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A. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G are part of a new suite of evolutionary Cisco Unified IP Phone 7900 Series endpoints. They extend the features and functions of the existing Cisco Unified IP Phone 7961G and 7941G models while enhancing the end-user experience with high-fidelity wideband audio and other features.

Q. Are the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G replacing existing phones in the portfolio?

A. No. These new phones are additions to the expansive Cisco IP endpoints portfolio.

Q. What are the main differences between the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G versus the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7961G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7941G? Which phone should I order?

A. Refer to Table 1 for the primary differences.

Table 1. Feature Comparison

Q. Is this truly new firmware, or is the existing base code (for Cisco Unified IP Phone 7961G, 7970G, etc.) used?

A. The new firmware uses the base code for the existing Java-based phones. The application software is common across the models, and in general all features supported on the earlier phones will continue to be supported on the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G.

Q. What protocols are supported?

A. Both SCCP and SIP (with Cisco call control) are supported.

Q. How many languages are supported?

A. Language support is tied to call control. With Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.0, the phones support 48 locales and 37 languages. The latest additions are Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian.

Q. What new features are supported?

A. Refer to Table 1 for feature comparison. Following are some of the new features of the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G

• TIA 920-compliant wideband speakerphone and handset, plus support of wideband headsets with G.722 wideband codec; phone body cavities, speakers, and handsets are specifically designed for wideband audio

• iLBC robust narrowband codec support for use in high-packet-loss network environments

A. Wideband handsets are the only handsets supported on the new phone models; they are shipped with each new phone model.

Q. Will G.711 and G.729 narrowband codecs sound “normal” on the new Cisco Unified IP Phones that have seemingly been designed for wideband?

A. Using the wideband handset with narrowband codecs may result in perceived improvements in voice quality compared to when a regular narrowband handset is used.

Q. Can I use either wideband or narrowband headsets?

A. Yes, you can use either type. For the best possible audio performance, the Wideband Headset setting (Enabled or Disabled) of the phone should correlate with the type of headset used.

Q. How can I tell if G.722 is enabled on my phone?

Q. How can I take advantage of G.722 and the wideband experience?

A. For point-to-point (IP phone-to-IP phone) wideband calls over a LAN at a single customer site, both endpoint devices must be enabled to support wideband within Cisco Unified CallManager Version 4.1 or later. For multisite point-to-point wideband calls, the IP gateway must support the G.722 wideband codec. Support in Cisco IP gateways is planned for early 2008.

Q. Will XML applications be able to take advantage of the G.722 codec for audio playout?

A. Yes. Enhancements to XML service application programming interfaces (APIs) in the Version 8.3(2) phone firmware allow for specification of extended stream attributes such as codec type. This support will be reflected in updates to the Software Development Kit (SDK).

Q. How can I take advantage of G.722 and the wideband experience?

A. For point-to-point (IP phone-to-IP phone) wideband calls over a LAN at a single customer site, both endpoint devices must be enabled to support wideband within Cisco Unified CallManager Version 4.1 or later. For multisite point-to-point wideband calls, the IP gateway must support the G.722 wideband codec.

Q. Do Cisco voice gateways support wideband/G.722?

A. iLBC is a low-bit rate, narrowband codec that withstands high packet loss. It delivers speech quality better than G.729 and G.723.1 and is resilient against packet loss compared to other low-bit rate codecs. It operates at 13.3 kbps (30-ms frames) and 15.2 kbps (20-ms frames), and delivers substantially better voice quality than other low-bit rate narrowband codecs over congested networks with packet loss.

Q. Does Cisco voice conferencing support the iLBC robust codec for packet-loss environments?

A. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Release 8.0 supports iLBC.

Q. Do Cisco voice gateways support iLBC?

A. Yes, iLBC is supported in Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(15)T release and later.

Q. Does Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express support iLBC?

A. Yes, iLBC is supported in Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(20)T and later.

Q. What are the Cisco Unified Communications Manager and phone firmware requirements for use with the iLBC codec?

A. iLBC requires Cisco Unified Communications Manager 6.0(1) at a minimum, with phone firmware Version 8.3(2).

Q. What are the size and resolution of the displays?

Q. Which headsets are compatible and recommended?

A. Cisco recommends a wideband headset that can take advantage of the improved voice quality available when used in conjunction with the G.722 codec. Because the new phones feature wideband audio, you should use “noise canceling” (directional) headsets for best performance. Please check with headset vendors for Cisco product compatibility. You should always try headsets in the setting of intended use prior to mass purchase and deployment.

Availability and Ordering

Q. When can I order these new phones?

A. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7962G and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G are now orderable.

Q. Are station user licenses or device license units (DLUs) required?

A. Yes. As with all Cisco phones, you must purchase a station user license with each phone ordered for use with Cisco Unified CallManager 4.0 and earlier, or for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express. For Cisco Unified Communications Manager 5.0 and later releases, you must purchase the appropriate device license units.

Q. How many device license units (for Cisco Unified Communications Manager 5.0 and later) do I need for the new phones?

A. Four device units – the same number required for the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7960 and Cisco Unified IP Phone 7940. In Cisco Unified CallManager 4.0 releases, a phone-specific user license must be configured when ordering the phone.

Q. What items are included with a shipped or Cisco Unified IP Phone 7942G?

A. As with the other Cisco Unified IP Phones, these new phones ship with the base unit (with attached foot stand), a handset, a handset cord, a Category 5e Ethernet cord and patch cable, a pictorial quick-start guide, Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information (RSCI), a Cisco 1-year limited hardware warranty card, and an end-user software license agreement.

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