Special features for Cisco UC

Contact Manager features multilevel administration through the web interface, web search (both google-style and advanced), contacts synchronization with external sources, internal and external contacts with custom fields.

On Cisco Unified CallManager and Cisco Unified CallManager Express environment, Contact Manager also adds the following features.

XML directories

The directories can be browsed, searched and modified directly on the IP Phone (depending on the user's permissions). The IP phone interface is fully customisable and you can choose which fields to show and to search, including up to ten custom fields.

Contact Manager supports Extension Mobility so that users can log to different phones and use their public and personal contacts from there.

Fast Search

Searching for the right contact can be tedious if you have large directories, but Contact Manager provides a Fast Search feature also known as search-as-you-type. Similarly to the T9 technology for mobile phones, the contacts are searched based on the letters printed on the IP phone dial pad. For instance, you can type John pressing 5,6,4,6.

Caller ID

On Cisco Unified CallManager Contact Manager also provides the Caller ID service (also called directory lookup). When a call rings on the phone, a search for the calling number is automatically made on the user's directories and, if a match is found, the caller name is displayed.

Click To Dial

Log onto the web interface, press the Directories icon and and perform a search. Click on one of the contact's telephone numbers and your IP phone will place the call automatically.

Note: this feature is not available to the IAS administrator, who does not have a profile and cannot be assigned to an IP phone.

Architecture

Contact Manager is able to associate an IP phone to a user in the user's list. It can use the IP Phone primary extension, MAC address, or the extension mobility login username (this username must be entered in the "PBX username" field in the IAS user profile).

When any IP Phone queries for address books, it sends its MAC address on the same query. Contact Manager works as a web service that is able to catch the phone requests. It identifies the IAS user and checks if he or she is permitted to read the directories. In this case it replies showing:

• All available public directories
• The department directories that the user is permitted to see
• All private directories

Contact Manager also includes a service which periodically executes queries on the PBX to retrieve the registered phones IP addresses. Then it monitors the phones through TAPI. When a call rings on a phone, Contact Manager performs a lookup in the directories and executes an HTTP push towards the phone IP address. The HTTP page which Contact Manager sends includes the contact name.

Note: by default the caller ID feature is also active for IP phones not associated to any user, consulting only public directories. This behaviour can be changed through the "Manage Service" page.