IBM Sametime 9 Mobile and SUT Lite

[UPDATE] No more required for latest releae of Sametime Mobile.

This morning, I have done tests on Sametime Mobile. Sametime 9 Mobile includes SUT Lite capabilities. It is enabled via the av.allowSIPTrunking policy being true and assumes SUT-Lite trunk is set up on the server side. Making phone calls using Sametime Voice on mobile, by entering a phone number on keypad will be an SUT-Lite call if SUT-Lite is enabled.  

BUT, Sametime 9 Mobile has a specific behavior. A "+" sign is automatically added in front of the number you dial. So, my classic rules and my substitution patterns don't work for Sametime mobile

So, I have added a specific rule:

RequestURI is "sip:\+12.*" to be able to recognize sip:+12xxxx
And RequestURI pattern sip:\+(.+)@.* to remove the "+" sign before sending it to the external SIP Server.

From the Sametime trace, you can see something like thats:
[12/20/13 3:09:01:501 MST] 000000c1 proxy         3 ProxyHandler handleMAddr ENTRY  {sip:+1250@sametime9.ucalab.polycom.com}
[[12/20/13 3:09:01:501 MST] 000000c1 routing       3 RoutingCondition matches ENTRY  {Condition type: Method, value: .*} {INVITE}
[12/20/13 3:09:01:501 MST] 000000c1 routing       3 RoutingCondition matches RETURN  {true}
[12/20/13 3:09:01:501 MST] 000000c1 routing       3 RoutingCondition matches ENTRY  {Condition type: RequestURI, value: sip:\+12.*} {sip:+1250@sametime9.ucalab.polycom.com}
[12/20/13 3:09:01:501 MST] 000000c1 routing       3 RoutingCondition matches RETURN  {true}

Now, my Sametime 9 Mobile client can call audio endpoints though SIP trunk.

SIP trunks, Video MCU, Dial in/out with IBM Sametime 9

SIP trunk are very important in Telephony and Video world. With IBM Sametime 8, in order to enable SIP trunk capabilities, it was required to buy IBM® Sametime® Unified Telephony Lite. This
licence enables you to place calls to and receive calls from internal or external phone numbers, video conferencing systems or video conferencing endpoints on your desktop.

With the new licensing model of IBM Sametime 9, this license is now free of charge... It is included in almost all bundles (Communicate and Complete) - link

I forecast that almost all IBM Sametime deployments will involve SIP trunks, because it opens IBM Sametime to a entirely new world:

• Device-based dialing for Sametime softphone functionality
• Call non-Sametime users — reach people on any device including Polycom RealPresence audio/video endpoints 
• Provides rich remote collaboration experience with video—reducing productivity loss, expense of travel, and telephony costs

 

SUT Lite call to a video endpoints from IBM Sametime 9 Client

In addition to enable licence in the IBM Sametime System Console, you need to define rules in Sametime SIP Proxy.
You can find two excellent guide to do it:

• From Zero to Hero - Sametime Unified Telephony Lite: link 
• IBM Sametime 8.5.2 Unified Telephony Lite Client troubleshooting guide: link 

These documents have been written for IBM Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1, but they are still very valuable for S9.

But, the Audio/Video media framework has slightly changed, so I would like to share with you additional elements. IBM Sametime 9 now includes a "true" MCU, providing continuous presence and the support of SIP SVC (and AVC).

In a Sametime Meeting, you can do a dial out to an endpoints via moderator Control (picture 1), but now you can also dial in. You can retrieve dial in information from conference details (picture 2).

Dial-out

Dial-in

IBM Sametime 9 & SIP trunk architecture

The four main component of the A/V media framework are :

• SIP Proxy/registrar (P/R)
• Conference Focus
• VMgr
• VMcu 

These components are linked together via REST API or SIP trunk. I have tried to summarize it in the below schema.

In order to link Sametime 9 with the outside world, I have added two SIP trunks (black lines):

• Between external SIP server and SIP P/R
• Between SIP P/R and VMgr

My "simple" dial plan:

• S9 VMgr meeting: 10xx
• SIP Endpoints: 12xx

That is my rules (order is important)

• Rule N°1 (dial-in) redirects incoming calls for the Sametime Video meeting to the VMgr (then Vmcu)

That means, calls coming from 10.47.49.164 that have 10xx as pattern should be routed to the VMGR (FQDN: stvideomgr.ucalab.polycom.com). A dial-in flow like this doesn't involve the conference focus.

• Rule N°2 redirects incoming calls to Sametime Client.

That means, calls coming from 10.47.49.164  should be routed to the Conference Focus (FQDN: sametime9.ucalab.polycom.com). A dial-in flow like this involves the conference focus.

• Rule N°3 (dial-out) redirects calls to external SIP server

That means, calls coming with 12xx as pattern should be routed to the external SIP proxy (@: 10.47.49.164).

Hope it will help to deploy SIP trunks with IBM Sametime 9.

My first experience with IBM Sametime 9 audio & video service

Today, I have just finished the deployment of my IBM Sametime 9 platform with the new SVC media framework.And, I have done tests with colleagues of point to point calls and multipoint calls with continuous presence on the new IBM Video MCU.

Point to Point call: (works with all Sametime bundles)

Multipoint Point Calls: (required IBM Sametime Complete)

They have also refreshed the "Audio & Video Performance" view.
You have now a better view on th audio/video traffic (Bit Rate, Resolution, Jitter...).

More tests to come, especially on Polycom interoperability.

IBM Sametime 9 is DOWNLOADABLE !!!

GREAT NEWS, you can now download and install IBM Sametime 9...

I know what I will do next week :) :) :)

IBM Sametime 9 Launch Event

IBM Sametime 9 launch event is just finished. That was a very good and original event.
It has been done through the IBM Virtual Event Center. That event was truly global. Polycom saw visitors from 27 different countries.

The format of this event was:

• One keynote including video, Erik Brynjolfsson, and awesome demos from Luis Benitez and Suzanne Livingston.
• Three breakouts :
• What's new in SmartCloud?
• What's new in Sametime?
• Deployment Models

• 10 virtual booths of which one from Polycom. All the IBM Polycom team was on the booth to answer to all questions/comments.

 

So, what do I have learnt from that event?

IBM Sametime 9 (eGA: Sep 20) will include:

• Next-gen media framework with scalable media bridge and codecs (H264SVC), continuous -presence video and built-in integration with HW endpoints for meetings and IM.
• Mobile IM and meetings client improvements including audio, video and mobile APIs
• Enhanced integration with IBM Connection
• Smarter Meetings, a new user experience with OneUI

John Delpizzo have shown that from a presentation delivered via an IBM Sametime 9 Meeting.

New, streamlined Sametime Experience

Continuous Presence

Mobile with Video

Codec details on IBM S9

IBM Sametime 9 and the seamless integration with Polycom portfolio will be available in all Polycom Experience Center worldwide, soon.
Come and experience it LIVE!!!

Next events:

1/ What's new in IBM Sametime 9
Join Marlon Machado on September 19 to learn about IBM Sametime 9's cutting-edge conferencing and communications capabilities that leverage your existing IT and infrastructure, mobile devices, and applications. -> link

2/ IBM Sametime 9 video functionality: Come see the excitement around continuous presence
Attend this free webcast on October 2 to get the lowdown on how IBM Sametime 9 allows for continuous video without the use of third-party technology and its parity with Microsoft Lync 2013 with David Price (Meridian IT) and Peter Lurie (Polycom). -> link

P.S: Big thanks to John Delpizzo, Luis Benitez, Suzanne Livingston, Julie Reed, Marlon Machado and Marc Pagnier... GOOD JOB!!!

IBM Completes Sametime’s Front Nine by Wainhouse Research

Wainhouse Research has written an analysis on the next major release of IBM Sametime: Version 9.
IBM Sametime 9 should be available at september 20th.

Wainhouse Research has hightlighted two major enhancements for these release:

• A simplified, streamlined user experience

"Both the browser-based and native Sametime clients have undergone a number of both look-and-feel and workflow refinements."

• “Out of the box” Continuous Presence

"A new SVC-capable, software-based video conferencing capability supports conferences with up to 2,000 attendees, with the ability to view up to six simultaneous video streams (four on mobile devices), developed by IBM with guidance from Polycom."

Link to Wainhouse Research Bulletin: here

I will share with you, next week, more details, pictures on IBM Sametime 9, based on my tests during S9 beta program.

Social Communications (IBM Sametime) at IBM Connect

IBM Connect is almost done.. So, how did this IBM turn out ?
Key messages -> Social, Social, Social....

I have been very interesting by IBM Social Communications session this year as you can imagine.
I have followed some of them presented by former colleagues like John Delpizzo, Marlon Machado (Clevershutter), Julie Reed, Pat Galvin (@patgalvin)...

One sentence is the right illustration of what they have announced : "We have been listening", especially on the Video side...
They have addressed lots of challenges, listed just below:

Video Everywhere, Video Ubiquity..

Continuous Presence, instead of Voice activated switching Mode

Geographical Distribution of IBM Sametime Video Engine

Interoperability - A key element to ensure easy integration in heterogeneous environment

High Availability for the best SLA, because rich Communications are becoming critical

To achieve all of these challenges, IBM has redesigned their video engine.

• One : They plan to implement a new video codec in their platform -> H264 SVC in addition of H264 AVC (for backward compatibility). That's a really good news. I have explained the SVC protocol and its advantage here.

• Two: Audio-Video everywhere -> Rich client, Web Client, Mobile Client...

 

• Three:  A soft MCU for SVC Media Relay and AVC Voice Activated switching mode

 

So, the conclusion is that I want to play with IBM Sametime Next !!!