Cisco Unified Contact Center Express

New Features

Calendar Management- Administrators can create calendars, configure business hours, special days, and holidays. Administrators can associate calendars with chat widget by using Chat Widget Configuration. Administrators can assign the calendars to supervisors so that supervisors can manage the calendars. Administrators and supervisors (who have access to Application Management) can associate calendars with applications by using Application Management.

Calendar Step- The calendars that are created in Unified CCX can be included in a script by using the Calendar Step in the Unified CCX Editor.

Advanced Supervisor Capabilities

The following advanced capabilities are available for a supervisor:

  • Queue Management

    A supervisor can manage resources across the assigned CSQs and teams by using the Queue Management feature.

  • Application Management

    A supervisor can manage the prompts, if any configured, in the Unified CCX IVR script based applications that are assigned by the administrator. Supervisors can also associate calendars with applications.

  • Calendar Management

    A supervisor can manage the business hours, holidays, and off hours in the calendars that are assigned by the administrator.

  • Outbound Campaign Management

    A supervisor can manage the outbound campaigns that are assigned by the administrator.

New Historical Report

A new multichannel historical report has been added. The following report presents the details of the CSQs and agents skills that were modified.

  • Queue Management Audit Trail Report

Bubble Chat Calendar

The Service Hours can be configured while configuring the Bubble Chat Widget by selecting an available Calendar.

Migration to CentOS Based Voice Operating System

Unified CCX and its components are migrated to CentOS based Voice Operating System (VOS).

SHA-256 Support for Single Sign-On

Secure Hash Algorithm 2 (SHA-256) is now supported as the signing algorithm for Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) based user authentication.

SHA-256 Support for Cisco Identity Service

The Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 request can be signed using SHA-1 or SHA-256 as per the value configured in the system.

Updated Features

Reporting Enhancements

The following reports were enhanced in this release:

  • Chat Agent Detail Report

  • Chat Agent Summary Report

  • Chat CSQ Activity Report

  • Chat Traffic Analysis Report

  • Email Agent Activity Report

  • Email Contact Detail Report

  • Agent Not Ready Reason Code Summary Report

  • Agent Wrap-up Data Summary Report

  • Agent Wrap-up Data Detail Report

  • Chat CSQ Summary Report

Deprecated Features

Deprecated features are fully supported. However, there is no additional development for Deprecated features. These features may be scheduled to be removed in a future release. Plan to transition to the designated replacement feature. If you are implementing a new deployment, use the replacement technology rather than the deprecated feature.

Internet Explorer 11

Support for Internet Explorer version 11 is deprecated.

Mobile Skill Manager

The has been deprecated from Release 12.0(1) onward.

Cisco Context Service

Cisco Context Service has been deprecated from Release 12.0(1) onward.

We will continue to support Cisco Context Service and will provide critical bug fixes as needed.

We will be building a new and improved cloud based customer journey capability to replace Cisco Context Service. This capability would be common across all Cisco contact center solutions Customer Journey Platform, Unified CCX, Unified CCE, and HCS-CC. Please refer to the published roadmap or contact Cisco for more details.


Note

Existing Cisco Context Service customers can continue to use this capability until the new customer journey capability is available.

Important Notes

  • The VMware tools get outdated when the applications are on ESXi 6.5. To manually upgrade the VMware Tools, open the Virtual Machine Properties window of the application. On the Options tab, select VMware Tools settings and manually check Check and upgrade Tools during power cycling.

  • When agents reply to emails, the email responses are always in HTML format irrespective of the format of the emails received.

  • The Unified CCX 12.0 license file represents the version as 11.7 instead of 12.0. However, you cannot use this license file with Unified CCX 11.6 or earlier systems.

  • Please ensure that you download and install the latest software provided by Cisco in the Contact Center application. This will ensure that all the latest updates are applied to the software applications. For Unified CCX Compatibility Information see, https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-express/products-device-support-tables-list.html..

    For latest software download see, https://software.cisco.com/download/home.

  • Customers who are deploying Unified CCX 12.0 should create a Smart Account. Please visit the following URLs for accessing the materials to enable Smart Account overview and creation:

    https://www.cisco.com/go/smartaccounts

    Smart Accounts FAQ for Partners, Distributors and Customers - https://communities.cisco.com/docs/DOC-64078

Removed and Unsupported Features

Removed Features

  • Classic Chat feature has been removed in this release. The configuration of the Classic Chat in the previous release will not be migrated during an upgrade to this release. Customers must configure the Bubble Chat widget available in the Cisco Unified CCX Administration.

  • The link to the Troubleshooting Tips from the Cisco Unified CCX Administration web page from the Help menu has been removed from this release.

Chat Transcript Download in a PDF Format

The chat transcript cannot be downloaded in a PDF format from the Unified CCX Release 11.6(2) onward.

TLS

TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are not supported.

Unsupported Options on Finesse for Direct Preview Outbound

Finesse does not support Skip, Skip-Next, Skip-Close, Reject, Cancel Reservation, and Do Not Call for direct preview outbound calls.

Unsupported Features and Configurations for Progressive and Predictive Agent Outbound

Unsupported Features and Configurations for Progressive and Predictive Agent Outbound

  • The "Get Reporting Statistic" step is not supported for progressive and predictive agent-based outbound campaigns.

  • Unified CCX does not support the translation or modification of the phone number that it uses to dial outbound calls. If any "voice translation rules" that are configured in the gateway modify the phone number, those rules are not supported.


    Note

    You can use either of the following two supported methods to modify a dialed number in the gateway:

    • To remove the initial digits of the phone number, use forward-digits or digit-strip in the dial-peer configuration.

    • To add a prefix to the phone number, use prefix in the dial-peer configuration.

  • For Outbound campaigns outside North America, additional configuration is required to add the area-code-to-time-zone mapping. For more information, see the Cisco Unified Contact Center Express Administration and Operations Guide, located at https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1846/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html.

  • For multi-country Outbound campaigns, the area code must also include the country code.

  • Unified CCX dialer will dial outbound contacts only if the publisher database is in the "IN SERVICE" state.

  • Finesse does not support the Do Not Call option.

  • Outbound license usage is not captured in the License Utilization Cisco Unified Intelligence Center report.

  • You must enable Agent AutoAnswer manually for agent-based progressive and predictive calls when you upgrade from an older Unified CCX release.

Unsupported Configuration for IPv6

Unsupported Configurations and Scenarios for Unified CCX

Unified CCX does not support the following configurations:

  • CTI route points with directory numbers (DNs) that are members of line groups and, by extension, that are members of hunt lists of Unified CM.

  • Shared lines for CTI ports and CTI route points.

  • Agent devices cannot be shared with any other Directory Number, irrespective of the configured partition. (the Agent device and Directory Number must have 1:1 relationship).

  • ICD call answer or ICD call transfer using any third-party attendant console desk software.

  • Within the same script, using the "Place Call" step to generate a call and then placing the call, back into the same queue (creating a call loop).

  • SIP REFER between a switchboard and Unified CCX if the transfer is completed after the call is answered on the Unified CCX CTI port because of media reestablishment issues.

  • During TTS prompt playback, if the call is put on hold and then retrieved, the prompt does not continue from the position at which it was left.

  • Use of "Consult Transfer", "Direct Transfer", or "Redirect" to a translation pattern that maps back to a route point.

  • Use of "Consult Transfer", "Redirect", and "Place Call" steps to invoke or dial into "Conference Now" conferences.

  • The following scenarios have issues:

    • External -> Redirect to Unmonitored device -> Call Forward No Answer (CFNA) to UCCX RP

      Use of Redirect Step to an unmonitored device which then uses CFNA to a UCCX route point.

    • External -> Consult Transfer to RP ->Consult Transfer to RP -> Redirect to Unmonitored device

    • External -> Redirect to RP -> Consult Transfer to RP -> Redirect to Unmonitored device

    • External -> Consult Transfer to RP -> Redirect to RP -> Redirect to Unmonitored device

    • External -> Consult Transfer to RP -> Redirect to Unmonitored device

      Thus, use the Call Redirect Step in the script instead of Call Consult Transfer.

  • Unified CCX doesn't completely support E.164 numbering plan for route point directory numbers (DN).

    This limitation is because of the Unified CM limit on device name length set as 15 characters. We add "_" between the device name prefix and the DN. So we support a maximum of 13 characters in the DN as device name prefix is mandatory and hence at least one character is needed there. For example, (Device name prefix) + '_' + (length of DN) = 15 ==> [(1 + '_' + 13) = 15].

  • Cisco Unified CCX system does not support modification, addition or deletion of the CTI ports and the CTI Route Points from the Cisco Unified Communication Manager. Performing the same can lead to issues with non-contiguous DN range for which Cisco Tomcat on Unified CCX Server needs to be restarted.

  • When the supervisor monitors the Team Performance report and during the time if there is any update or modification done to the team, this doesn't get updated automatically. The supervisor should refresh the browser page or select the respective team again to view the Team Performance report.

  • Use of two(2) wildcard CTI Route Points that overlap with each other is not supported. For example, Route Point 1: 123XXXX and Route Point 2: 1234XXX overlap with one another and is not supported.

    However, a wildcard CTI Route point can overlap with a full DID (best match pattern) that doesn't contain a wildcard. For example, Route Point 1: 123XXXX and Route Point 2: 1234567 is supported.

  • A discrepancy in reports is observed when a call is transferred using Cisco Jabber by multiple agents in the same call flow. Use the Cisco Finesse desktop to transfer calls.

  • SIP URI dialing for CTI route points, CTI ports, and agent extensions.

  • SIP URI dialing for CTI route points, CTI ports, and agent extensions.

  • Mid Call Caller ID updates when call is routed to Unified CM via MGCP gateway.


    Note

    When incoming calls are routed to Unified CM via MGCP gateway, any mid call caller ID updates are reflected only after the call is connected.

Unsupported Actions for Unified CCX Agents

Use of the following softkeys on a Cisco Unified IP Phone is not supported:

  • Barge

  • cBarge

  • DND

  • GPickup

  • iDivert

  • Conference Now

  • Park

  • Pickup

Unsupported Configurations for Agent Phones

The following configurations are not supported for agent phones:

  • Two lines on an agent phone that have the same extension but exist in different partitions.

  • Unified CCX extension that is assigned to multiple devices.

  • Configuring the same Unified CCX extension in more than one device profile, or configuring the same Unified CCX extension in any combination of device profiles and devices. (Configuring a Unified CCX extension in a single device profile is supported.)

  • Silent Monitoring by supervisors who are logged in with Extend and Connect.

  • In the Unified Communications Manager Administration Directory Number Configuration web page for each Unified CCX line, setting Maximum Number of Calls to a value other than 2.

  • In the Unified Communications Manager Administration Directory Number Configuration web page for each Unified CCX line, setting Busy Trigger to a value other than 1.

  • No Cisco Unified Communications Manager device can be forwarded to the Unified CCX extension of an agent.

  • The Unified CCX extension of an agent cannot be configured to forward to a Cisco Unified CCX Trigger or CTI route point.

  • Configuring the Unified Communications Manager Intercom feature.

  • Configuring the Hold Reversion feature.

  • Agent extensions cannot be added to hunt lists or hunt groups. If an agent has only one line, the agent phone cannot be part of a hunt list or hunt group. In the case of multiple lines, none of the first four configured lines must be part of the hunt group. For more details on multiple lines support and number of monitored lines, see the Cisco Unified Contact Center Express Design Guide, located at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-express/products-implementation-design-guides-list.html.

  • Call Forward All to extensions which Unified CCX does not have control over. For example, if an agent extension has Call Forward All to a PSTN extension or Directory Number on another cluster which Unified CCX is unaware of.

  • All the Cisco IP Phones for Cisco Finesse IP Phone Agent currently do not support the Simplified New Call UI.

Supported Configurations for Agent Phones

To determine the phone devices that are supported by Cisco Finesse and for use by Cisco Finesse IP Phone agents, see the Unified CCX Compatibility related information located at: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/customer-collaboration/unified-contact-center-express/products-device-support-tables-list.html.

The following configurations are supported on agent phones:

  • A Unified CCX extension that is configured on a single device (but not on multiple devices).

  • A Unified CCX extension that is configured in a single device profile (but not in multiple device profiles).

  • Multiple agents sharing the same Unified CCX extension, which you can set up as follows:

    • Configure the Unified CCX extension to a single phone (not in a device profile).

    • Associate the phone with all the agents who will use this extension.

    • Select the appropriate directory number (DN) as the Unified CCX extension for each agent.

      In this configuration, only one agent at a time can be logged in.


      Note

      All agents who currently have the Unified CCX extension to be shared must log out before you configure additional agents to share that extension.

  • Video is now supported if you are using Cisco Jabber for Windows as agent phone. The agent desktop where Jabber is used for Video should comply to the Cisco Jabber hardware requirements listed in the Cisco Jabber for Windows 11.0.x and 11.1.x Release Notes , located at:

    https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/jabber/Windows/11_0/RN/JABW_BK_C5E7828C_00_cisco-jabber-windows-11-release-notes.html.

Unsupported and Supported Configurations for Remote Agents

Unified CCX supports Cisco Expressway 8.7.1 from the release 11.5(1) onward. The current version of Cisco Expressway does not support BiB and thus the contact center cannot achieve silent monitoring and recording functionalities.

Unsupported Features in Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Business Edition 6000

The following Unified Communications Manager features are not supported by Unified CCX. These features are disabled by default and you should not enable them for Unified CCX. For more information about these features, see Unified Communications Manager documentation, located at:

https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps556/tsd_products_support_series_home.html.

  • Block External to External Transfer.

  • DSCP IP CTIManager to Application service parameter.

    You can enable this service parameter for Unified Communications Manager, but doing so does not affect Unified CCX.

  • Advanced Ad Hoc Conference Enabled service parameter.

  • Drop ad hoc conference when the creator leaves the conference.

  • Signaling (QSIG) Path Replacement (PR).

    This feature must be disabled when Unified CCX is deployed. To disable this feature, set the Unified Communications Manager service parameters Path Replacement Enabled and Path Replacement on Tromboned Calls to False.

  • Forced Authorization Code and Client Matter Code.

    Because these features can be enabled per route pattern, you should turn them off for all route patterns in the Unified Communications Manager cluster that Unified CCX might use. Enabling these features for route patterns that Unified CCX does not use does not affect Unified CCX.

  • Multilevel precedence and preemption (MLPP).

    You can enable this feature for devices in the cluster that do not interact with Unified CCX.

  • Do not use Unified Communications Manager Administration to add or change CTI ports or route points that are used by Unified CCX or application users that are created by Unified CCX.

Unsupported Features in Custom Reports

  • The Do Not Call field is no longer available in Unified CCX 11.0(1) release onward. While upgrading to Unified CCX 11.5(1), report will not be generated if the Do Not Call column is present in the custom report. You can generate the report by removing the Do Not Call column from the custom reports in Unified CCX 11.5(1).

  • A Custom report that was created from a Unified CCX Stock Report may not work as expected if the report definition of the original Stock Report is modified in the new release.