To cloud….or not to cloud, that seems to be the big IT question of today. Let’s discuss Cisco’s Cloud products to the on-premises products and how they differ.
One question we get asked all the time is, what really is the difference between an on-premises Cisco UC solution vs. a Cloud UC solution? In short, technically not much. Both UCM Cloud and UCM Cloud for Government run the same software:
The biggest difference is where the data is located, who manages the server infrastructure, and how you connect to the cloud.
On-premises Solution: When keeping servers on-premises, there are multiple considerations:
Keeping a Cisco UC system up and running takes people with extensive knowledge of the Cisco UC suite and server infrastructure. This maybe a dedicated full-time employee or a group of individuals keeping the system running smoothly. All upgrades would be done by the full-time employees or the work can be contracted to a Cisco VAR or partner who has the expertise to keep the system up to date. If a server goes end of life, the customer will need to play to replace that server.
Failover is accomplished by multiple servers in different datacenters or locations. WAN considerations need to be factored into how the failover will occur. For remote locations with a router and PSTN access, Cisco Unified Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST) can be utilized for local survivability.
Monitoring of the system would be the responsibly of the local IT staff. If a server goes down, Cisco TAC would be the support to contact. TAC will do break/fix but not moves/adds/changes/deletes (MAC-D). MAC-D would be done by the local IT staff.
Cloud Solution:
When moving to a cloud-based UC solution, there are multiple items to consider:
UCM Cloud for Government runs the same software as an on-premises solution. The difference is the servers are in Dallas, TX and San Jose, CA. The servers and software are fully monitored, managed, and upgraded by Cisco. All hardware is dedicated to the customer and will be replaced by Cisco when the hardware goes end of life. All upgrades are handled by Cisco and scheduled with the customer for when it works best for them.
In the event of an emergency, your first call is NOT to Cisco TAC but to Presidio Federal’s 24x7x365 Service Desk. From there, Presidio Federal will work with Cisco on the customers behalf to get the servers back in operation. Cisco also monitors all aspects of the UC environment and usually already knows there is an issue before the customer does. Cisco will notify Presidio Federal, and they will notify the customer of any issues.
MAC-D’s can be handled by either the customer or Presidio Federal, depending on the managed services contract. The customer does not lose access to the cloud servers, if desired, admin access to the server webpages can be granted for MAC-D support.
The biggest difference between on-premises and cloud is how to access the UCM Cloud network within Cisco’s datacenters. Equinix Cloud Exchange (ECX), MPLS, SD-WAN, or a direct connection can all be used to access UCM Cloud. Please refer to UCM Cloud and UCM Cloud for Government Peering Options [Link from here to other article] for further information.
Conclusion
On-premises vs Cloud comes down to what works best for your environment. If you are on the ever-growing list of companies that want to be out of the phone business entirely, then cloud is for you. Let Cisco take care of the backend for you and Presidio Federal take care of the day-to-day management. If you have IT staff today and you want to continue with upgrades and maintenance of the servers, then keep the system on-premises. No matter what you choose, Presidio Federal can help with any task you need.
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