Cisco Cisco TelePresence Video Communication Server Expressway
Introduction
Cisco VCS Deployment Guide: Multiway™ (Cisco VCS X6)
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Introduction
Objectives and intended audience
This deployment guide is designed to guide the reader on how to configure a Cisco TelePresence
Video Communication Server (Cisco VCS) Control and Expressway and a Cisco TelePresence MCU
to use the Cisco TelePresence Multiway™ feature.
Video Communication Server (Cisco VCS) Control and Expressway and a Cisco TelePresence MCU
to use the Cisco TelePresence Multiway™ feature.
This document reflects the user interfaces presented on VCS X6 and MCU version 4.2 software.
Different software versions may require different navigation paths or use different field labels to refer
to some settings.
Different software versions may require different navigation paths or use different field labels to refer
to some settings.
Overview of Multiway™
Multiway™ conferencing enables video endpoint users to introduce a 3
rd
party into an existing call. It
can be used in the following situations:
you want to add someone else in to your existing call
you are called by a 3rd party while already in a call and you want to include that person in the call
To add a 3
rd
party while in an existing call:
1. Place the original party on hold.
2. Make a new call to the new party.
3. Press “Join” to make the conference.
To join an incoming caller into an existing conference:
1. Accept the new call and place the original party on hold.
2. Press “Join” to make the conference.
With Cisco VCS version X5 (or later) and with Cisco TelePresence MCU version 3.1 (or later)
additional calls can be added into the conference by any party — by putting the conference call on
hold, receiving or making a call, then pressing “Join”.
additional calls can be added into the conference by any party — by putting the conference call on
hold, receiving or making a call, then pressing “Join”.
Endpoints invited to join the Multiway™ conference must support the H.323 routeToMC facility
message if in an H.323 call, or SIP REFER message if in a SIP call.
message if in an H.323 call, or SIP REFER message if in a SIP call.
Centralized resources for conferencing
Prior to Multiway™ the ability to add new callers into a conference was only available for video
endpoints that had built-in conference bridges. Multiway™ uses centralized MCU resources; endpoints
that do not have on-board conferencing capability (such as the Cisco IP Video Phone E20) can now
initiate Multiway™ conferences.
endpoints that had built-in conference bridges. Multiway™ uses centralized MCU resources; endpoints
that do not have on-board conferencing capability (such as the Cisco IP Video Phone E20) can now
initiate Multiway™ conferences.
the conference capacity of Multiway™ conferences is only limited by the MCU providing the
conferencing resource
conferencing resource
endpoints that do not support Multisite conferencing can initiate / join in ad hoc conferences
Intuitive conferencing
With Multiway™, making conference calls is intuitive. If you make a call to a new party, having put
your first party on hold, or if you receive a call when you are already in a call and choose to accept it,
you are offered the choice to “Join” all parties into a Multiway™ conference, as well as to swap
between talking to each party one at a time.
your first party on hold, or if you receive a call when you are already in a call and choose to accept it,
you are offered the choice to “Join” all parties into a Multiway™ conference, as well as to swap
between talking to each party one at a time.