depending on your wireless networking hardware and how you have it configured, the layout and materials used in the structure your network is in, and possible interference from other electronics and communications equipment, the wireless network connection can be erratic. The same can be said for those who may have worked with or set up a VoIP communications system. The issues are different, but the problems still arise with bandwidth and signal quality. It can be difficult to maintain the quality of voice communications over a VoIP network. Imagine then what types of issues you might encounter if you try to implement a VoIP communications system over a wireless network. Yikes! On May 1, Cisco is presenting a webcast entitled Extending VoIP to Wireless LAN’s which will cover six technical challenges you must address, capacity planning, roaming, security issues, and more. For more details, or to register to attend the webcast, click here.

XO Communications and Cisco Work Together

XO Communications’ XO SIP has passed interoperability tests with Cisco’s Smart Business Communications System. The combination of the 500 series unified communications solution from Cisco, and XO SIP, provides customers with a managed SIP trunking solution for the Cisco unified communications platform. You can learn more about both products, and the benefits of their partnership, from this CNNMoney.com article.

Microsoft and Nortel Strengthen UC Partnership

Officially, Microsoft and Nortel have been buddies on the Unified Communications front for over a year and a half. Prior to now, however, the partnership was more rhetoric and lip service than actual solutions and products. Now, the partnership is resulting in a flurry of joint products designed to play together for an even more unified Unified Communications. Nortel released Nortel Converged Office, which integrates Nortel’s Communication Server 1000 IP-PBX with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. Microsoft has also certified the Nortel Secure Router 4134 to run Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. The combination of Microsoft and Nortel is a formidable team capable of going to head to head with other network and telephony communications providers in the UC arena such as Avaya and Cisco. Read Nortel, Microsoft Expand Unified Communications at InternetNews.com for more details about the Microsoft / Nortel partnership and the new products and services that have resulted from it.

Microsoft and Cisco Fight For UC Dominance

When unified communications was still but a gleam in the eye of its creators, Microsoft and Cisco became mortal enemies jockeying for supremacy. At one point, they shook hands and promised to play nice, but now that seems more like some sort of calculated attempt at gaining inside knowledge on each other, or lulling the opponent into lowering its defenses. As soon as Microsoft had their UCC (Unified Communications and Collaboration) launch, Cisco dropped the gloves and slammed Microsoft’s approach. Since then, the two have gone back to calling a spade a spade and just doing battle openly rather than pretending to be friends. This article, The Cisco-Microsoft battle for unified communications, on ComputerWorld looks at the rivalry, and what’s at stake for the winner, in depth.