Copyright© 2003 Avaya Inc. All rights reserved

SIP, IM, Presence and the Enterprise

Venky KrishnaswamyDirector, IP Communications Research

Avaya Labs, Avaya Inc.

sip:venky@avaya.com

Anwar SiddiquiAvaya CTO

sip:anwars@avaya.com

Krishna Kishore Dhara

Avaya Labs Researchsip:dhara@avaya.com

Michael Vernick

Avaya Labs Researchsip:vernick@avaya.com

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IM and Voice in Most Enterprises Today

PBX

• Voice and IM silos

• Individually: Fairly rich communication model

• Together: Today -> no synergy; Interaction left for user to manage

3

More generally……

• Converged Networks today

• Provides IP network Connectivity

• Provides High Reliability

• Software and Servers are hardware agnostic

• Open Standards are being embraced

• Networks are engineered for QOS & Security

• However …

• Multiple phones, mailboxes…

• Not always dependable IM

• Limited access to portals..

• Converged Networks today

• Provides IP network Connectivity

• Provides High Reliability

• Software and Servers are hardware agnostic

• Open Standards are being embraced

• Networks are engineered for QOS & Security

• However …

• Multiple phones, mailboxes…

• Not always dependable IM

• Limited access to portals..

4

Presence-Enabled Multimodal Communications

• Presence is not sufficient; needs to be incorporated into an Availability model.

• Needs to include all modes and devices to be truly useful.

• Needs to be sensitive to business practices and policies to be practical.

• Needs to be incorporated into a variety of communications applications.

• User model needs to be compelling and trivially easy-to-use

Reach the right person at the right time for the right purpose at the right device.

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Bridging the Silos

End Devices

++

IP PBX Servers & Gateways

Voice Messaging

Server

Unified Messaging

Server

Current Enterprise Infrastructure

• Solutions that exclude current installed base of equipment and applications will not work … Forklifts are simply not practical

• End-To-End SIP will take a while to deploy and get right.

• However… SIP (and Web Services) are key enablers for integration of new capabilities into existing installations.

• Evolution *is* possible in measured steps.

• Every upgrade must be justified by clear visibility into benefits as well as challenges in deployment and operation… realism is key.

6

Presence-Enabled IP SoftPhone• Presence-enabled contacts/speed dials.

• Integrate voice with IM

• Interoperates with existing devices and infrastructure.

SIP Proxy/Registrar/Presence Server

Media Server and Gateway

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Enhanced Conferencing

4600 IP IP Phone Digital Sets

PC Clients (Soft Phone)PC Clients

(Soft Phone)

AUDIO

IM

IrDA

1. Conferees list

2. SIP Dialog Event State

3. Whisper an IM

IM

8

IP PBXExt: 74608

Call 74608

INVITE

INVITE

IM + Presence Based App

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EC: 74608 2.5G/3G

SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY (MWI)

Let me know about new Message from X

Extending the Virtual Enterprise

MESSAGE4

Call you back in 5 min

Instant M

essage

MESSAGE

3

Do u want to accept the call

Call you back in 5 min

X

9

Next Generation User Communications Model• Why:

– Need to adapt communications interfaces to the roles people play and tasks they perform in a business environment => Quantum leap in productivity.

– Need to simplify communications interfaces while simultaneously satisfying sophisticated (and constantly evolving) user expectations => Adaptive communications.

• How:– Extensive use of communications assistants.

– Domain-and context specific feature intelligence (“Capture the intent of the call”).

– Leverage presence, availability, location.

– Leverage multi-modal interfaces: Speech, Device displays, Soft clients, Thin Clients/Web Access

– Service customization: Visual service creation tools; tuning wizards; automated learning

=> Make all of this trivially easy to use!

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Presence and Availability• Input gathering

– 100% accuracy of presence input would be great…but impossible to realize in practice. Need to collect inputs from as many sources as possible (Soft client, PBX Phone, SIP devices, Wireless devices, email, voicemail, enterprise login, VPN….)

– Presence inputs across space and time (presence in multiple simultaneous activity, past presence in sessions) may be useful.

• Synthesis and Compositing

– Inferences -> Probabilistic/granular models of availability

– User/System overrides

• Context-sensitive Use

– Intent of communication

– Enterprise policies, practices and

– Individual privacy and circles of trust

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Realizing the Next Gen “Feature Set”

Applications:

Network-based communications assistants (Role/Behavior templates, Domain templates)

User-experience rendering:

Speech dialogs, Device control (Displays, Soft Keys, Alerts etc.), Soft Client control (Web/web services user interfaces).

Communication flow design:

Standard/Default flows; flow customization tools; tuning wizards; learning wizards; flow authoring tools; web services links to business logic)

Communication Infrastructure and Integration (SIP):

Programmable communication elements, Flexible routing, Dynamic capability discovery and negotiation, Management of multi-media and multi-modal sessions, Presence gathering

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Example Scenario: Topology

CM

CCS(SIP Server)

PSTN CallAssistant

RuleMgr

ContactDB

VoicePrompts

SIP

IPTML/SIP User GW

SIP

XML

OutlookStandAloneapp

SIP

PC

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Call Flow

CM CCSCall

Assistant

•Based on caller id and rulesCall Assistant can:

Hello Caller. Callee is in a meeting. Goodbye.

-Play prompts to user basedon default actions

-Get actions from user viaphone or PC

-Transfer call to user’s phone

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Scenario Setup

June -Colleague

Ted -Randy’s Boss

Randy

Carol –Randy’s Mom

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1 – Randy is Busy, June calls

• June is not an important contact. The call assistant handles the call since Randy is busy until 1pm.

CallAssistant

Hello June….I’m sorry but Randy is in a meeting. I’ve

scheduled a callback at 1pm when Randy is free. Goodbye.

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2 – Randy is busy but has IM access: Ted calls

• Ted is an important contact. The call assistant sends an instant message to Randy and Randy replies via his laptop.

CallAssistant

Hello Ted….Randy is in a meeting. Please wait while I

send Randy an instant message

IM: Ted is calling

IM: Ted, I will stop by youroffice in 10 minutes

Hello Ted. Randy says: Ted, I will stop by your office in 10

minutes. Goodbye.

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3 – Randy is busy but has phone IM access: Ted calls

• Ted calls again. The call assistant sends an instant message to Randy’s phone and Randy replies via his phone using canned messages.Call

Assistant

Hello Ted….Randy is in a meeting. Please wait while I

send Randy an instant message

IM: Ted is calling

IM: Will call in 10 Minutes

Hello Ted. Randy says: Will call in 10 minutes. Goodbye.

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4 – Randy is free: Carol calls.

• Carol, Randy’s mom calls. Randy is available by phone so the call assistant transfers the call to Randy’s phone.Call

Assistant

Hello Carol….Please wait while I transfer your call

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Scenario Start-To-Finish Before the Call:

Caller: Calendar, Directory, Callee Availability.Call initiation assistance, Statement of Intent

Callee:Determination willingness to communicate with caller.Determine applicable/available media and modes

Call Disposition: Connect, Defer, Refer to alternate mode/channel,Automatic Coverage, User-controlled re-route.

During the call: In-call feature invocation such as hold, transfer, conference,etc. Additional modes: Video, IM, CollaborationInformation exchange (e.g: Vcard, VCal)

After the call: Post-Call assistance: Schedule follow-up, Add to address book, Save notes etc.

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Deploying Converged Communications: Key Challenges

• Privacy and Security.

• Reliability.

• Incorporate existing networks and devices.

• Operation across domain boundaries.

• Managing distributed user and state information.

• Managing interactions between new applications and established ‘features’.

• Policy administration and management.

• Identify compelling new applications and value to the end-user or IT manager that will encourage upgrades, migration and adoption of new paradigms.

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Summary: Value Propositions for Converged Communications • Productivity applications targeting enterprise users:

– Integration of voice, IM, other media

– Presence, location and mobility based solutions

– Modular application components that can be readily integrated to enable value add solutions to the enterprise

– Personalized/Customized communication services integrated with business processes, policies and workflows.

• Evolution:– Leverage existing infrastructures and installed base

– Feature transparency between traditional and IP endpoints

– Reliable and scalable solutions

• SIP as integration protocol:– Deliver value across a distributed infrastructure consisting of traditional

(TDP), proprietary IP and SIP-based endpoints and network components