Services

Regardless of the vendor, when we discuss call routing in a telephony platform we’re almost always focused on the destination of the call. Similar to how the postal service operates, when the system is delivering the call or message, we are rarely focused on who the originator is. Keeping that in mind, it doesn’t take much imagination to come up with a few scenarios where it may be beneficial to block specific numbers, or ranges of numbers from reaching your end users.

In this blog post, I’ll show you how to implement a check on the calling party number (CPN) in a Cisco voice solution and keep those pesky spam calls at bay.

In order to illustrate the logic, let’s define some key components and run through a few examples.

It is an understatement to say that 2020 has been a year filled with unknowns. So, it’s not surprising that many organizations are holding off on planned IT upgrades, waiting to see what the future holds before they expend significant capital on a data center refresh.

Companies do, however, need ongoing support for their data center infrastructure. For those that had previously planned to replace equipment when the original warranty expired, some form of extended support will be necessary.

Business and IT leaders can choose between extended support contracts from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or third-party maintenance (TPM) providers — each of which has its own unique benefits.

When I begin working with an organization on its collaboration efforts, I often find that the company already supports a number of tools. Some have different solutions for different functions, such as calling, messaging, file sharing and video meetings. And others run multiple platforms that essentially do the same things.

It’s sometimes necessary, of course, for organizations to adopt and support multiple collaboration solutions. But there really can be such a thing as too much when it comes to these tools. It’s not just that the cost of purchasing and supporting more solutions will naturally be higher than the cost of purchasing and supporting fewer platforms. There’s also the danger of employees becoming confused about the differences among the various tools — and, therefore, using them less (or less effectively).

An unwieldly, sprawling collaboration environment can lead to an organization paying more for less productivity. Here are some steps we take to help business and IT leaders find the right mix of collaboration tools for their organizations.

A lot of attention gets paid in the press to “zero-day” threats — attacks that wreak havoc on organizations while they’re still completely unknown to the cybersecurity community. But the truth is that 60 percent of breaches are the result of known vulnerabilities that have been left unpatched.

The problem is that patching practices in many organizations are slow and disorganized. Too many teams are in charge of patching too many different systems, and security leaders typically lack visibility into who is staying on top of patching and who isn’t. The good news is that many organizations already have a powerful tool to help streamline vulnerability management — the service management platform ServiceNow. Although some organizations use the platform primarily to manage help desk tickets, it’s capable of much more. The solution can also help organizations shore up vulnerabilities across their IT environments.

Here’s how.

Voice user interface technology continues to transform some of the core activities of healthcare, such as the keeping of patient records and caregiver communication. At the same time, we’re seeing VUI integrate with a growing number of connected devices. The combination of VUI and the Internet of Things (IoT) can be powerful, delivering results where they matter most: in systems that allow caregivers and patients to approach care more efficiently.

The key to all these solutions is increased mobility. In healthcare, that’s a significant benefit, allowing caregivers to spend less time tethered to workstations and more time interacting with patients. Here are three ways in which VUI and IoT can make a difference together.

With many companies needing to support widespread, full-time remote work, the past few months have made it abundantly clear how important it is to have a highly effective collaboration environment. But many businesses have struggled to appropriately support employees with collaboration tools — and others have missed out on opportunities to optimize their solutions.

Recently, CDW expanded its Managed Collaboration Anywhere portfolio with the addition of Cisco Solution Support. This was done to address the most pressing needs of collaboration customers today. The real value here? Organizations not only receive proactive help by way of planning and optimizing their collaboration environments, but also 24/7 reactive support when they need to solve a problem immediately. CDW and Cisco partner to deliver this service across Cisco’s various Webex-powered solutions.