Trends like pervasive video and cloud computing are inherently changing the way we collaborate. Increasingly, organizations are looking for ways to enable rich interactions amongst employees, partners and customers.
To address this need, Cisco recently announced the Cisco Desktop Collaborate Experience DX650, an Android based phone that delivers traditional voice functionality, high-definition 1080p video, and many features commonly associated with today’s smartphones straight to the desktop. This new next-generation Cisco IP phone extends the possibilities of desktop collaboration and delivers a reliable and high-quality audio and visual experience.
Snorre Kjesbu, vice president of Cisco Collaboration Endpoints Technology, recently took time out at Enterprise Connect to discuss the DX650. Read his post to hear more on Cisco’s newest endpoint, including what Snorre’s favorite feature is! A New Paradigm for Desktop Collaboration.
Cisco has recently received questions about a vulnerability in some of our 7900 series IP office phones that is said to allow eavesdropping on nearby office conversations. This was discovered by IT security researchers at Columbia University, and we thank them for reporting it to us before presenting at various security conferences.
We are actively working on a permanent fix, and have released very detailed, step-by-step guides for customers on identifying and preventing the vulnerability from being used. We’re not aware of it being used against any of our customers – largely due the fact that it is very challenging to exploit.
Unlike other IT security issues that have received attention, this is not simply a matter of someone “hacking” into the software on one phone. As the Columbia research demonstrated, someone wishing to take advantage of the vulnerability faces several distinct challenges. They would need hardware and software skills specifically related to software at the core of IP phones, an IT network configured a very specific way, and physical access to the phone’s serial port to insert a tailor-made device pre-loaded with software.
That does not mean we take this vulnerability lightly. We first issued information to our customers at the end of last year and have recently released very detailed documents to help those responsible for protecting IP phone networks. You can see these documents here: Security Advisory and Applied Mitigation Document.
As well as offering customers the information needed to secure their phone network against this vulnerability, Cisco will issue a software update on January 21st that closes off access to the vulnerability.
UPDATE – this interim software update was released to customers ahead of schedule on January 17th.
We remain committed to making sure Cisco products maintain the highest levels of security. When we learn of vulnerabilities we will address them quickly and communicate transparently with our customers.
As the market leader in Unified Communications, Cisco has a broad customer base, with organizations from the Fortune 500 to small local businesses using our UC portfolio of infrastructure and endpoints. Since we have over 120,000 customers and over 50 Million users across the globe, we wanted to find out more about who these users were and how they use Cisco IP phones on a daily basis. Last week, we launched a Facebook contest asking our Cisco Collaboration fans to submit photos of all the interesting locations where they use their Cisco IP phone, and to tell us how they use them and what benefits they were seeing from their phone.
I’m excited to report that the responses have been fantastic! Cisco users have been enthusiastic with their stories, sharing how Cisco IP Phones complement their workspace, and offer their organization a highly reliable and proven technology that is still very much at the center of facilitating enterprise communication and collaboration. The always-on familiarity of the dial tone, the secure access to directory features and the high quality of the voice and increasingly video interactions are all contributing to these devices being used on a daily basis. Users span all industries and include teleworkers, nurses in a hospital, call center agents and retail store managers, and office workers from different industries, each of whom rely on a high performing, stable solution for their critical communication needs.
What’s your Cisco desk phone story? Become a Cisco Collaboration fan on Facebook and share your story! Read More »
A phone system that doesn’t work means business lost. After all, if you can’t interact with customers and staff, productivity goes down while frustration goes up.
When Oticon, a company that manufactures and distributes hearing aids in the U.S., first met with Cisco Master Unified Communications Partner Alliant Technologies, their phone system left much to be desired. Some of the challenges included the system’s lack of scripting support and its inability to integrate with other applications.
In this video, we hear from Oticon IT Director Lars Anderson who talks about his experience with Alliant and the process of setting up the company’s entire Unified Communications and Contact Center.
What was it like working with Alliant and how can customers find partners in their area with the specialties they need? Keep reading… Read More »
I read an interesting post on No Jitter yesterday that poses the question, “The End of the Desk Phone?” The author suggests that the era of the desk phone is coming to a close. The gist is that tablets are essentially going to take over the known universe and send desk phones the way of the Studebaker.
Like a lot of people, the author is particularly fond of Apple iPads and positions them as the ideal phone eliminator. Once upon a time a lot of people said the same thing about microwave ovens vs. regular stoves. Didn’t happen. Sure, I can make popcorn with a lot less fuss and muss, but convenient though it may be, it’s not the tool for baking a chicken – or better yet, chocolate chip cookies. Read More »
