Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM): Components, Features, and More

Cisco Unified Communication Manager (CUCM) is the foundation of Cisco’s UC solutions, powering enterprise voice, video, and messaging across different locations and devices. CUCM provides scalable call control and session management, seamlessly connecting remote or hybrid teams. It gives employees the mobility and flexibility to work from anywhere, consolidates multiple channels into one interface, and simplifies configuration and maintenance. CUCM scales to meet the infrastructure needs of local and global businesses, lowering operating and communications costs. It optimizes call quality, keeps communications secure, and supports essential call management and collaboration features.

In this post, we take a closer look at CUCM, exploring key components, features, benefits, and more.

• What is CUCM?
• Cisco UC Components
• Benefits of CUCM
• Key CUCM Features
• How to Buy and Integrate
• Additional UCaaS Providers
• FAQs

What is Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM)?

Cisco Unified Communications Manager (formerly Cisco CallManage) is an enterprise call and session management infrastructure that streamlines team communication and collaboration for today’s hybrid workforce.

CUCM unites registered IP phones, mobile devices, desktop computers, and other endpoints into a single UC platform – regardless of end user location. It’s the architecture that makes it possible for teams and customers to connect on their preferred devices across multiple channels, including:

• VoIP Telephony
• Video and Rich-Media Conferencing
• Instant Team Chat Messaging with User Presence
• Customer Contact Center
• External Applications
• Data Integration

With CUCM, users have the flexibility to take business calls on analog desk phones or desktop computers, send a quick chat message on a tablet, or even start a video call from a smartphone.

Unified CM also powers essential call management features like call processing, dial plan administration, directory services, and more.

CUCM optimizes the functionality of Cisco’s Unified Communications Suite. It ensures seamless  interoperability with a variety of Cisco applications like Webex, Cisco Jabber, Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise, and more–while maintaining high availability, quality of service and security. It also operates with a variety of third-party apps like Microsoft Teams and Slack.

CUCM is a scalable solution designed to improve communication at every phase of your business while helping you avoid paying for features you don’t need.

As of this writing, over 300,000 customers rely on Cisco Unified Communications Manager for call and session management with over 120 million Cisco and softphones.

Cisco UC Components

Cisco’s unified communications structure combines voice, video, and data traffic in a single network infrastructure.

Cisco’s equipment manages these three traffic types while interfacing with all standards-based network protocols. Through leveraging a multi-layered system, Cisco provides a network of integrated, coordinated products.

Let’s look at each component layer and how they work together to provide UC services.

Infrastructure Layer

The infrastructure layer consists of routers, switches, and voice gateways.

It transports data, voice, and video between network devices and applications, while ensuring high availability, management functionality, quality of service, and overall network security.

Call Control Layer

The call control layer handles call processing, dial plan administration and features, and device control. Call control functionality is managed independently from the infrastructure layer, processing calls between geographic locations without sacrificing call quality.

Applications Layer

Cisco keeps applications independent from call controls functions and the physical voice-processing infrastructure.

Instead, applications are integrated through IP, allowing them to reside anywhere within the network. Some popular applications include Cisco Unified MeetingPlace, Cisco Emergency Responder, Cisco Unified Presence, and standard protocol interfaces, including Telephony Application Programming Interface, Java Telephone Program Interface, and Simple Object Access Protocol.

Endpoints Layer

The endpoints layer brings the CUCM application and functionality to the user. It connects communication channels and features to a user’s current device, or “endpoint.”

Endpoints can include a Cisco IP phone, a desktop computer softphone, video calling hardware, a smartphone, and any other compatible communication device.

Benefits of Cisco Unified Communications Manager

Cisco has provided IP communications services and applications since 1997. This length of service, combined with Cisco’s massive partner ecosystem, lets customers choose from a wide array of tools while lowering operating costs. Let’s look more at the overall benefits CUCM provides.

Lower Operating Costs 

CUCM consolidates your tech stack, allowing team members to communicate solely through Cisco’s unified interface. Switching to a single-vendor approach from a multi-vendor approach lowers your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by as much as 56%.[*]

In particular, unified communications provides quick communications that prevent team members from needing to constantly switch between applications thanks to tool consolidation. UC also lets users choose preferred communication channels that fit their overall needs.

Increased Productivity

Unified Communications tools consolidate voice,video, and messaging channels into a single interface, eliminating excessive app switching and automatically synching data. Nearly 70% of workers lose up to 1 hour each day switching between apps–which adds up to 32 days each year.

But endless app switching doesn’t just waste time in the moment–it also disrupts workflows and breaks focus.

56% of employees say looking for information across different apps is disruptive, while 31% say app switching makes them lose their train of thought. App switching is so insidious that over 50% of people say they’d rather do household chores or pay bills than navigate between apps.[*]

Taking app switching out of the equation means a more productive and happier workforce–and one with fewer miscommunications.

Mobility and Flexibility

Unified communications empower transformational workspaces that allow employees to work from any location, and on any device. Team members can switch locations and devices throughout the workday and, thanks to features like call flip, even during active conversations.

CUCM provides workers with the tools they need to succeed and offers extensive features to support mobile and remote workers.

78% of workers say the flexibility to work remotely is their number-one priority when job hunting.[*] Offering team members the remote work options allows you to attract–and maintain–better talent.

Scalability 

Licensing for CUCM is determined by the total number of users, user features, and devices configured, so organizations only pay for what they need.

Not only is it easy to add new users, but it also means CUCM supports the needs of small businesses, enterprise-level corporations of up to 80,000 users, and everything in between. It’s a communications and collaboration solution that grows alongside your company and adapts to changing business needs.

Open and Interoperable

CUCM features a wide ecosystem of third-party integrations and solutions plus partners.

By taking advantage of Cisco’s gigantic network, users benefit from rich collaboration tools embedded in your line-of-business applications. This includes partnerships with major companies like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, Salesforce and Dropbox.

Secure and Compliant

CUCM supports the latest authentication, encryption, and communication protocols.

The platform complies with key industry certifications, meeting the highest standards set out by the financial services, manufacturing, retail and government customers across the world. This includes HIPAA, GDPR, PC, CJIS and FedRAMP, among others. Regardless of industry, your business benefits from these high security standards. CUCM supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with a 128-bit encryption key and a 32-bit authentication tag used as the encryption cipher.

Key CUCM Features

Let’s look at some of the key voice, video, and messaging unified communications features CUCM provides within the streamlined Cisco Jabber interface.

IM and Presence Service

Cisco offers real-time chat messaging and user presence monitoring through a standards-based enterprise platform. Users can update their status automatically or manually, so colleagues can quickly see who is available to assist them.

The Webex Messaging platform, Cisco’s native team chat application, includes features like file sharing and co-editing, user mentions, emojis, two-way white boarding, message pinning and forwarding, and public/private channels (spaces).

Cisco Webex Meetings

CUCM also powers video conferencing, most notably through Cisco Webex Meetings. Up to 1,000 participants can meet for 24 hours, and meetings can be scheduled or ad hoc.

Top Webex Meetings features include breakout sessions, in-meeting polling, live meeting translation in 100+ languages, meeting recording, meeting cohosts, screen and file sharing with annotations, and virtual backgrounds.

Cisco Analytics

Cisco offers a wide range of analytics integrations that monitor both network performance and KPIs. Users can review Webex cloud-connected UC analytics reports, call quality analytics, call logs, and even reports about endpoint, memory, disk, and CPU utilization. CUCM also provides end-to-end network insights, traffic route analysis, wireless interference reports, and root-cause isolation.

Cisco’s SD-WAN analytics tools, Cisco ThousandEyes and Cisco vAnalytics, provide detailed network analysis, forecast potential capacity issues, and provide predictive path recommendations to maintain quality service.

Voice Calling Features

CUCM facilitates a wide variety of voice calling features that can be customized in the Dial Plan Administration interface. Key voice features include call routing, call queuing, call recording, and auto attendants.

We’ll take a look at CUCM’s calling features in greater detail now:

• Dial Plan Administration: Set of configurable lists that CUCM uses to perform call routing, allowing users to create scalable dial plans. Admins set rules about call types, preferable and alternative call paths, extension dialing, Caller ID, call translation, and more.
• Call Routing: CUCM automatically routes calls between registered devices. Users can customize call routing flows based on a database of Cisco IP phones and computer telephony integration (CTI) ports configured in the system. Admins can further customize call paths with features like call hold, call forwarding, call transfer, call park, and more.
• Call Queuing: CUCM allows users to place calls in a set queue until they are ready to answer them. Administrators can set the call queuing default so callers receive an announcement before the call is extended, enable automated callbacks, or route callers to different ring groups.
• Call Recording: CUCM supports three types of call recording, available in both single cluster and multi-cluster environments:automated call recording, selective silent recording, and selective user recording.
• Remote Worker Emergency Calling: Admins can set up reliable emergency communications for remote teams via a VPN. to remote workers through a VPN. Off-premise users have their lines routed through a Public Safety Answering Point with their location information delivered with each call. This ensures first responders can quickly find remote workers in the event of an emergency.
• Auto-Attendant: Automatically forwards customers to the best available agent based on spoken or touch tone responses to pre-recorded call prompts, eliminating the need for a live receptionist.

Directory Services

CUCM leverages an internal database to store information.

It conducts user authentication against this directory and can synchronize it for centralized user management. This process allows for CUCM to use integrated tools such as Microsoft Active Directory (2000 and 2003), Netscape 4.x, iPlanet 5.1, and Sun ONE 5.2.

CUCM allows for local and external directors. The local directories concern an individual’s own organization, while the external directories can support outside URLs. Cisco Unified IP phone capabilities determine if these services can operate with that site. CUCM also offers Called-Name Display, which provides the user’s full name as opposed to just their phone number.

Programming Interface to External Applications

CUCM provides a programming interface to external applications such as Cisco IP SoftPhone, Cisco IP Communicator, Cisco Unified IP Interactive Voice Response (IP IVR), Cisco Personal Assistant, Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, and CUCM Attendant Console.

How to Buy and Integrate CUCM

CUCM is available for purchase directly from Cisco via Cisco Smart Software Licensing. The Smart Licensing program lets customers purchase, share, and manage licenses, eliminating the need for product activation keys.

Users can choose subscription-based or perpetual licensing options. Buying Programs like Enterprise, Managed Service License, or Provider Networking Agreements Simplify license management and provide greater scalability. Admins simply create a Smart Account (a central license management hub), choose their preferred deployment option, and manage their products as needed.

Additional details are available in our Webex pricing guide.

Integrations

Cisco Unified Communications Manager is designed to integrate best with Cisco hardware and software, though it’s also compatible with third-party devices and business communication applications.

Native Cisco endpoint hardware integrations include Cisco IP phones, Webex Boards, Webex Room Series, Webex Headsets, and Webex Desk Pro. Find more here.

Third-party hardware integrations include Poly and Yealink IP phones, Jabra Headsets, and Algo.

CUCM integrates with Cisco business communication solutions like:

• Webex Meetings
• Webex Calling
• Cisco Jabber
• Cisco Unified Mobility
• Webex Events
• Cisco UC Manager IM and Presence Service
• Cisco Webex Messenger
• Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise
• Cisco Business Edition 7000
• Cisco Business Edition 6000
• Cisco Network Route Director
• Cisco UC Integration for Microsoft Lync
• Cisco Expressway Series
• Cisco Unified Border Element
• Cisco Emergency Responder
• Cisco Office Manager
• Cisco Paging Server
• Cisco RSVP Agent
• Cisco Unified CallConnectors
• Cisco Unified Communications Widgets
• Cisco WebAttendant

Additional Unified Communications Providers

If Cisco Unified Communications Manager doesn’t seem like it suits your needs, consider one of the four UC platform alternatives listed below.

FAQs

Below we answered some of the frequently asked questions about Cisco Unified Communications Manager.