EOS for Webex Hybrid Calling Service for End Users

 

I would like to bring your attention to End of Support (EoS) Announcement for Hybrid Call Service for End Users. Starting December 30, 2020, Hybrid Call Service for end users will be End of Support (EoS) for all customers.

Going forward, customers must configure the Webex Teams app to register directly to Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) for enterprise calling capabilities for their users. 

Hybrid Call for devices will continue to work but must be migrated to the Device Connector solution.

Dec 30,2020 is real close, so Cisco really does not give  a whole lot of time on this.  

Impact

After the deadline listed above, Hybrid Call Service for end users will no longer be officially supported.

Recommendation

If existing Hybrid Call customers need enterprise calling capabilities in Webex Teams, Calling in Webex Teams (Unified CM) is the recommended option for continued support. This solution provides softphone capability to Webex Teams users. In this architecture, the Webex Teams app registers directly to Unified CM.

When Webex Teams is registered with Unified CM, the solution provides enterprise calling capabilities—audio/video calls and mid-call features such as mute, consultative transfer, merge/conference, sharing, and so on. Direct access to call settings such as call forwarding (CFA), single number reach (SNR) and visual voicemail is also supported. The Webex Teams app also interfaces with Unified CM-registered desk phones to provide remote call control capabilities in Deskphone Control (DPC) mode. For a full list of supported features, see the Calling Features section in the deployment guide.

Additionally, customer administrators can now set up call preferences for the organization to prioritize enterprise calling work numbers or Enterprise SIP URIs with a Single Click option. This simplifies the end user calling experience. Enterprise calling between users alerts remote users on their Webex Teams client and IP phones for a consistent call alert experience.

Additionally, direct registration to Unified CM provides these benefits:

Direct connection to Unified CM leading to a faster connect time than Hybrid Call Service

Direct media when Webex Teams apps are local within enterprise network

Additional calling capabilities with a roadmap towards Jabber calling feature parity

Reuse of existing Mobile and Remote Access (MRA) and Jabber Client Services Framework (CSF) configuration for client-side integration (unlike Hybrid Call Service’s server-side integration)

Next Steps Before the Deadline

Before the End of Support deadline, customers that are currently deployed with Hybrid Call Service for end users without Webex Devices in Personal Mode should start migration to Calling in Webex Teams (Unified CM) to avoid service impact.

Customers that deployed Webex Devices in Personal Mode for end users who are configured for Hybrid Call Service should start planning to migrate users to Calling in Webex Teams (Unified CM) and deploy new PSTN support for Webex Device in Personal Mode as soon as the feature becomes available. (PSTN support for Webex Device in Personal Mode is targeted for General Availability by end of November 2020.)