VoiceCon Tutorial: Best Practices in Unified Communications Deployment

1© 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Session NumberPresentation_ID

VoiceCon Tutorial: Best Practices in Unified Communications Deployment

Kathryn Robinson

Sr. Director, Enterprise Voice / Rich Media Practice

Advanced Services Consulting

Cisco Systems


Agenda

• Lifecycle Approach

• Criticality of Planning

• Operational Considerations

• Extending the Value through Optimization

• Summary


Challenges and Top of Mind IssuesBusiness, Engineering and Operations Views

• Enhancing internal and external customers’ perceived value and satisfaction– Creating valuable partnerships with your business users to assure

they get the business benefits from the technology solutions you provide

• People, people, people– Finding them and continuously developing them

– Skills balance from voice / data / and IT for optimal results

– Identifying competent partner and / or out tasking models that work for your business

• Qualitative support and servicing of your end users– Meeting or exceeding Service Level Agreements

– Productivity improvements


Lifecycle Services Defined

Lifecycle Services are the methodologies and practices that support the evolution of networks to business systems and ensure the most return from corporate IT investments

The Cisco Unified Communications Methodologies define the best practices, processes, people skills and workflow required to successfully support the lifecycle for Unified Communications Solutions

PlanPlanPreparePrepare DesignDesign ImplementImplement OptimizeOptimizeOperateOperate


Cisco Unified Communications Planning / Operations Differences

Element Cisco Unified Communications TDM / Legacy

Architecture Enterprise wide; options for scalability; security; availability

Flexible; adaptable planning options

More site specific; less interdependency of sites

Foundational

Network of networks fundamentals

Allows for greater options for redundancy, failover, availability

Separate network and associated cost structures

Fewer options

Operations New partner models available;

Need for modifications of skills, processes, tools which can be shared across converged model

Separate teams; different skills; different channel partner or outsource/ out task models

Applications Communications vs. “phone calls”

Allows for communications application extensions and integrations

Phone calls, limited extensibility


Planning and Design Activities for Unified Communications Deployment Success

Example Plan & Design Activities

1. Unified Communications Feature/Functionality Validation

2. Unified Communications Network Readiness Assessment

3. Unified Communications Operations Readiness Assessment

4. Unified Communications Architecture Validation

5. Unified Communications Site Requirements Specification

6. Unified Communications Detailed Design Development

7. Unified Communications Implementation Plan Development

8. Unified Communications System Test Plan Development

9. Unified Communications Staff Plan Development (Curriculum Planning Service)

Pro

ject

Man

agem

ent


Cisco Unified Communications is an Application System … Treat it Like One

Verify Customer Requirements

2

Develop Solution Requirements

3

Create Staff Training Plan

4d

Perform Network Readiness Assessment/Create Remediation Plan

4a

Execute Network Remediation Plan

5a

Develop Network Implementation

Schedule8

Develop Operations Plan

6

Develop Detailed Design

7

Create Customer Certification Test

Plan9

Execute Customer Certification Test

10

Conduct Operations and Administration

Training21

Execute Project Handover

22

Perform Operational Readiness

Assessment/Create Remediation Plan

4c

Execute Operations

Remediation Plan5c

Create Customer Solution/Site

Acceptance Test Plan11

Revise HLD & Architecture Validation

4b

Develop Site Requirements Specification

5b

Compile As-Built Documentation

18

Install Solution16

Conduct Solution Pilot (1X in loop)

17

Conduct End-user Training

20

Execute Customer Site Acceptance

Test19

Project Postmortem

23

Done?

Stage/Configure Solution

15

Conduct Site Survey/Create

Remediation Plan12

Execute Site/Gap Remediation Plan

13

Develop site-specific Network Implementation

Plan14

Implementation Control Loop

yes

no

Tec

hn

ical

Tec

hn

ical

Op

erat

ion

sO

per

atio

ns

Ed

uca

tio

nal

Ed

uca

tio

nal

Exe

cute

Pro

ject P

lan - C

on

trol L

oo

p

Manage Risk

Manage Cost and Resource Budget

Manage Change

Manage Solution Performance and

Progress

Manage User Site IT Commitments

Project Completion?

yes

no

Issue Status or Progress Reports

Update Project Plan

Detemine Project Costs

Define and Document Project

Scope

Develop Resource Plan

Initiate Project

Define WBS

Finalize Baseline Project Plan

Establish Project Budget

Identify Risks and Mitigation Plan

Develop Project Schedule

Revise Customer Acceptance Plan

Signed PO

Project Management Pro

gra

m M

anag

emen

tP

rog

ram

Man

agem

ent


The Importance of theNetwork Readiness Assessment

IP TelephonyIP TelephonyCustomer ContactCustomer Contact

Unified MessagingUnified MessagingVideoVideo

ConferencingConferencing MobilityMobility

The 85% You Don’t See has to Work Well or Your Unified Communications Applications Will Suffer

The 85% You Don’t See has to Work Well or Your Unified Communications Applications Will Suffer

The 15% You See

EnhancedEnhancedPower ManagementPower Management

IntelligentIntelligentLAN SwitchingLAN Switching

Auto VLANAuto VLAN

Auto QoSAuto QoS

Home NetHome Net

CarrierCarrierSoftswitchSoftswitch

FirewallFirewall

Host IntrusionHost IntrusionProtectionProtection

WiFi NetworkingWiFi Networking

Dynamic DeviceDynamic DeviceDiscoveryDiscovery

IntelligentIntelligentTraffic RoutingTraffic Routing

Network AccessNetwork AccessControlControl

Secure VPN AccessSecure VPN Access

StorageStorage

ManagementManagement

SeamlessSeamlessMobilityMobility

Dynamic UserDynamic UserTrackingTracking

RemoteRemote

VideoVideoAssociationAssociation


Key Considerations: Building Extensible Platform for Unified Communications

Technical Accounting for QOS; IP Security; bandwidth needs; changing traffic flow patterns; platform extensibility and flexibility as applications are added

Business Applications

Feature functionality at applications level; Successful application integration for maximum benefits

Operations Changes in management methods and procedures, skills, tools for converged environment

Educational Preparing your administration staff, your operational staff/partners, your end users


Good Planning and Design Avoids Significant Cost

Cost o

f Pro

blem

Res

olutio

n

Life Cycle Phase Where Problem Found

RequirementsValidation

PoC/Pilot

Design Acceptance Testing

Implement-station

Production

80

60

40

20

En

gin

eeri

ng

Ho

urs

Exp

end

ed

60 – 80+

32 - 50

16 - 24

2 - 51-3.7- 1.2.2 - .6

Good Planning & Design avoids significant repair costs in Production

Planning


Good Planning and Design Supports Investment Protection and ROI

• Build an enterprise wide architectural platform upon which your business’ IP communications can evolve which is phased by:

Business Division needs

Geographical Division needs

Maximizing cost and savings benefits

Maximizing customer intimacy or market differentiation through applications (not limited to site by site approach)

• Takes full advantage of extensibility of platform to support applications integrations that may not be known or required today


Operational Challenge and Change Frequently Underestimated

Service Delivery and Support Readiness

• Are my deployment procedures sound?• Is the NOC ready for Day-2 support?• I need to efficiently resolve Unified Communications issues. Can I?• Do I have the fault detection tools and processes necessary?• Will existing configuration and change management processes work for Cisco Unified Communications? • I need to monitor IP communications’ affect on my network performance. How?• What key performance indicators do I need to measure for improvement?

How do I answers these questions?Hint: Make this a priority in the planning phase. Take advantage of Cisco Best Practices


Managing IPC Holistically

Tools

Le

vel

2

Le

vel

3

Capacity Mgmt

Availability Mgmt

Service Level Mgmt

Service Delivery

Configuration Mgmt

Release Mgmt

Change Mgmt

Problem Mgmt

Incident Mgmt

Knowledge

Pla

tfo

rm

Le

vel

1

People Process

Service Support

Financial Mgmt

Historical Data

Remediation Procedures

Cisco Leading Practice

Ticketing

Routing

Notification

Escalation

Threshold Mgmt

RFC Create Approval

SLMConfig

Service Request

SLM Reporting

Mgmt Reporting

Fault Polling

Perf Polling

Event Correlation

CMDB

Ntwk Config Disc

Config Audit

Historical Trending

Known Error Mgmt

People

People Process

Knowledge

Tools

Pla

tfo

rm

Need to Manage IPC Holistically• WAN/LAN

• Voice infrastructure

• Voice applications


Building the Blueprint – ITIL Industry Standards

Technology: CM

Offering: Full Management

Detail ITIL Service Support

ITIL Service Delivery

User OS•Any software running of user specific hardware – e.g. Cisco Unified IP Phone 7960 Software, Cisco Unified Contact Center Agent

Incid

ent M

anag

em

ent

Pro

blem

Man

agem

en

t

Ch

ang

e M

anag

em

ent

Rele

ase Ma

nag

eme

nt

Co

nfig

ura

tion

Man

agem

ent

Service L

evel Man

agem

ent

Availa

bility M

anag

emen

t

Cap

acity

Man

age

men

t

IT S

ervice Co

ntin

uity

Man

ag

emen

t

Fin

ancia

l Man

ag

emen

t Man

ag

emen

t

User HW•Any user specific hardware – e.g. Cisco Unified IP Phone 7960 or User Desktop

ApplicationSoftware providing functionality e.g. Cisco Unified CallManager

Application HW/OSPhysical server and OS

E.g. Dell with Windows 03

Network OS•OS Operating on Network HW e.g. Cisco IOS

Network HW•Physical routers, switches and gateways

ConnectivityPrimary Carrier Connectivity

Redundant Carrier Connectivity

Meet Me Rooms

DatacenterPhysical Premises, Physical Security,

External power, AC, Fire Suppression

Internal Cabling


Options for Operations

Do it yourself

Out task or Out source to third parties for service

Partner your staff with Other Providers

Cisco ROS CBR

Options

Element, Network and Workflow Management Tools, Knowledge Development and Skills

Element, Network and Workflow Management Tools, Knowledge Development and Skills

Partner Brand

RNO-ATP

Choices and Implications

Complimentary Selection, Bundled Offerings, Integration of PDI and O

Eligibility and Established Partner Program

ROS-CoBrand


Composition of a Quality Day 2 Operate Service


Plan for Optimization

• Want to assure you take advantage of extensible platform for future growth?

• Expect to grow size / complexity of your business?

• Do you expect to acquire or a divest?

• Expect to move, add, change or delete locations?

• Do you expect to add data or Unified Communication applications?

• Do you expect to upgrade network software?

• Do you expect to change network equipment?

Be Proactive – Establish disciplined and structured approach to ongoing optimization


Typical Ongoing Optimization Plan and Tasks

Qtr2 Qtr4Qtr3Qtr 1

Weekly project update and status callsEstablish team specific aliases and communications vehicles

Conduct IPC Stability Audit*

Conduct ORA*

Knowledge Transfer**

Conduct customer design standards

review

Conduct IPC security assessment

Conduct system test procedure review

Quarterly onsite ***Business review

Conduct Performance tuning

of IPC solution

Develop IPC growth Plan

Knowledge Transfer

Conduct IPC software

assessment

Conduct software risk analysis

Quarterly onsite business review

Conduct IPC stability audit

Conduct ORA gap resolution

Knowledge transfer

Conduct customer design standards

review

Conduct system test procedure

review


Conduct Performance tuning of IPC solution

Conduct IPC software assessment

Knowledge transfer

Conduct IPC software risk analysis

Conduct IPC security assessment

IPC growth plan review



Best Practices: Summary

• You are building an extensible flexible platform to support your enterprise wide communications requirements – It is an important mission critical project …. treat it like one

• Planning and Design is critical …. Resource the front end of your project and you will reap resource efficiencies throughout the life of your solution implementation

• Make sure the network is ready

• Don’t neglect or underestimate needs for operational preparedness

• Plan for being proactive during ongoing operations – small issues captured early will support your staffs’ productivity and your business users satisfaction

• Optimize to assure ongoing business benefit and optimal investment protection


Documents

VoiceCon Tutorial: Best Practices in Unified Communications Deployment