Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service Cisco TelePresence Select Operate allows customers to make full use of the benefits of the Cisco TelePresence solution, while Cisco and qualified partners proactively identify and quickly resolve issues with Cisco TelePresence components, Cisco Unified CallManager, and Cisco Foundation Technology devices that affect the user experience. When Cisco TelePresence Select Operate is combined with Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance, users in any managed Cisco TelePresence conference room can connect with a remote assistance representative day or night, 365 days a year, by simply pressing the Concierge button on a Cisco Unified IP Phone. Service Overview Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service provide management services necessary to sustain a highly available Cisco TelePresence solution. Cost-effective management of the converged architecture that supports the Cisco TelePresence solution improves network performance, system availability, user experience, and the overall profitability. Proactive monitoring and management of the Cisco TelePresence solution, whether provided by Cisco, a qualified partner, or a customer s IT department, are essential parts of maximizing system availability and the customer s end-user experience. Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service are delivered by Cisco Remote Operations Services (ROS). Cisco ROS teams manage hundreds of Cisco customers globally and have extensive experience in supporting global network and telecommunications infrastructure, Cisco Unified Communications, and the in-room components of the Cisco TelePresence system. By combining Cisco knowledge of Cisco TelePresence leading practices and processes based on ITIL, Cisco ROS increases the value of the customer s Cisco TelePresence solution investment by improving the user experience with the solution and freeing internal IT staff to focus on strategic business initiatives. All contents are Copyright 1992 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 5
Cisco TelePresence Remote Management Service Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service deliver expert day-to-day management of the Cisco TelePresence solution, including the foundation and Cisco Unified Communications devices of the converged network components carrying the voice, data, and video traffic. Packaged with Essential Operate Service in the operate phase of Cisco Lifecycle Services, Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service are designed to maintain the highest possible satisfaction with the Cisco Telepresence solution. Satisfaction with the solution will promote higher utilization of the solution, leading to a faster return on the customer s investment. Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service include: Remote assistance Incident management Problem management Change management Availability and performance reporting Remote Assistance The remote assistance service team gives customers a simple and effective single point of contact for all Cisco TelePresence questions or issues. Tier I and tier II engineers utilize incident remediation procedures to restore services within established service levels. The remote assistance team will initiate a request for change (RFC) as needed for service restoration. After a change is requested, the remote assistance team monitors, tracks, and communicates progress to customers until the issue is resolved. Escalations are promoted by elapsed time, according to the service level agreement (SLA), to provide effective incident routing to appropriate technical resources. The remote assistance team will also address routine issues or customer questions directly and maintain the capability to quickly escalate more complex technical issues or questions to the Cisco incident management team. Customers may escalate issues at any time, and automatic escalations are determined by elapsed time and SLAs. Incident Management Cisco continuously monitors all components of the Cisco TelePresence system and the end-to-end path of Cisco TelePresence traffic, quickly detecting and responding to any conditions that might degrade system performance. A multiprotocol polling system monitors all devices, modules, and available device environmental conditions to determine when a performance threshold has been exceeded. This monitoring lets Cisco detect network link failures, conditions such as extreme temperature that could cause a failure, and the failure of redundant modules such as power supplies, fans, and processors. Proactive incident detection and monitoring help the Cisco ROS team detect many issues before the user experience is affected. With proactive monitoring, Cisco is able to quickly resolve incidents through fault isolation that allows troubleshooting to start with the most likely failure point. Because service is restored quickly, fewer Cisco TelePresence calls will be canceled or rescheduled because of network infrastructure or component failures, improving overall network and business application availability. All contents are Copyright 1992 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 5
When a network event is detected, the Cisco team records the incident, sends automated alerts to designated customer contacts, and begins the process of fault isolation and rapid restoration of service. Customer alerts can include an e-notification to appropriate contacts based on the service level objective (SLO) configuration. The Cisco ticketing system captures alarm and event correlation data and enriches this data with relevant component and network data. Impact and urgency assessments are appended based on SLA and configuration item associations. Tier I and tier II personnel utilize incident remediation procedures and work to restore services within established service levels, initiating an RFC as needed for restoration. Problem Management The problem management team combines incident error and performance data, technical subject matter expertise, product and development resources, and six sigma methodologies to analyze the underlying cause of recurring incidents. After the problem is resolved, the problem management team monitors the resolution to prevent the error from recurring. The problem management team documents the recommended remediation and resolution procedures, which then will assist the incident management team in resolving the same errors in the future. These documents become part of the known error database and assist with faster remediation of future incidents. Change Management A change control process helps customers maintain a high-availability network infrastructure by tracking the source of infrastructure changes and any problems that might be associated with those changes. Cisco will work within the customer s existing change control procedures and/or will completely manage the changes for the customer. Either way, customers get coordinated, integrated changes that reduce network downtime and improve availability and performance. As part of the change control process, Cisco can perform an impact and urgency assessment based on SLA, business urgency, and business impact. Changes are categorized as standard, minor, significant, or major. Changes are tracked by creating an RFC ticket, which is acknowledged by the change management team. This team coordinates approval of the change and identifies and communicates resource requirements and build, test, back-out, and implementation plans and schedules. After the change is implemented, the Cisco team monitors for unwanted or undesirable side effects and tracks user satisfaction regarding the effectiveness of the change. The team also documents and communicates the result of all change activities and closes the RFC. Availability and Performance Reporting Performance and availability statistics help customers manage network and system performance and capacity. They also help customers continually evaluate network designs to make adjustments to improve overall availability and performance. Cisco will monitor for faults and collect performance statistics for the managed devices and links between the Cisco TelePresence solution, foundation devices, and Cisco Unified Communications devices using a management connection between the Cisco Network Management Center (NMC) and the customer s network. Cisco publishes a robust set of statistics and reports through the Cisco ROS Web portal, where they are always available for customers to view. All contents are Copyright 1992 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 5
Benefits Cisco is committed to providing a converged environment that enables efficient business operations and rapid deployment of technologies, which in turn provide competitive advantage for our customers. Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service allow customers to use this valuable collaborative technology, even if they do not have the necessary in-house management resources. These services give customers industryleading support for the Cisco TelePresence solution while allowing them to retain control of their network hardware and topology. Guidance from Cisco through ongoing remote operations also helps customers manage infrastructure to maintain a reliable, secure, high-performance environment that supports customers business goals. Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service help customers to: Maintain control of and provide access to Cisco TelePresence components and network infrastructure, without the burden of providing day-to-day support, through a comanagement approach Increase return on Cisco TelePresence investment by keeping devices available and operating to their full potential Improve the Cisco TelePresence experience for users by proactively monitoring the infrastructure for statistical information that could degrade performance quality and reporting on the performance to allow customers to effectively manage network capacity Increase business agility by adopting advanced technologies, while applying proven processes and management practices to the customer s infrastructure by using Cisco expertise in Cisco TelePresence management Make informed decisions about the Cisco TelePresence environment by using the active map, dashboard, performance reports, real-time and historical trouble ticket status, and device inventory information on the Cisco ROS Web portal. Why Cisco Services Cisco Services make networks, applications, and the people who use them work better together. Today, the network is a strategic platform in a world that demands better integration between people, information, and ideas. The network works better when services, together with products, create solutions aligned with business needs and opportunities. The unique Cisco Lifecycle approach to services defines the requisite activities at each phase of the network lifecycle to help ensure service excellence. With a collaborative delivery methodology that joins the forces of Cisco, our skilled network of partners, and our customers, we achieve the best results. Availability and Ordering Information Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service are available globally. Services are delivered in English; translation services are provided where necessary. These services may be provided on a statement of work basis to meet specific customer needs beyond the standard Cisco service description. They are available only through a subscription service, with a minimum term of 12 months. All contents are Copyright 1992 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 5
The The Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and TelePresenceCisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service package includes the Cisco TelePresence Essential Operate services. For More Information For more information about Cisco TelePresence Select Operate and the Cisco TelePresence Remote Assistance Service, visit www.cisco.com/go/ros, or contact your Cisco service account manager. Printed in USA C78-398688-00 03/07 All contents are Copyright 1992 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 5 of 5