More Than Just a Pretty Phone

Looking beyond its movie star persona (it's a prop phone in many recent movies), the Cisco 7960 IP Phone is the executive-level telephone in Cisco's portfolio of Voice Over IP (VoIP) products. While it's definitely stylish, it comes with some practical and business-class features that offset it's somewhat expensive price tag (approximately $400-500 street).

Our company has upgraded from a traditional Centrex solution to a Cisco VoIP solution at our office, and I have been using a 7960 phone for about two months. Voice Over IP allows voice and data traffic to share the same infrastructure, meaning that the same network that connects our computers also serves to carry voice calls. It's important to note that you can't buy this phone and use it with a traditional analog voice line: without a VoIP phone system and the right data network infrastructure, this phone is just a pretty looking prop.

Features and Ease of Use
The 7960 is the most visible component in the VoIP system since that's what our users have on their desks. It's a black and silver rectangular set, wall- or desk-mountable, with a large 4" x 3" monochrome LCD display. To the right of the display is a series of line and speed dial buttons, right under it are four "soft keys," and below the display are the standard 12 button telephone keypad, and a number of control and menu buttons.

While a bit intimidating at first, it doesn't take long to learn how to navigate the menus on the display, especially since the menu buttons are logical: Messages (voicemail), Directories (allowing access to a corporate phone book, as well as lists of missed, received, and dialed calls), Services (system-defined services, such as conference calling), and Settings.

Harder to get used to are the "soft keys" that use the four buttons right below the display. The buttons' functions change according to what's displayed right above them. Some, such as "Redial" or "Hold" are obvious, but "Confrn" or "CFwdALL" are a bit cryptic. Some functions display only after pressing the "More..." soft key. This can be a problem during a call as you're trying to figure out how conference someone in without dropping either party!

Another usability irritation is the fact that only up to 4 speed dial locations (such as "Home" or "Boss") are available on the display. If you want to have speed dial access to more numbers or have a lot of extensions you answer (such as an assistant might), you need to buy a special "sidecar" expansion unit (Cisco 7914) that adds 14 additional buttons. Short of that, you have to define something of a personal address book, requiring more of a lookup instead of just a single button press. I am disappointed that Cisco didn't include a "shift" feature to allow for more speed dial locations.

The display has some interesting possibilities beyond just displaying a phone book or soft buttons. It can be programmed to display XML data, such as company announcements, stock prices, and more. These features require a lot of behind-the-scenes programming though, and the monochrome display has its limitations, especially with graphics. The new color 7970 model is better for information intense uses.

Other features of the phone that I like include the dual message waiting lights that alert you to waiting voicemail (one is built in on the handset, the other on the handset cradle). Other lighted buttons include mute, speakerphone, and headset, giving you instant status of the three. The display offers additional information, including the current date and time, a call timer, and text status (such as "You Have VoiceMail," "2 New Missed Calls," or "Calls Forwarded to VoiceMail").

Setup and Configuration
From a technical standpoint, the 7960 offers a host of features that help the IT staff to implement the voice calls, including support for several communications protocols, a built-in network switch, and support for inline power. The built-in two-port switch supports 802.1q VLANs, allowing the both the phone and a PC to be connected to a single wall jack while allowing the network administrator to separate the voice and data traffic for security and performance. With special modules in Cisco LAN switches, power can be delivered over the data cabling from the telephone closet to the phone, eliminating the need to plug a power adapter "brick" into the phone. Finally, the phone supports BOOTP and DHCP, so you can plug in the phone to the network without pre-configuring the phone to communicate.

For basic services, very little configuration is necessary. Most users will only want to change their volume settings, adjust the display contrast, and select their personal ringtones--those settings can be done on the phone. More complex changes, such as defining personal address books or changing passwords, requires the user to log in to the system using a web browser. This may or may not be something that will work well, especially for phones not assigned to a specific person (such as guest offices or conference rooms).

Speaking of ring tones, there are about 25 polyphonic rings available by default. They range from practical (standard telephone rings) to outlandish (such a jazzy musical numbers) to downright annoying (there's one that repeatedly asks the question "Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?" If you're in a professional environment, you'll probably have to put some restrictions around ring tones to avoid turning your office into a three-ring circus.

Voice Quality
But all of these bells & whistles aside, the most important question is: how good is the voice quality? It is a phone after all! That's a little hard to answer in terms of the phone itself, since the network design and the VoIP server settings can make a huge difference. With those things put aside, the 7960 does sounds very clear and is almost always undistinguishable from regular telephone service. The microphone, especially when in speakerphone mode, is very sensitive--no need to shout at the phone. Likewise, the speaker and handset volumes are more than adequate and are adjustable. Finally, the speakerphone is full-duplex, meaning that both parties on the call can talk at the same time and hear each other.

Summary
The bottom line is that the Cisco 7960 IP Phone is solid Voice over IP telephone with a few quirks. The price point of this unit is on the higher end of the spectrum--users who don't need an advanced display can use the cheaper 7902, 7905, 7910, or 7912 phone instead. Once the 7960 is set up and tuned to the user's satisifaction, it should serve well in its role as a functional phone for managers and executives...and, of course, to appear on TV and movies as the "high tech" phones that government agents use!

For Additional Information
Cisco 7960 Data Sheet: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/products_data_sheet09186a0080091984.html
Cisco 7960 Interactive Demo: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/products_data_sheet09186a00800d7975.html