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Cisco changing up UC licenses for mobile workforce

Cisco is making some significant changes to the way the company sells UC licenses to better cater to mobile employees.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor

Cisco is modifying the way it sells unified communications licenses, now catering to a growing mobile workforce with options that are touted to offer more flexibility.

Roberto De La Mora, senior director of unified communication platforms and endpoints at Cisco, cited on Cisco's blog that the inspiration for the adjustments comes from understanding "that the way people work is changing, and the collaboration tools they may need are changing as well."

Some employees still do the bulk of their work from behind a desk at company headquarters; others split their time between the office and more on-the-go locales; still others need “full mobility” with access to the best software collaboration offerings available so work can happen in coffee shops, airplanes, hotel rooms—wherever.

For starters, Cisco is now offering a software-only licensing option, which means Cisco’s UC offerings can be managed and deployed as an actual software platform. Users can choose anything from a PC to a tablet to a smartphone as their designated primary communication and collaboration tools.

Furthermore, all new customers will be eligible to use Cisco’s new Enterprise Licensing Manager, a free application designed to offer better visibility of licensing usage.

Finally, Cisco now has three levels of UC licensing. Here's a snapshot:

  • Standard for mainstream information workers: Includes call control, voice messaging, unified clients, mobility, and presence for medium to large businesses
  • Enhanced/Enhanced+ for mobile workers: Everything from the Standard option with Cisco Jabber mobile
  • Professional for "power users" that need it all: All of the above plus video, audio, and web conferencing, contact center capabilities, and more
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