Cisco IP Telephony Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID)

Cisco harnesses Internet protocol (IP) to deliver voice communications in a single office or to connect offices around the world. Known as IP telephony, Cisco uses the communications foundation of the Internet to transport voice conversations alongside corporate data. Unlike traditional circuit-based analogue phone systems, IP telephony segments voice conversations into separate digital packets. IP telephony requires IP phones, a data network, and gateways to run a company's voice communications.

The Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID) provides a standards-based framework for converging not only voice but also video over an IP data network. IP Communications is the name for Cisco's comprehensive technologies for business-class communications delivered by AVVID-powered networks.Cisco IP Communications lets organisations consolidate all communications onto one network, helping lower infrastructure costs and management expenses. Besides cutting costs, Cisco IP Communications helps companies boost productivity with integrated data applications, as well as delivering unified voice, email, and fax messaging.

Cisco provides a wide array of applications which work in conjunction with Cisco IP Telephony and IP Communications products. Cisco Unified Communications, for example, offers such personal productivity tools as Cisco Unity and Cisco Personal Assistant, both aimed at managing the litany of messages employees receive from an assortment of telephone, fax, email, pager and other devices.

Cisco also offers technology for contact centres as well as audio and video conferencing. And by combining Cisco's industry-leading wireless networking equipment and the Cisco Wireless IP Phone, employees can always have their office phones by their sides.