Collaborating with someone should be as simple and secure as a phone call. But often it's not. Tools that enrich interaction, such as video and content sharing, typically are confined to enterprise locations or to users who are on the same network or using the same kind of application or device. It breaks down when employees leave the office, or when they reach out to suppliers, customers, or partners who aren't using the same system, network, or device. These barriers force people to use less productive means, such as the phone or email. Meanwhile, they miss out on the stronger relationships, faster decision making, and competitive edge that comes with the best forms of collaboration.

Cisco® Expressway is an advanced collaboration gateway that addresses these problems and helps make collaboration universal. Expressway is used to extend services to users inside and outside your firewall. The type of services Expressway extends depends on where the devices are registered, and with Expressway version X8.8 two registration options exist:

• Registration directly to Expressway. This option is new in Expressway X8.8. Registering users and devices directly to Expressway enables you to extend video-centric services to users.
• Registration to Cisco Unified Communications Manager via Mobile and Remote Access. This option enables you to extend a full set of collaboration services, including voice, video, desktop share, instant messaging, and presence, to users. It supports Unified Communications Manager when deployed as call control, as part of Cisco Business Edition 9.1.2 or later, or as part of Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) 9.2.1 or later environments.

The main uses for Cisco Expressway include:

• Mobile and remote access: Extend office connectivity to on-the-go and home office employees. Cisco Expressway makes collaboration as easy to use outside the enterprise as it is inside, by simplifying the end-user experience. Using highly secure mobile access based on Transport Layer Security (TLS), Cisco Jabber® mobile users can access all their collaboration workloads (video, voice, content, instant messaging, and presence) without the extra step of establishing a VPN. Cisco Expressway also supports single-sign-on capabilities for Cisco Jabber users, integrating directly with the enterprise authentication and authorization methods in place. Both these capabilities help provide mobile experiences simply from anywhere, on a range of devices with Cisco Jabber clients, and they complement common IT department bring-your-own-device (BYOD) security policies.

In addition, Expressway makes it easier for teleworkers to use their Cisco endpoints (Cisco TelePresence® EX, MX, and SX Series; Cisco TelePresence Integrator C Series; and Cisco DX Series). Workers gain simplified provisioning, configuration, and registration of these devices, as well as the ability to connect from their home office without having to establish a VPN connection.

• Telepresence registrations: Designed for customers who wish to deploy Expressway as a native video call control solution, without the need for Unified Communications Manager.
• Business-to-consumer (B2C) collaboration: Cisco Expressway, with Cisco Jabber Guest, allows you to extend rich and engaging interactions to prospects and customers over the Internet. Using a simple point-and-click method, you can more securely and easily extend rich media communications-instant messaging, voice, and video-to guests coming in from your website or mobile application, whether they are consumers, other businesses, or even temporary employees.