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Get Smart in 2010 - Get this in your budget/plan.
CYBER-December Special - save 50%
For those with year-end budget or just want to save money, you can register for OCS Expo before December 31 and save 50+%. If you pay or get us a PO by December 31, your registration fee for OCS Forum Expo is only $595 instead of $1195. We can even give you team discounts for three or more.
Call 303-594-1694 or email cross@gocross.com if you need help, an invoice or payment options.
Starting in January, registration fees are $795 until April 1 and then $1195 thereafter after. There is an educational, nonprofit and government discount to $795.
OCS Forum Expo 2010 - Boulder - June 15-16 at the St. Julien Hotel (www.stjulien.com) with keynotes from OCS MVPs, Media Gateway/SBC experts, customers, planners and others.
Attendees and exhibitors will receive thousands of dollars in valuable videos, training courses and online access to a "live" OCS system.
There will be sessions on OCS Planning, QoS, Security, Firewalls, Media Gateways, PBX Integration, Mobile OCS, Communicator, WAN-Bandwidth Planning, Customer Applications, Troubleshooting, Session Border Controllers and others.
Click here for prospectus, speaker/exhibitor/attendee information or contact Tom Cross cross@gocross.com or 303-594-1694.
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Here's some of the great OCS solutions presenting at OCS Forum Expo:
Uncommon Solutions presents OCS Solutions at OCS Expo
Uncommon Solutions' OCS-certified engineers design, deploy and integrate OCS solutions. We are a Microsoft Gold Partner with the 1st Microsoft-approved OCS appliance designed to facilitate real-time communication services and improve business processes. Uncommon Solutions is uncommon in our ability to address business goals with IT solutions that measure cost against value. Click here www.uncommonsolutions.com for more information.
911 Enable Presents OCS Solutions at OCS Expo
911 Enable provides simple to deploy, easy to manage E911 solutions for IP telephony, including a solution designed to meet the unique requirements of Microsoft OCS. Its solutions include a national E911 call routing service, automated phone tracking appliance, and security desk notification system, which help organizations reduce liability concerns and meet E911 regulations. Click here www.911enable.com for more information.
AudioCodes Presents OCS Solutions at OCS Expo
AudioCodes is a leading manufacturer of Media Gateways for Microsoft Unified Messaging & Unified Communications, including Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2. Utilizing AudioCodes Media Gateways, businesses are able to interface Microsoft communications applications to a wide range of TDM PBXs, IP-PBX, SIP Trunking and legacy PSTN trunking facilities. With unsurpassed voice quality, reliability, flexibility and scalability, AudioCodes Media Gateways have earned many accolades and should be your first choice when deploying Microsoft Unified Communications. Visit www.audiocodes.com/microsoft for more information.
NOVUS presents OCS Solutions at OCS Expo
Since 1983, Novus, LLC has been supporting manufacturers' reseller channels worldwide, serving over 15 countries on 4-continents. Engaged at the inception of VoIP, our thorough understanding of VAR's needs and end-user expectations has positioned Novus as the leading distributor of snom IP telephones deployed on Microsofts' OCS platform at www.novusllc.com
SNOM presents OCS Solutions at OCS Expo
snom technology is a global manufacturer of SIP-based IP telephones for business, carrier and high-end consumer markets. Based on open standards, feature-rich and affordable, snom's products are engineered to fulfil their vision of ubiquitous, standards-based VoIP/SIP/OCS. Based in Berlin, snom's sales/distribution network extends to over 40 countries at www.snom.com
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Get Smart in 2010 - Get this in your budget/plan.
OCS Forum Presents - OCS R2-2010-Ultimate Course
5-Day Training - "Hands-on" Labs with 700+ page manual
Critical Course for Planning OCS Design & Certification Study for Exam 70-638, Exam 70-262 and other tests
OCS Forum (http://www.ocsforum.com) announced its new OCSR2-2010 Ultimate course. "R2 and Wave 14 coming in 2010 confirms Microsoft place in the new telecommunications networking business," noted Tom Cross OCS Forum CEO. "R2 is having a significant impact on corporate voice telecommunications strategies indicating the end of the TDM-time division multiplexed PBX-Private Branch eXchange systems is now insight. Microsoft is also driving companies like Cisco, Nortel, Avaya, NEC, Mitel, ShoreTel to rethink their featuresets and capabilities because while R2 is a new game when Wave 14 is released in 2010, their days are numbered," Cross commented.
This five -day (5-day) "hands-on" lab course with 700+ page manual focuses on the core components of OCS 2007 R2, including:
- Instant Messaging (IM) between everyone in the organization in the office or remote
- Application and Desktop sharing for true collaboration
- Audio/Video Conferencing including internally hosted audio conference calls and Live Meetings
- Integration with Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging
- Securing the environment to protect communications
The course provides many hands-on labs to practice and reinforce learning of many new concepts. After completing this course, students should be able to design, install, configure, maintain, monitor, and troubleshoot the core components of OCS 2007 R2.
Up to $6,000 in discounts are available for 2010 classes if scheduled before December 1. Call Tom Cross at 303-594-1694 or cross@gocross.com for details. |
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Part 1 of 2:
"Presence-Powered Applications"
Super-Sized by OCS - Improves Critical Business Activities
Click here for the animated tutorial
Overview & Business Impact
The impact of IM-Instant Messaging on business has been profound with nearly every enterprise using some form of instant or "live" real-time chatting. However, the financial ROI on IM has been more elusive. Certainly faster communications means faster problem solving which in a call center can reduce call holding times and allow agents to process more calls. However, in traditional business settings, while a great benefit to managers who use IM to put their subordinates on a "choke chain," constant interruptions by superiors and gossip chatting from others more likely reduces productivity.
Here are some of the key benefits to super-sized presence:
Incident Management
When an event or incident occurs, a continuous persistent chat session enables real-time communications for all involved across multiple platforms. Consistency is provided by an online database providing real-time information data gathering allowing responder's access to visual communications for different events simultaneously. In the animated tutorial, a fire initiates an alarm to the fire department and then sends the map of the building and information on any hazardous materials. This is also an example of "late media" with information provided during or after the SIP call is disconnected.
Click-to
Click-to call, video, database, IM, shared screen and other applications allow single click contact to key files and personnel. Immediacy can bring faster customer resolution, field problem-solving and decision-making. Multi-part video conferencing allows connections to resolve "finger-pointing" problems without prolonged telephone-tag. The key point of "click to anything" is the ability to communicate to connect without dialing, simply click on a name or image to connect reduces mis-dialing, delayed communications and other errors.
EIM-Enterprise Instant Messaging (IM)
Traditional internal and external IM can also be extended to conference or multi-party IM. With various options including multi-party and multi-level discussions, shared screen and video IM or VIM can speed contact and contact to database information retrieval. In the animated tutorial, improved coordination means faster response managers to a crisis condition.
Presence Alerts
Maximize employee interaction and contact time with visual presence notification such as task and meeting reminders. Reduce callbacks, delayed decision-making while improving team building with multiple level presence indicators.
One-to-one marketing
Opt-in marketing communications (marcom) can be linked to event notification in the form of airline, concert, sports or other seat-based activities. The very nature of marketing is changing from mass to mental. Away from mass marketing of general concepts such as age range, socio-geo-demographic and other factors to "mental marketing" targeting individual mental states as evidenced by the individual profiles completed as part of the website membership process and developing profiles based on browsing and purchasing decisions. In addition, expert systems, advanced profile analysis often part of a "deep search" analysis, blackboard systems and other AI-Artificial Intelligence techniques can be applied. In the animated tutorial, there is an example of IM marketing based on specific customer indications.
Role-based activities
Manager, doctor, nurse, project manager, process leader are all examples of role-based functions. Role-based presence routing can direct queries and inquiries to specific and trained responsible personnel. Changes in presence can redirect communications in time of demand, outage or crisis. In addition, "incall" communications can alert, retrieve or activate specific functions.
Trading systems
Event alerts in the form of trading price, activity level, analyst reports, news market indicators and other events improve trading posture and performance. Presence notification aka programmable software agents of buy-sell recommendations can be based on key words, blog-wiki, RSS feeds, social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. In addition, links and data routing can be provided to automatic systems such as front office and back office systems. In the animated tutorial, there is an automatic "buy-sell" based on a trading price.
Knowledge management
Another area where presence can provide considerable benefit is in the broad area of executive decision-making often referred to as DSS-Decision Support Systems. Few complain when a CEO leads like Steve Jobs a company to market dominance. At the same time, thousands of jobs and billions of dollars have been lost to management corruption such as Enron, Worldcom and Madoff. Presence systems have the potential to capture or audit communications between executives or groups of managers. Executives can monitor internal "gossip" to reduce morale problems resulting from the "rumor mill." In the animated tutorial, executives can collaborate globally by "visual presence" allowing for all to "see" the same information reaching a consensus and decision more quickly.
Summary
Undoubtedly there will be unforeseen and unanticipated benefits to "super presence" and advanced intra- and inter-personal with single and multi-person communications.
Part 2 - Friday 12/4 - Technical Explanation of XMPP-Jabber Gateway |
| Designing and Planning Scalable SIP Networks
- New Enhancements to SIP2010 Planning Guide Course
The complexity of SIP-Session Initiation Protocol networks is increasing geometrically. As with any innovation new developments are required for their widespread diffusion. As most of you know, the incredible simplicity of SIP is device independence with direct communications between endpoints. The proliferation of SIP will grow even more from machine-to-machine communications with remote endpoints solving and fixing problems without human intervention. However, one of the challenges in designing a SIP network is the use of various proxy servers to facilitate security, trunking, routing, applications and other functions. Tekelec issued a very interesting white paper on SIP Signaling Router Application Handbook. While the white paper did not address SIP proxy security (I did write about it in an earlier blog item called, The Many Flavors of SIP Trunking Solutions for SIP Systems & OCS-Office Communications Server.) Needless to say, the paper provides an excellent foundation for designing complex, scalable and future-ready networks. The five areas of discussion presented (with modifications I added) are:
1 - SIP Signaling-Server Virtualization
2 - SIP Trunking
3 - SIP Number Transparency
4 - SIP Routing
5 - SIP Proxy Peering Networks
Here are the highlights in text format:
1 - Benefits of Server Virtualization aka Abstraction
- Distributed user endpoints and application servers
- Scalable growth with QoS control abstraction
- MACS* via signaling "abstraction"
*Moves, Adds, Changes & SAS-Stand Alone Survivability - SAS enables backup for SIP devices by the multiple "abstract" local or cloud Media Gateway(s)
2 - Benefits of SIP Trunking
- Session and Signaling control layers for:
- On-net (IP PBX to IP PBX)
- Off-net (IP PBX to local PSTN)
- Off-net (IP PBX to LD/IDDD PSTN)
- SPOC/SMOC-Single/Multiple Point of Connection
- National control points for access (vendors) - Migration path to ALL-SIP & IMS-3GPP
3 - Benefits of Number Transparency
- End-to-end media control (transparency) for voice or other media types
- Access to SS7 applications for text messaging, mobility or call center routing
- Enterprise control over call completion whether PSTN or SIP rather than provider
- Migration path to E.164 & IMS-3GPP
4 - Benefits of SIP Routing
- Eliminates "mesh" network mess
- Add intelligent Session Layer 5 routing - Maintains end-to-end media transparency
- Add media CoS-Classes of Service - Adds SPOC NOC-Network Operations Center
- Migration path to ALL-SIP & IMS-3GPP
5 - Benefits of SIP Proxy Peering Networks
- Platform for multi-vendor services
- Ensures multiple CoS & QoS options
- Migration path to ALL-SIP & IMS-3GPP
- Foundation for any future network needs
click here to view tutorial
This new section is now part of the enhancements to SIP2010
2-5 day comprehensive SIP training. For a complete outline and details, click here.
Get Smart in 2010 - Get this in your budget/plan.
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Here's the Course Outline and TMCU OCS Certification Testing:
1 - Intro, Overview and Future Outlook of OCS - The Role of the PBX in an OCS World
2 - Demonstration of Key Features in OCSR2 and "Live" Demonstration
3 - New Features in R2 and Coming Soon in 2010
4 - OCS Planning Guide
5 - Edge Server Planning Guide
6 - TMU Certification Exam
ITEXPO is the event with an educational program that teaches resellers, enterprises, SMBs, and Government Agencies how to select IP-based voice, video, fax, and unified communications to purchase or resell. It's where service providers learn how to profitably roll out services their subscribers are clamoring for. ITEXPO is where buyers, sellers, resellers, and manufacturers meet to forge relationships and close deals.
Get serious or at least smart - read new book "Facebook Marketing for Dummies - click here
Cool Microsoft Blog on OCS for Educational Community - click here |
| New OCS Forum Job Board - click here
-- New Jobs from Gold Systems & Level3
Post your UC, UM, LCS, OCS, PBX, Integration and related jobs on OCS Forum Job Board at no charge.
Premium advertising available.
Send your positions to cross@gocross.com. |
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CrossTalk Named One of the Top-10 Telecommunications Blogs
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All videos are FREE to OCS Forum 2010 Expo attendees and exhibitors.
Previous Videos
- OCS Front End Server
- OCS Planning Tool
- Edge Planning Tool
- Getting To Know Microsoft Office Communicator
- OCS User Creation
- Mediation Server
- Edge Server |
Free Technical "Just Enough Just-in-Time" Knowledge from:
The World's First and Largest Animated Library on Technology with more than 3,000 animated tutorials.
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OCS Forum provides classroom and webseminar training as well as a non-production environment for those IT departments without additional equipment, budget or time. This allows planners and users to test ideas, dial in and dial back out, IM file transfers, remote desktop sharing, video conferencing, run scenarios, review logs, break linkages and learning about new telephony features and network access. OCS Forum is also designed for both the system integrator/consultant who wants to learn about OCSR2 without having to build their own system as well as the enterprise customer who doesn't have the time, resources or knowledge to develop one. OCS Forum Labs are designed to be "hands-on" or "over-the-shoulder" with experts available for Q&A and classes for feature-specific review.
About OCS Forum
OCS Forum is a vendor-independent laboratory environment designed for learning, technical guides, knowledge resources and online "live" services. OCS Forum provides planning, project management, consulting, training, case studies, white papers, speaking engagements, market/customer research, network planning and other services.
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