On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call. As with many things, the test was purely accidental. Graham spilled acid on his leg, and Watson, his assistant, heard his call for help through the telephone. So, what has changed over the last 129 years? It would be easier to discuss what hasn’t changed. The world of telephony has undergone some significant changes but none as exciting as Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions from Cisco. There are still those who believe we were all a lot better off in an analog world, but you can’t stop progress, and the Cisco Unified Communications solutions are starting to grow faster than many had believed.

This new technology brings with it the need for individuals to learn how it works. Although there are many fine Cisco Press books on this technology, I noticed many of my students requesting a task-oriented book. They were looking for a book in which they could look up a specific task and be walked through it. This was the initial goal of the book. Through the writing process, the book evolved from offering only a step-by-step guide into also offering easy-to-understand explanations for many of the Cisco Unified Communications concepts and components.