Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series: 8- and 16-User Configuration

Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business:

The Cisco Smart Business Communications System (SBCS) enables businesses to enhance how they reach, serve, and retain customers. It is an affordable system that gives your staff anytime, anywhere access to business information and applications, making it easier than ever to communicate with customers and each other.

Product Overview:

Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business, a critical part of the Cisco Smart Business Communications System, is an affordable appliance that provides voice, data, voicemail, Automated Attendant, video, security, and wireless capabilities while integrating with existing desktop applications such as calendar, e-mail, and customer relationship management (CRM) programs. This easy-to-manage platform supports up to 50 (with expansion capabilities to allow up to 64 phones and voicemail boxes) users and flexible deployment options based on your needs-a wide array of IP phones, public switched telephone network (PSTN) interfaces, and Internet connectivity.

Components of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series include:

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express for call processing of Cisco Unified IP phones, providing a phone system rich in features
• Cisco Unity® Express for voice messaging and Automated Attendant, to help improve communication among employees and with customers
• An integrated 8-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) local-area network (LAN) switch
• Network security functions including Cisco IOS® Firewall, which protects the wide-area network (WAN) entry point into your network, and virtual private network (VPN), which gives up to 10 remote users highly secure access to your network
• Optional integrated wireless LAN (WLAN) capability on some models or external access points and Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Modules, to enable mobile networking, which can help increase employee flexibility and productivity
• Cisco Configuration Assistant so you can easily configure devices and technologies including unified communications (phones and software), switching, routing, security, and wireless
• Optional remote system-monitoring capabilities

Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series also supports (sold separately):

• Cisco Unified IP Phones and Cisco Small Business Pro IP Phones, including wireless handsets and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones
• Cisco Unified CallConnectors for integration with Windows PC applications including Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or Salesforce.com CRM
• An ability to expand switching capabilities through a connection to Cisco Catalyst® Express 520 Series Switches, which provide an additional 8 to 24 ports

Cisco Unified IP Phones:

As a key component of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series, Cisco Unified IP Phones and communications devices are designed to take full advantage of converged voice and data networks. These devices offer the convenience and user friendliness found in business phones, and can help improve productivity by meeting the needs of different users throughout your organization.

The Cisco Unified IP Phone portfolio provides the following:

• IP phones with LCD displays, including dynamic soft keys for call features and functions
• Support for information services, including Extensible Markup Language (XML) capabilities to extend IP phone systems, giving you access to a variety of information, such as stock quotes, employee directories, and Web-based content

Cisco Unified IP Phones provide a complete IP phone system portfolio with ease of use, excellent audio quality, increased accessibility for people with disabilities, ergonomic physical design, and advanced services and features.

The Cisco Unified IP Phone portfolio includes options for use from wherever you are: the company lobby, the manufacturing floor, the executive suite, at home, on the road, or in a branch office.

Cisco Unified IP Phone Portfolio

Cisco Unified IP Phones 500 Series:

The Cisco Unified IP Phones 521G, 521SG, 524G, and 524SG (Figure 5) are a set of entry-level IP phones that provide key system type functionality, built specifically for use with Cisco's Unified Communications 500 Series platforms. These phones can be used to handle low to moderate telephone traffic. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 521G and 521SG are single-line IP phones with two call line appearances. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 524G and 524SG are four-line IP phones with eight call line appearances. Four dynamic soft keys on each phone guide you through core business features and functions, while a backlit monochrome pixel-based display combines intuitive features, calling information, and device system information. The Cisco Unified IP Phones 521G, 521SG, 524G and 524SG offer IEEE 802.3af PoE, or local power through an optional power adapter.

Cisco Unified IP Phone 500 Series

The phones in the Cisco Unified IP Phone 500 Series work exclusively with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business and cannot be used with other Cisco call processing platforms.

Cisco Small Business Pro IP Phones SPA500 Series

The Cisco Small Business Pro IP Phone SPA525G (Figure 6) is a five-line wireless IP phone with 10 call line appearances. The SPA525G IP Phone is available in SIP and the Smart Phone Control Protocol (SPCP) versions. The SPCP version is built specifically for use with Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series platforms.

Cisco Small Business Pro IP Phone SPA525G

The SPA525G Wireless-G client enables the deployment of the Unified Communications 500 Series without cables, for easier installation. The Cisco SPA525G also offers IEEE 802.3af PoE, or local power through an optional power adapter. In addition, its built-in support for Bluetooth headset connectivity provides greater flexibility to small business users requiring desktop flexibility. Its superior high-resolution color screen and its audio quality bring the SPA525G user to a new level of experience. The SPA525G features include, in addition to the standard business call features, support for corporate directory access and web-based weather and news services, as well as an MP3 player.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express:

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is a Cisco IOS Software solution embedded in the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series appliance that provides call processing for Cisco Unified IP Phones. Simple to deploy, administer, and maintain, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express is a reliable, feature-rich telephony solution.

Cisco Unity Express:

Embedded Cisco Unity Express helps enable voicemail, desktop messaging, and Automated-Attendant services for increased customer service and a rich employee communications experience.

Cisco Unified CallConnectors for Windows PC Applications:

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series integrates with common Windows desktop applications to give your business access to productivity gains once available only to large businesses. With Cisco Unified CallConnectors, you can integrate your Cisco Unified IP Phones with common business applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or Salesforce.com CRM.

LAN Switching and Routing:

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series has an integrated, managed Ethernet switch that provides eight ports of 10/100 PoE optimized for integration with the Cisco Smart Business Communications System. Additionally, you can expand the system capacity by connecting the recommended Cisco Catalyst Express 520 Series Switch. Providing 8 to 24 additional ports of 10/100 PoE, this switch ships with a predefined software configuration that enables it to work immediately with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series platform. The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series supports static routing and routing between VLANs and the built-in interfaces.

Firewall for Network Security:

Security is a fundamental element of any network, and Cisco products play an important role in embedding security at the customer's access edge. The Cisco IOS Firewall is a stateful-inspection firewall available with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series. Built from market-leading Cisco PIX^® Firewall Software technologies, the Cisco IOS Firewall is a base feature on the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series platform; it is ideal for protecting the WAN entry point into the network.

Virtual Private Networking:

VPNs carry private data over a public network and extend remote access to users over a shared infrastructure. Maintaining the same security and management policies as private networks, VPNs are the most cost-effective means of establishing point-to-point connections between remote users and a central network. VPNs have been the fastest-growing form of network connectivity, and Cisco takes this approach to a new level by making VPN functions an integral part of the Cisco Unified Communications family of products. The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series supports a maximum of 10 VPNs and includes built-in hardware-based encryption acceleration that offloads IP security (IPSec), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Data Encryption Standard (DES), and Triple DES (3DES) encryption and VPN processes to provide increased VPN throughput on the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series platform.

Wireless Mobility Services:

The 8- and 16-user models of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series support an optional integrated WLAN access point for secure WLAN connectivity. As part of the Cisco Smart Business Communications System, the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series also supports the Cisco 521 Wireless Express Access Point. In addition, for best-in-class wireless mobility, the Cisco 526 Wireless Express Mobility Controller can be added to create a unified system of access points. Deploying these access points enables your business to add WLAN telephony as well as wireless access to data applications. Wireless services allow greater mobility for employees, partners, and customers, resulting in increased productivity.

Note: The 24-, 32- and 48-user models of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series do not support an optional integrated WLAN access point. These models can use the Cisco 521 Wireless Express Access Point and the Cisco 526 Wireless Express Mobility Controller to enable WLAN functions.

Cisco Configuration Assistant:

The Cisco Configuration Assistant, a PC-based, intuitive GUI configuration tool, is an integral component of the Cisco Smart Business Communications System. With a focus on ease of use, it simplifies the task of configuring and modifying multiple technologies, such as unified communications, switching, routing, security, and wireless. Features include an interactive topology view, front-panel views of devices, wireless deployment setup wizard and drag-and-drop Cisco IOS Software upgrades.

Cisco Configuration Assistant

Features and Benefits:

Architecture Features and Benefits:

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series integrates voice, data, video, security, wireless, and management into one platform. It brings unified communications to small businesses and organizations by providing a simplified, affordable solution that is easy to configure, deploy, and manage. By combining call control, messaging, and mobility into one device, the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series eliminates the added costs of multiple servers and provides a solution that is easy to set up and manage at a lower price point.

Unified Communications Features:

IP telephony is currently experiencing tremendous growth, accelerated by access to value-added features and applications that only IP telephony can provide to the end user. Additionally, the cost benefits of converging data, voice, and video on a single network are adding to the rapid acceptance of this technology. Because it is integrated into a single system, Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business enhances the advantages of convergence by offering the following benefits:

• Cost-effective operations through a single, integrated voice-and-data platform for all small-office needs: This highly reliable platform provides robust QoS and the right level of security, encryption, and firewall to deliver enhanced VPN services to meet small-business needs. The system delivers integrated IP telephony, voicemail, and Automated-Attendant functions, allowing you to deploy one device to address all your business needs-thereby simplifying management, maintenance, and operations and delivering a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Sophisticated key system and private branch exchange (PBX) capabilities: Small businesses have different workflows and require specialized features to support their work practices. The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series delivers a robust set of telephony features for the small office and delivers unique, value-added capabilities through XML. These capabilities, which cannot be delivered by traditional systems, enhance the productivity of the end user and the business.
• Remote maintenance and troubleshooting: You can use the industry-standard Cisco IOS Software command-line interface (CLI) or user-friendly GUI to configure and administer the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series system

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series appliance offers the feature set available with Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express 7.0 and Cisco Unity Express 3.2.

Note: Cisco Unified IP Phone 500 Series work exclusively with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business and cannot be used with other Cisco call processing platforms. Cisco Configuration Assistant Release 1.6 (or a more recent release) and Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(11)XW7 (or a more recent release) are required in order for the 521G and 524G phones to be recognized by the Unified Communications 500 Series. Cisco Configuration Assistant Release 1.7 (or a more recent release) and Cisco IOS Software Releases 12.4(11)XW9 or 12.4(20)T (or more recent releases) are required for the 521SG and 524SG phones.

 

Network Security Features and Benefits

Security is a fundamental part of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series.

Wireless Support Features and Benefits:

The 8- and 16-user models of the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series support an optional integrated WLAN access point for highly secure WLAN connectivity.

Note: The 24-, 32- and 48-user models do not support an optional integrated WLAN access point. These models can use the Cisco 521 Wireless Express Access Point and the Cisco 526 Wireless Express Mobility Controller to enable WLAN functions. Table 4 summarizes the wireless features.

For additional flexibility and easy deployment, the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series can be deployed without network cabling, by using its integrated or external wireless access points and the built-in wireless client on the Cisco Small Business Pro IP Phone SPA525G.

Summary:

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business is a simple, smart, and affordable solution designed specifically for growing businesses with 8 to 50 employees per site. It integrates industry-leading, business-class, proven unified communications technologies (voice, data, video, security, and wireless) into one platform and facilitates integration with commonly used desktop applications such as Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, IBM Lotus Notes, and CRM software. Functions include Automated Attendant and voicemail, PSTN and Internet connectivity, and analog phone and fax machine support. A wide array of IP phones are supported by PoE ports. The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series also provides the capability for voice, video, and data networking and allows business owners and employees to be securely connected to the office while they are traveling or working from their home offices.

Technical Specifications:

 

 

Compare Models:

 

 

Documentation:

Download the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business Datasheet (PDF).