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Cisco and IBM Global Services Demonstrate Integration Between IBM Lotus Sametime and the New Cisco Unified Communications System at VoiceCon 2006


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Demonstration shows presence federated on the new Cisco Unified Presence Server for Voice and Instant Message Collaboration, aggregated with Lotus Sametime presence.

ORLANDO, Florida, March 6, 2006 - Today at VoiceCon 2006, IBM and Cisco Systems demonstrated a customized plug-in for the upcoming release of IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5 and the new Cisco Unified Call Manager 5.0.

This plug-in makes it possible to send an instant message to the Cisco IP phone and also aggregates the user’s IP phone presence information and displays it in the Lotus Sametime Connect client. When deployed with the IBM Global Services “Click to Call” functionality, users will be able to right-click on a name in their Lotus Sametime contact list, and call the person on their Cisco Unified IP phones.

This standards-based technology integration, which uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to enable call setup, and SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE) to share presence information between the IBM and Cisco platforms will help enterprises communicate more effectively. This demonstration takes advantage of the Lotus Sametime 7.5 standards-based Eclipse environment, showcasing Lotus Sametime 7.5 as an extensible platform of rich, real-time applications.

Using simple color-coded icons within the Lotus Sametime Connect client, users can see both the online and phone status aggregated for each contact. Right clicking a contact’s name allows the user to select either IM to begin a chat or Call to make a telephone call. If a person isn’t available to receive an instant message, Lotus Sametime’s integrated click-to-call capability will automatically route the message to the user’s IP phone.

The industry-leading demonstration illustrates the use of the new Cisco Unified Presence Server for standards-based integration with leading third party developers, such as IBM, to federate presence applications with the Cisco Unified Communications system. The Click to Call service within Lotus Sametime showcases the native SIP support on Cisco Unified CallManager 5.0 by using SIP to establish the call connectivity.

The Cisco Unified Presence Server publishes the Lotus Sametime status for each contact stored in the Cisco Unified IP Phone. The Lotus Sametime status is federated along with the user’s phone and video status. Users can now check whether a contact is online in Lotus Sametime and available to receive an instant message. If they are, users can send an IM directly from the Cisco IP phone and it will automatically display the message in a Lotus Sametime chat window on the person’s desktop.

“The emergence of integrating presence applications to streamline communications amongst employees is one area that is garnering tremendous interest from enterprise customers worldwide,” said Zeus Kerravala, vice president of infrastructure research and consulting at Yankee Group. “Cisco and IBM demonstrating standards-based integration of presence applications within a leading IP communications systems environment is indicative of this trend and the forthcoming delivery of these solutions.”

“By working together with IBM on standards-based technology, we have shown that it is possible to link Unified Communications with desktop applications to help users connect with co-workers more efficiently,” said Barry O’Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Cisco’s IP Communications Business Unit. “The federated presence capability in Cisco Unified Presence Server will ultimately help to drive enhanced communications and productivity within the enterprise.”

“Real time technology is critical to business success as collaboration and voice communications converge to drive effective decision-making. This demonstration of integration between the IBM and Cisco platforms shows how we can deliver an On Demand style of real time communications, more effectively meeting the needs of our joint customers,” said Bob Kritzer, vice president, IBM Global Services.

The integration being demonstrated at VoiceCon will be available as a services engagement from IBM Global Services (IGS). IGS offers a range of services that address all phases of the solution’s life cycle. Cisco and IBM also offer joint solutions incorporating Unified Messaging with Lotus Domino, Cisco MeetingPlace with Lotus Notes, and Cisco Voice Portal with Websphere Application Server.
About the IBM and Cisco Alliance

IBM and Cisco have forged a unique, broad-reaching relationship to better enable their customers’ transformation to an On Demand Business. The two companies offer a shared strategy of integrated solutions, technologies and products, as well as their combined world-class leadership in solutions, services, hardware, software, and networking. For more information about the IBM and Cisco alliance, please visit: www.ibm.com/services/alliances/cisco, or www.cisco.com/go/ibm.
About IBM

IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key IBM Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that help enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business on demand. For more information about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, this year celebrates 20 years of commitment to technology innovation, industry leadership, and corporate social responsibility. Information on Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.



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