What's New in Release 5.0

Introduction

Effective August 1st, 2016 all new UCx appliances will be shipped with the UCx Release 5 Software installed. All UCx appliances held in partner inventory on UCx Release 4.5 software can be field upgraded to Release 5.

  • UCx Release 5 introduces many significant product enhancements and new and exciting deployment options for Partners and Customers looking for a full-featured, value packed new SIP-based IP PBX.
  • UCx Release 5 Software includes the following:
    1. UCx WebRTC. Now UCx users can access the exact same features and services they have in the office from anywhere they can access the internet… best of all, end users have no client to download or maintain, no software or system drivers to install; the browser is the phone!
    2. Changes to UCx Appliance servers. With Release 5, E-MetroTel will be “Going-Green”, literally… UCx Appliances UCx20, UCx50E and UCx450 will be instantly recognizable in their new server color of E-MetroTel green. In addition to this branding change, several of the appliances will see enhancements and price adjustments, as detailed below.
    3. Introducing the UCx Enterprise Software distribution model. With Release 5 in addition to the option of buying UCx Appliances, Customers and Partners will have a new option of deploying UCx Software on their own Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) server or in a Virtualized environment (VMware vSphere or Hyper-V).
    4. UCx Application changes in Release 5 include price reductions on Scheduled Announcements and Enhanced Archive Server; plus several customer requested enhancements for the UCx Call Center Reporting (CCR) software application.
    5. At E-MetroTel we strive to ensure our Partners and Customers have access to the resources, information and tools they need to successfully sell, deploy, administer and operate all aspects of the UCx Portfolio – in Release 4.5 we put all of our UCx Documentation on-line.  With Release 5, we are moving all UCx Technical training modules to www.emetrotel.com/tsd enhancing our documentation with video aids.
  • As part of the Release 5 launch, E-MetroTel will be aligning our quotation tools, technical training modules and documentation repository with all changes included in this announcement. Contact your E-MetroTel representative for details and availability.
  • UCx Upgrades to Release 5 are supported from Release 4 and Release 4.5; refer to the section below entitled UCx Release 4 and Release 4.5 Upgrade to Release 5.0 Procedure.
  • If your UCx appliance is not under active Assurance Support, or if your UCx software is Release 3 or earlier, contact your E-MetroTel representative for process and requirements to upgrade to Release 5.  

ATTENTION PARTNERS: 
With UCx Release 5 Software, E-MetroTel will require every support person with login credentials to the Customer Portal also called “Ticket Portal” or “CRM Portal” to have passed the On-Line Certification Exam. Please make sure that everyone requiring E-MetroTel post sales technical support has passed the on-line training and exam. Check with your E-MetroTel representative for further details or to ensure your access to the Customer Portal will not be affected. All users of the Customer Portal must have an individual identity for access (e-mail and password). Note – the ticket system now provides the ability to link multiple email addresses for notification. Please work with your E-MetroTel representative to ensure these requirements are already in place, or will be in place on or before October 31st, 2016.

UCx WebRTC Softphone

WebRTC stands for “Web Real-Time Communications,” a technology focused on embedding real-time communications, such as voice, directly within web browsers. E-MetroTel UCx Release 5 software delivers a full-featured browser-phone. Now UCx users can access the exact same features and services they have in the office, from a computer that has internet access to their UCx.

Unlike softphones from other providers, with UCx WebRTC there is no installation or management of an end-point device (PC, MAC, tablet, etc.); there is no software download required and no system drivers to install or maintain; for users this is a true clientless endpoint. From your internet browser, simply navigate to the web-page, provide your login credentials and use your office phone. 

  • UCx WebRTC softphone is supported on the Google Chrome web browser
  • Adding UCx WebRTC users to a system, is a fee-based software option which enables unit quantities of concurrent user logins via the UCx software key-code.

Part Code Description
UCX-WRTC WebRTC software - Concurrent user logins (block of 1)

 

The UCx WebRTC softphone is loaded with a full complement of business telephony features:

  • All of the functionality inherent in the UCx is here including; 
    • Nortel specific (Norstar/BCM and Meridian 1/CS 1000) features like: Hot Desking, Shared Call Appearance, Voice Call, Set-to-set paging, etc.
    • Busy-Lamp field (BLF), 
    • N-way conferencing, 
    • Call logs/History, 
    • Voicemail message-waiting indicator (MWI), (with a 2nd MWI for a guest/monitored mailbox), 
    • Call park, 
    • Page, 
    • Directed Call Pick-Up, 
    • Find-Me / Follow-Me Mobility,
    • Call Center Agent,
    • Call Recording, 
    • Click to call Directory, 
    • Favorites feature,
    • User portal. And
    • More.
  • The UCx WebRTC softphone includes a speaker/headset device management interface, multiple skins (for a user to change the software appearance and layout) and the addition of TLS and SRTP encryptions.
  • Users receive screen-pop notification of incoming calls.
  • Key-expansion capability (up to 120 user assignable keys can be added with the click of a mouse).

Read our WebRTC documentation pages for more information or contact your E-MetroTel representative for ordering or to receive a live demonstration of the UCx WebRTC softphone. 

UCx Enterprise Software

With Release 5 in addition to the option of buying UCx Appliances, Customers and Partners will have the option of deploying UCx Software on their own Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) server or in a virtualized environment (VMware vSphere or Hyper-V). The following table provides the order codes and pricing for UCx Enterprise Software loads:

Part Code Description
UCX-OVA UCX Enterprise Software - OVA installable (VMware vSphere)
UCX-HV UCX Enterprise Software - Hyper-V installable (Hyper-V)
UCX-USB UCX Enterprise Software - USB installable (COTS)

 

Server specifications and installation instructions for COTS deployment and virtual environment can be found here:
Server Requirements for UCX Software

UCx Application Changes in Release 5

UCx Call Center Reporting (CCR)

In alignment with the Release 5 launch, several enhancements have been made with the UCX Call Center Reporting optional software application. This reporting package provides a comprehensive selection of reports to enable customer service managers, call center managers, supervisors and agents to track, measure and report on their customer service levels, agent availability and response metrics – both historical and in real-time.
CCR enhancements include:

  • Single login – the same user login account that is used to log into the UCx GUI provides integrated access into the CCR user interface and reports. User and group access and permissions are now administered through UCx GUI.
  • Export reports available on a per agent level.
  • Appended start & end date selections passed to exported reports for easier sort and analysis of data.
  • Homepage auto-select button added for Agent section to auto arrange agents between available and selected boxes, based on the selected Queues.
  • Call Center report now captures Transferred Call Count. 

Specific UCx Option Software Application Price Action

Effective with the launch of Release 5, E-MetroTel is pleased to announce price reductions on the following optional software applications:

Scheduled Announcement

  • With the launch of Release 5, the UCx Scheduled Announcement is now more competitively priced!
  • The E-MetroTel's Scheduled Announcement application helps you share information, whether it’s a pre-recorded message, musical reminder or other audio notification, on a pre-defined schedule. Enterprises, governments, agencies, public and private organizations now have a simple and effective solution for delivering scheduled announcements that can be fully integrated as part of their unified business communications system network.  No longer is a separate and cumbersome standalone announcement platform required.  Using the latest in SIP technology, E-MetroTel has developed the UCX Scheduled Announcement solution to be as easy as the click of a mouse.

Enhanced Archive Server

  • With the launch of Release 5, the UCX Enhanced Archive Server is now more competitively priced!
  • The Enhanced Archive Server application is designed specifically to work with UCx Appliances or UCx Enterprise Software instances. It can be used to back up call recordings from multiple UCx systems to a separate customer provided server running the Enhanced Archive Server application. Call recording files as well as CDR records are backed up from the UCx system(s) to the Enhanced Archive Server application on a scheduled basis. Administered via the Web-based Configuration Utility, the Enhanced Archive Server application provides a simple interface to search, download, listen and delete call recordings; and capabilities to search, delete and download CDR records. Once configured, the Enhanced Archive Server application will monitor any new data sent to it by a UCx system. If it detects new data it will import the changes into the database corresponding to that UCx site. Call recordings are stored in separate directories for each site. Any file which was transferred on a previous backup will not be sent again to the archive. Any file deleted from a UCx system after being transferred will remain on the Archive Server until specifically deleted.
  • Please contact your UCx Representative for details.

UCx Appliance Changes in Release 5

You may have seen the new “Go Green” message on www.emetrotel.com.  New for Release 5, when you order any UCx20 or UCx50 Appliance the server will be E-MetroTel Green in color; the UCx450 server will have a green bezel. 
In addition to this branding change, we are making the following quality and capacity enhancements to the UCx20 Appliance:

  • Capacity enhancement of the drive doubling from 16Gb to 32Gb. 
  • Drive format moving from M-SATA to the more robust 2.5” SSD format.
  • Inclusion of a riser bracket (similar to the bracket used in the UCx50E) to improve ease of FXO trunk card installation.
UCx50E UCx20

 

The UCx450 Appliance is enhanced as follows:

  • The addition of a second 500Gb hard drive, added in a Raid 1 mirrored configuration.
  • The server bezel will be E-MetroTel green.
  • Faster, enhanced CPU with more than 2X the real-time processing power so the UCx450 will now support 450 extensions and 450 concurrent calls.

 

The UCx1000 Appliance is enhanced as follows:

  • Enhanced Dual CPU’s on the UCx1000 will now support 1000 extensions and 1000 concurrent calls*. (*Maximum of 500 concurrent recorded calls.)

E-MetroTel will be implementing a price increase on UCx450 and UCx1000 Appliances. These price changes reflect increases in E-MetroTel Product costs; the new prices will apply on all orders received after August 1st.

Part Code Description
UCX450 UCX450 base system 0x0
UCX1000 UCX1000 base system 0x0, dual power, 2 CPUs, expanded memory

 

UCx Release 4 and Release 4.5 Upgrade to Release 5.0 Procedure

Software upgrades to Release 5 require the generation of a new system software key-code string. To obtain a UCx Release 5 electronic key-code please contact your E-MetroTel representative.

  • For Release 4 to Release 5 upgrades please refer to the following instructions:
    UCX 4.0 to UCX 5.0 Upgrade Instructions
  • For Release 4.5 to Release 5 upgrades please refer to the following instructions:
    UCX 4.5 to UCX 5.0 Upgrade Instructions
  • If your UCx appliance is not under active Assurance Support, or if your UCx software is Release 3 or earlier, contact your E-MetroTel representative for process and requirements to upgrade to Release 5.
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