Cisco IP Phones Added to ForgeServe Proposition

IP endpoint deployment and management specialists ForgeServe have now added Cisco endpoints to their solution

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Published: May 21, 2018

Ian Taylor Editor

Ian Taylor

Editor

Projects involving the roll-out of IP devices have long been the bane of communications staff within the industry. Mundane, time consuming and inefficient the deployment of IP devices has taken up valuable technical resource and this wastage has increased in larger deployments. Then there is the further headache when it comes to managing and maintaining the devices once they are deployed within customer networks. UC Today have already reported on the ForgeServe platform, from Swoop Datacom, which can dramatically improve the process and management life-cycle for all concerned.

Now ForgeServe has added Cisco endpoints to the burgeoning range of compatible devices that the solution can assist with. Cisco IP Phones are still one of the biggest players in the market with millions sold year on year. The addition of Cisco IP devices to the proposition now gives a whole new raft of customers the option to utilise the ForgeServe solution to save time and money.

CEO of Swoop Datacom, John Bennett is incredibly excited about their latest development and the savings they can offer to a host of new potential customers.

“Cisco IP Phones are some of the most popular on the market and now we can offer customers who operate them a solution which can really help them with device deployment and management. It’s something which we have been working on for a while and now we can offer customers and partners automated phone provisioning and other management capabilities for their Cisco estates”

The enhanced ForgeServe solution now includes models in the Cisco IP 6800, 7800, and 8800 series. The addition of Cisco IP Phones with Multiplatform Firmware empowers solution providers to deliver automated phone provisioning and brings other management functions to their growing services portfolio.

As well as saving resource during deployment the new Cisco device compatibility, with ForgeServe, offers customers further savings in device management. Currently adding in a new range of devices from a new manufacturer creates further overheads for customers with technical staff requiring training on new software and hardware. ForgeServe eliminates this. Utilising the ForgeServe universal management interface, which remains the same for all the devices regardless of manufacturer, technical staff can continue to use a familiar single pain of glass structure removing the need for further training.

“ForgeServe will also reduce the need for additional expenditure on training when adding a new set of devices into existing environments. Say you add 100 or 1000 new Cisco devices to your estate, you can manage them all through the same interface that you use for your current Polycom or Yealink hardware – that’s a real USP”

Already operational with all of the most widely utilised hardware manufacturers: Polycom, Avaya, Snom, Grandstream and Yealink, the addition of Cisco completes an already exciting proposition for ForgeServe partners. Working closely with Westcon-Comstor John also recognises the benefits that the latest update brings to partners like them.

“We have worked extensively to ensure that ForgeServe offers a comprehensive feature set for all vendors that we support, and Cisco has long been a must-have vendor for Swoop Datacom. We see the collaboration between ForgeServe and Cisco as a huge advantage to MSP’s currently selling, or new to Cisco IP Phones with Multiplatform Firmware.”

With the acquisition of BroadSoft confirmed earlier this year Cisco have demonstrated their intent to be the main player within the traditional UC and now cloud communications market. The option to utilise ForgeServe with new Cisco deployments can only provide further encouragement to customers considering new Cisco BroadSoft platforms.

“With the acquisition of BroadSoft it seems more and more likely that we will see larger numbers of Cisco IP Phones in operation, purchased as part of bundles or separately. Now we can assist all of those customers with ForgeServe, enabling them use cutting edge technology to improve their device deployment and management throughout the lifecycle of the products.”

Continued development of the ForgeServe platform only enhances their offering to customers and partners. With the latest addition of Cisco IP devices the platform can now benefit millions of new customers who are currently struggling with deployment projects and device management.

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