Feature

Description

Messages

The phone offers direct access to voicemail with a single button touch.

Directories

The phone identifies incoming messages and categorizes them on the screen, allowing users to quickly and effectively return calls using direct dial-back capability. The corporate directory integrates with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol Version 3 (LDAP3) standard directory.

Settings

The Settings feature key allows the user to adjust display contrast, select background images (if available), and select from a large number of unique ringer sounds through the User Preference menu. Network Configuration preferences also can be set up (usually by the system administrator). Configuration can be either automatically or manually set up for Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), Cisco Unified CallManager, and backup Cisco Unified CallManager instances. Other available Settings submenus include Device Configuration and Security Configuration.

Services

The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7970G allows users to quickly access diverse information such as weather, stocks, quote of the day, or any Web-based information using XML to provide a portal to an ever-growing world of applications, features, and information.

Help

The online Help feature gives users information about the phone keys, buttons, and features. The pixel display allows for greater flexibility of features and significantly expands the information viewed when using features such as Services, Information, Messages, and Directory. For example, the Directory button can show local- and server-based directory information.

Display

The phone has a large, high-resolution, graphical 12-bit color, touch-sensitive display, with backlighting to enhance its visual appearance (320 x 234 pixels).

Speakerphone, Mute, and Headset buttons

The phone offers high-quality speakerphone technology, including easy-to-use speaker On/Off, Microphone, Mute, and Headset buttons. These buttons are lit when active. For added security, the audible dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) tones are masked when the speakerphone mode is used.

Ethernet switch

The internal 2-port Cisco Ethernet switch allows for a direct connection to a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet network through an RJ-45 interface with single LAN connectivity for both the phone and a colocated PC. The system administrator can designate separate VLANs (802.1Q) for the PC and Cisco Unified IP phones, providing improved security and reliability of voice and data traffic.

Headset port

A dedicated headset port eliminates the need for a separate amplifier when using a headset. This feature allows the handset to remain in its cradle, making headset use simpler.

External speaker and microphone ports

3.5-mm stereo jacks are fitted to the phone for external speakers and an external microphone. The electrical and audio characteristics are similar to those fitted to many modern PCs. However, when connecting externally powered audio equipment to these ports, the phone has no control over electrical signals that may be introduced by this external equipment. For this reason, Cisco can not endorse any external audio equipment that is connected to the phone when it is powered through inline PoE.

Volume Control

The convenient Volume Control button on the phone provides for easy decibel-level adjustments for the speakerphone, handset, headset, and ringer. The handset is hearing aid-compatible (HAC). Additional volume control gain can be achieved using an inline handset amplifier such as Walker Equipment W-10 and CE-100 amplifiers.

Adjustable foot-stand

The phone foot-stand is adjustable from flat to 60 degrees to provide optimum display viewing and comfortable use of all buttons and keys. The foot-stand is keyed to match standard wall-jack configurations for wall mounting. Two optional wall-mount brackets are also offered, as noted later in this document.

Flexible power options

The Cisco Unified IP Phone 7970G supports IEEE 803.af PoE (Class III). In addition, the phone supports Cisco Prestandard Power over Ethernet (PoE), allowing power to be drawn from any of the Cisco Inline Power-capable blades and boxes. When connected to a Cisco PoE device, the phone will use Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) to negotiate the power available. The phone can also be powered locally with a power supply (CP-PWR-CUBE-3).

Multiple ring tones

More than 24 user-adjustable ring tones are available.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) features

A HAC handset (meeting ADA requirements) is available, as well as HAC compliance for magnetic coupling to approved HAC hearing aids. The dial pad is also ADA-compliant.

Signaling protocol support

The phone is supported with Cisco Unified CallManager 3.3 or later, and Cisco Unified CallManager Express 3.2(1) and later. Both SCCP and SIP signaling protocols are supported by the phone when used with a Cisco Call Control agent.

Codec support

G.711µ and G.729a audio compression codecs are available.

Quality of service (QoS) options

The phone supports differentiated services code point (DSCP) and 802.1q/p standards.

Security

The phone supports manufacturing-installed digital certificates, device authentication, and encryption. 802.1X link layer authentication is also provided, requires 8.2(1) or later phone firmware.

Language support

Support for more than 20 languages is built in (depends on Cisco Unified CallManager software version).

Configuration options

IP address assignment can be statically configured or configured through the DHCP client.

Voice quality

Comfort-noise generation and voice activity detection (VAD) programming are performed on a systems basis. RTCP streams are generated by the phone to provide voice quality metrics (requires 8.2(1) phone firmware or later).