3com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
3Com® IP Contact Center
Implementation Planning
Guide
System Release 7
http://www.3com.com/
Part Number 900-0362-01, Rev. AA
Published May 2006
3Com Corporation
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Marlborough, MA 01752-3064
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Contents
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Who Should Read This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
How This Guide is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 1. Overview and System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Implementation Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Discovery, Planning, and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Application Configuration and Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
User Acceptance and Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Kickoff and Discovery Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Your Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3Com Implementation Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Implementation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3Com IP Contact Center Multi-site Hub and Node Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Desktop Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Headset and Adapter Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Hardware Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Software Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
User Access From Remote Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Server Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Remote Access Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Virtual Private Network (VPN) Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Voice Gateway Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Security Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Networking Protocols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Voice Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Requirements for Voice over IP (VoIP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Bandwidth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Audio Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
E-mail Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Web Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Server Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 3
Contents
Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Firewall Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
FAX Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Database Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
External Database Storage and Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Database Backup Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Space and Environmental Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Power Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Equipment and Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Power Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Cabling Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Network Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Telephony Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
T1 Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Channel Service Unit (CSU) for T1 Trunks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
IP Address and Host Name Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Domain Name Service (DNS) Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Network Time Protocol Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
DS1 Service Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Chapter 2. Preparing for Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
General Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Planning for Contact Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Planning Your Business Logic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Planning for the Configuration of Your Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Planning for E-mail Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Planning for Web Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Designing the Launch Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Defining Web Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Obtaining a Web Server Certificate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Developing Pages for Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Planning for Voice Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Planning for CRM Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
4 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
PREFACE
About This Guide
The purpose of this guide is to help you prepare for a successful
implementation and configuration of your 3Com IP Contact Center.
Who Should Read This Guide
This guide is intended primarily for those individuals in your organization
who are planning for and implementing the 3Com IP Contact Center system
in your contact center.
How This Guide is Organized
The chapters in this guide provide the following information:
■ Chapter 1, “Overview and System Requirements,” provides a high-
level overview of the implementation process and outlines the system
requirements for your implementation.
■ Chapter 2, “Preparing for Configuration,” guides you through the
decisions you need to make to set up your 3Com IP Contact Center.
A glossary is included at the back of this guide.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 5
6 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
CHAPTER 1
Overview and System Requirements 1
This chapter describes the steps involved in the implementation of your
3Com IP Contact Center 7.0 system and the individuals involved in the
process. The chapter also provides hardware, software, and network
requirements and guidelines you must be aware of when you plan your
implementation.
Note: The information in this document is intended for customers who plan to
install the generally available 3Com IP Contact Center 7.0 system. If you are an
existing 3Com customer and are planning to upgrade to the current release, contact
3Com Customer Services.
This chapter includes the following sections:
■ Implementation Process Overview
■ Kickoff and Discovery Meeting
■ 3Com IP Contact Center Multi-site Hub and Node Architecture
■ Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 7
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
Implementation Process Overview
The following steps provide an overview of your participation in the
process of implementing your 3Com IP Contact Center system. Your 3Com
implementation team will help you complete some of the tasks, as
indicated.
Discovery, Planning, and Design
1. Attend the Kickoff and Discovery Meetings.
Your 3Com project manager will hold one or more Kickoff and
Discovery Meetings to discuss options for your implementation and to
gather configuration information from you. During these meetings, a
general timeline for your implementation will also be discussed. For
information about who should attend the planning meeting, see
“Kickoff and Discovery Meeting” on page 11.
2. Review the written implementation plan.
Your 3Com implementation team will develop a Functional
Requirements Document based on the information gathered in the
Kickoff and Discovery Meetings. The Functional Requirements
Document will describe in detail your implementation plan. This
document will be sent to you for your review and approval before your
system configuration. For information about the implementation plan,
see “Implementation Plan” on page 12.
3. Attend an Application Design Session.
Your 3Com project manager and application engineer will hold an
Application Design Session to specify how your 3Com IP Contact
Center applications will work together. During this session, you will
define configuration values for your specific requirements.
The topics discussed will include user definitions, classifications,
routing, and workflow design.
Note: You must answer the questions in Chapter 2 of this guide, and return
your answers to your 3Com project manager before attending the Application
Design Session.
4. Develop a test plan.
Your 3Com project manager and application engineer will work with
you to develop a User Acceptance Test Plan for your implementation.
8 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
5. Order and install your equipment.
To order equipment, follow the guidelines provided in this guide. Your
3Com project manager can help you order this equipment. For more
information, see “Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements” on
page 13 and the 3Com IP Contact Center Order Specifications document
provided by your implementation team.
Application Configuration and Test
1. Build and test workflows and applications.
Your 3Com application engineer will build the necessary workflows
and CRM (customer relationship management) application screen pops,
if applicable.
At the 3Com site, a test 3Com IP Contact Center system will be built
and configured in compliance with the information provided in the
Functional Requirements Document and the information gathered
during the Application Design Session. The system configuration will
be tested at the 3Com site before installation at your location.
Implementation Process Overview
User Acceptance and Training
1. Install and configure hardware.
You are responsible for installing your server hardware and any
necessary cabling, network connectivity, and network configuration.
You are also responsible for providing connectivity to your PBX
(Private Branch Exchange) system or service provider.
Your 3Com network engineer will install the 3Com IP Contact Center
server software with default data in order to test the server setup, voice
gateway configuration, network connectivity, and network
configuration.
2. Configure the 3Com IP Contact Center system.
Your 3Com project manager, application engineer, and network
engineer will be responsible for configuring your 3Com IP Contact
Center system in compliance with the information provided in the
Functional Requirements Document.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 9
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
3. Attend training.
Your 3Com application engineer will hold three types of training
sessions:
■ A Train the Trainer session to train the individuals from your
company who will conduct internal training.
■ A training session to train the individuals from your company who
will act as supervisors.
■ A training session to train the individuals from your company who
will act as 3Com IP Contact Center administrators.
Note: This training session, held at the 3Com site, is available at an
additional cost.
Deployment
To successfully deploy the 3Com IP Contact Center system, follow the steps
below:
1. Cut over to your 3Com IP Contact Center system.
At this time, your 3Com IP Contact Center system will “go live” for the
first time. All key members of your 3Com implementation team will be
dedicated to the success of your 3Com IP Contact Center system at this
important time.
2. Monitor your 3Com IP Contact Center system.
Your 3Com IP Contact Center system will be closely monitored for a
period following activation to ensure proper operation. All applications
will be verified to ensure that routing works as designed and service
level objectives are being met.
3. Learn 3Com support procedures.
Your 3Com project manager will introduce you to the 3Com Customer
Support manager and will describe support processes and procedures
to make sure that you receive the best service from 3Com Customer
Support.
10 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
Kickoff and Discovery Meeting
At the Kickoff and Discovery Meetings, an implementation team from
3Com will work with you to establish all the requirements for a successful
implementation. These professionals will work with you to understand
your key business objectives and assist you in determining the solutions
that will best meet those objectives.
The 3Com project manager is responsible for customer satisfaction
throughout all phases of the implementation and deployment of your
system. You can discuss any questions or issues with the project manager as
they arise. At the meeting, the project manager will review your
requirements and discuss roles and responsibilities with all parties
involved. To ensure success, it is critical that all individuals involved in
your implementation be present at the meeting.
This section describes the participants and the project plan required for
successful implementation of the 3Com IP Contact Center system.
Kickoff and Discovery Meeting
Your Staff
3Com recommends that you provide the following individuals to
participate in the Kickoff and Discovery Meetings:
■ Customer project manager—Planner and coordinator of the
3Com IP Contact Center system implementation. This individual is the
point of contact between your organization and the 3Com project
manager.
■ Information technology representative—Technical contact responsible
for describing your system, network, and telecom configuration to the
3Com implementation team and communicating any changes to the
3Com project manager in a timely manner.
■ 3Com IP Contact Center administrator—Ongoing administrator of your
3Com IP Contact Center.
■ CRM administrator—Administrator responsible for maintaining the
CRM solution for your organization.
■ Business line manager—Individual responsible for call-flow routing
decisions.
■ Anyone else who will participate in the implementation or who needs
to approve what is being put in place.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 11
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
3Com Implementation Team
3Com provides the following staff:
■ Project manager—Planner and coordinator of the 3Com IP Contact
Center system implementation. This individual is the main point of
contact between your organization and the 3Com implementation team,
and is directly responsible for customer satisfaction.
■ Application engineer—Individual responsible for building your voice,
e-mail, and Web collaboration workflows and your overall system
configuration in compliance with the Functional Requirements
Document. The application engineer will also conduct training prior to
and immediately following the 3Com IP Contact Center system cutover.
■ Account manager—3Com sales representative.
■ Sales engineer—Technical contact throughout the sales process.
■ Network engineer—Individual responsible for helping you optimize
your network for the 3Com IP Contact Center system. The network
engineer will work with you on any PBX integrations.
Implementation Plan
After the Kickoff and Discovery Meetings, your 3Com project manager will
provide you with a written implementation plan. This includes the
following:
■ The requirements and responsibilities of all participants.
■ A schedule outlining the milestones and completion dates for your
implementation.
■ A list of network connection, software, and hardware requirements.
■ Contact information for key participants on your implementation team.
12 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
3Com IP Contact Center Multi-site Hub and Node Architecture
3Com IP Contact Center Multi-site Hub and Node
Architecture
The following diagram illustrates the high-level, logical architecture of the
3Com IP Contact Center system.
For specific configuration information, contact your 3Com IP Contact
Center project manager.
Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements
You are responsible for supplying, installing, and maintaining your
desktop, system, and network hardware and software. Before your
3Com IP Contact Center system is deployed, the hardware and software
listed in this section must be installed and configured.
This section describes the various requirements for your 3Com IP Contact
Center system.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 13
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
Desktop Requirements
Following is a description of the minimum computer software and
hardware requirements, and the equipment you must provide for each
agent, supervisor, and administrator desktop.
Note: Even if outbound calling is enabled for agent phones, the phones cannot be
used for emergency 911 calling. Alternative phones should be provided to your staff
for this purpose.
Headset and Adapter Requirements
The following table provides a list of approved headsets and adapters for
use with the IPCC Soft Phone.
Headset vendor Headset model USB adapter
Plantronics H41 DA60
Plantronics H81 DA60
Plantronics H91 DA60
Plantronics H101 DA60
Plantronics H261 DA60
Plantronics H41N DA60
Plantronics CS50 DA60
GN Netcom GN 2225/2200 GN 8110 or Plantronics DA60
GN Netcom GN 2130 NX GN 8110 or Plantronics DA60
GN Netcom GN 9120 GN 8110 or Plantronics DA60
Sennheiser SH350/SH330 N/A
To use headsets other than those listed in the table above, make sure the
following requirements are met:
■ USB connector that uses the standard Windows USB audio driver
■ Digitally signed Microsoft Windows device driver
■ Volume control for headset microphone and audio
■ No PC sound card requirements
■ No perceivable processing delay (10 ms or less)
■ No return gain; that is, the return loss echo must be 40 dB or higher
■ An external speaker device that is controlled by the computer’s sound
card, if users plan to enable external audio for the incoming call ring.
14 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements
Hardware Requirements
Note: 3Com recommends the Dell OptiPlex GX520 computer for the
3Com IPCC Desktop.
■ Pentium III, 1.4 GHz processor
Note: Though the 3Com IPCC Desktop will operate properly on a computer
with a Pentium III, 1.4 GHz processor, 3Com recommends a Pentium 4, 2.4
GHz processor for optimum performance.
■ 1 GB or more of RAM (with 256 MB available for 3Com IP Contact
Center)
■ 20-GB hard disk drive
■ 50 MB of free space on the hard disk drive
■ 19-inch (CRT) or 17-inch (flat-panel) monitor, keyboard, and mouse
Note 1: The screen resolution must be set to 1280 x 1024 or higher for the CRT
and for the flat-panel monitor.
Note 2: The color depth should be set to High Color (24-bit) or, if the user is
running Windows 2000, True Color (24-bit).
■ 10/100 network interface card (NIC)
■ Active USB port
Software Requirements
■ The desktop computer must have one of the following operating
systems:
– Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and all current security
updates.
Note: If the Windows firewall is enabled on the client computers, the
computers must be configured with the firewall settings described in the
3Com IP Contact Center Desktop Installation Instructions. This
document is available on the latest version of the “3Com IP Contact
Center Documentation CD.”
– Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 and all current
security updates.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 15
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
■ Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, with all current security updates,
configured as described in the 3Com IP Contact Center Desktop
Installation Instructions.
■ Java Plug-in 1.4.2_04 (Java 2 Runtime Environment [JRE]) product from
Sun Microsystems.
If the Java Plug-in 1.4.2_04 product is not already installed, you will be
prompted to allow the system to install it automatically the first time
you log on to the 3Com IPCC Desktop. (Administrative privileges are
required to do this.)
User Access From Remote Locations
The 3Com IP Contact Center environment enables 3Com IPCC Desktop
users—such as agents, supervisors, managers, and administrators—to
access the 3Com IP Contact Center system from a location that is either local
or remote to the 3Com IP Contact Center system. The user must be able to
connect to the corporate network on which the 3Com IP Contact Center
system resides.
Users who access the 3Com IP Contact Center system from a remote
location can use one of the following methods:
■ Wide Area Network (WAN) Access
– Users connect to the corporate network from a branch office or in
the field.
– Users have the same 3Com IPCC Desktop access as if they had
logged on locally (through a LAN) from the corporate site.
– Users can make and receive voice calls, send and receive e-mail
messages, establish Web collaboration sessions, view reports and
statistics, and administer the system based on their user
permissions.
■ Virtual Private Network (VPN) Access
– Users connect to the corporate network through a VPN connection
over a DSL or cable modem. These users work from a remote
location such as a home office or a field office that does not have
direct corporate network access.
– Users have the same 3Com IPCC Desktop access as if they had
logged on locally (through a LAN) from the corporate site.
16 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
– Users can make and receive voice calls, send and receive
e-mail messages, establish Web collaboration sessions, view reports
and statistics, and administer the system based on their user
permissions.
Although users can use a VPN to make and receive voice contacts, there
is no guaranteed quality of service between the enterprise and the user
since open Internet bandwidths are unpredictable and could impact
audio quality.
Server Hardware Requirements
For information on hardware server requirements for configuring the
3Com IP Contact Center Hub and 3Com IP Contact Center Node, contact
your project manager. Additional server hardware requirements are
described below.
You can use the order specifications provided in the 3Com IP Contact Center
Order Specifications document. Your 3Com project manager can assist you in
obtaining this equipment.
Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements
Access to all servers and gateways must be provided through a monitor,
keyboard, and mouse. A switchbox (KVM) should be used to share a
monitor, keyboard, and mouse among servers.
For remotely accessing the IP Contact Center server components and for
establishing the PSTN interface, follow the guidelines provided below.
Remote Access Cards
Remote access cards enable 3Com Support personnel to troubleshoot and
maintain 3Com IP Contact Center server components from a remote
location. Be aware of the following:
■ Remote access cards are required in all 3Com IP Contact Center servers.
■ You must provide 3Com with an IP address and host name for each
remote access card. For additional information about IP address
requirements for remote access cards, see “IP Address and Host Name
Requirements” on page 31.
■ Remote access cards must be wired before the 3Com IP Contact Center
system installation begins.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 17
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
Virtual Private Network (VPN) Hardware
Normally, 3Com provides the VPN hardware that 3Com Support personnel
use to access your 3Com IP Contact Center system.
If you already have VPN hardware and would like 3Com Support
personnel to use it to access your 3Com IP Contact Center system, the 3Com
network engineer will work with your network engineer to configure a
compatible solution.
With either the 3Com VPN or your own, specific ports and protocols must
be allowed to pass through the VPN connection without being blocked by a
firewall or other security device. Consult your 3Com project manager for
more details on the specific requirements.
Voice Gateway Hardware
3Com provides the PSTN interface card(s) for your 3Com IP Contact Center
system.
The 3Com implementation team will install and configure the voice
gateway server components with your 3Com IP Contact Center system. For
information on rack layout guidelines, consult your 3Com project manager.
Security Requirements
The e-mail and Web collaboration servers allow external access to the
3Com IP Contact Center network and therefore proper security measures
must be in place to ensure that these systems are not vulnerable to malicious
content, such as viruses or denial of service (DoS) attacks.
Although the products that provide system security are not part of the
3Com product offering, it is extremely important for the operation of your
contact center and the 3Com IP Contact Center system that you identify,
install, and maintain an external set of security solutions that can provide
protection from viruses, malicious content, and DoS attacks.
When you purchase Web collaboration, you must provide your own DMZ
for protection from malicious content. Other solutions are possible and can
be discussed with your 3Com implementation team.
18 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
Networking Protocols
The following protocols are used among the hub, the node, and the client
components in the 3Com IP Contact Center system to communicate within
the enterprise (behind your firewall).
Protocol Port number Purpose
TCP 22 SSH
UDP 5060 Voice Media Server (on the Voice server)
Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements
25 SMTP
80 HTTP
123 NTP
443 HTTPS
1521, 5500 Oracle
7070 3Com IPCC Web Collaboration Server Administration Pages
8025 SMTP Proxy on the Node Application Server
8026 SMTP
8080 HTTP and 3Com IPCC Web Collaboration server
8225 SMTP
8243 IMAP
9001 Velocity application pages
11000 Node Router
12002 User Desktop Manager
12100 Desktop Manager Server
12200 Desktop Manager Client Server
14001 and 14101 Service Manager
14502 Real-Time Event-Processing
24921 iCCJBossWatchDog
1025-65535 JMS UIL2
5061 Voice Proxy (on the Voice server)
2000-5000 Exchanges RTP with Gateways and IPCC Soft Phone
8000-10000 Exchanges RTP with VMS
Note: The information in the above table is preliminary. Please contact your 3Com
project manager for the latest information.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 19
Chapter 1: Overview and System Requirements
Voice Requirements
This section describes the requirements to support voice functionality in the
3Com IP Contact Center system.
Requirements for Voice over IP (VoIP)
The 3Com IP Contact Center system supports G.711 and G.729ab encoding.
■ G.711 provides the closest to toll quality audio and requires
approximately 85 Kbps unidirectional bandwidth (with L2/L3
headers).
■ G.729ab provides nearly toll quality audio and includes built-in voice
activity detection (VAD) that can reduce bandwidth consumption up to
35 percent. G.729ab without VAD requires 26.4 Kbps unidirectional
bandwidth so, with VAD bandwidth, consumption could be reduced to
approximately 17 Kbps unidirectional bandwidth.
To ensure optimal audio quality, make sure that your network conforms to
the following basic recommendations:
■ The local area network (LAN) requires a switched 100 Mbps network.
■ To prioritize voice packets on the network, QoS (Quality of Service)
must be enabled.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth requirements for voice traffic and system data traffic between
the 3Com IP Contact Center hub and nodeare described in the sections
below.
Voi c e Tr a f fi c
Make sure that your network has the appropriate bandwidth to support the
voice traffic to and from your remote nodes.
20 3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide
Hardware, Software, and Network Requirements
System Data Traffic
The following table provides information about the bandwidth
consumption between the hub and a node when there is no incoming
contact traffic.
Note: Interface from other nodes in a multi-node instance is not included.
Bandwidth used in bytes
Description
The system is up with no
agents logged on.
One agent is logged on. 900 <1%
25 agents are logged on. 9500 5%
Typical provisioning
changes are being made,
such as changing a user,
classification, or gateway
attribute.
(octets) per second
2700 (Minimum)
8100 (Maximum)
4500 (Average)
25,500 13%
Percent of T1 bandwidth
used
1.4%
4.3%
2.4%
Latency
Latency is the delay between sending the IP packet and the packet being
delivered to the recipient. For example, on a cellular phone or an
international call, it is common to notice slight delays in the conversation.
The average person notices latency of 120 ms or more. Excellent latency is
considered to be less than 100 ms and the highest acceptable latency is
considered to be approximately 250 ms (one-way).
Latency for a typical VoIP call through the 3Com IP Contact Center is
approximately 95–100 ms, with significantly higher numbers when the call
is traveling over a WAN.
Audio Quality
General Audio Quality Considerations. In addition to latency, you must
consider audio issues. If audio packets are lost during transmission, the
3Com IPCC Desktop user hears static or broken audio depending on the
order of packet loss.
Audio packets are sent by means of the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) over
an IP network. Unlike other common protocols (such as Transmission
Control Protocol, or TCP), the packet is not retransmitted if the receiver fails
to receive it. If there is congestion on the network, packets may have to wait
for a period of time for space in the queue, increasing latency.
3Com IP Contact Center Implementation Planning Guide 21
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