The Cisco IP Communicator Softphone

The Cisco IP Communicator is a software-based application that allows users to place and receive calls from their PCs. IP communication between your personal computer and Cisco CME should be in place for successful operation of Cisco IP Communicator. Also, the IP network connecting your PC should be designed to carry voice traffic. Figures 4-12 and 4-13 show the Cisco IP Communicator interface with the default skin and the alternate skin, respectively.

Figure 4-12. Cisco IP Communicator Default Skin

Figure 4-13. Cisco IP Communicator Alternate Skin

Hardware

The minimum PC hardware and software required for Cisco IP Communicator to function are as follows:

• Windows 2000 Professional with service pack 3.0 or later or Windows XP Professional with service pack 1.0 or later
• 450-MHz Pentium III or the equivalent
• 128 MB of RAM for Windows 2000, or 192 MB of RAM for Windows XP
• Screen resolution of 800x600
• A minimum of 100 MB of free disk space
• Non-ISA full-duplex sound card (integrated or PCI-based) or USB sound device
• 10/100-Mbps Ethernet network interface card
• SVGA video card

The interface of the Cisco IP Communicator is very similar to the Cisco 7970G IP Phone. In addition to the buttons available on the interface, the Cisco IP Communicator provides keyboard shortcuts for many functions. Also, you can access some of the user options such as different skin types, user options, and preferences by right-clicking.

Configuring the Cisco IP Communicator

Configuring the Cisco IP Communicator involves two steps. The first is to install the Cisco IP Communicator software on your PC, and the second is to configure Cisco IP Communicator on Cisco CME. Cisco IP Communicator is configured like any other phone mentioned in the previous sections, except that the PC's MAC address is used for the phone's MAC address.