New book - Deploying Cisco Unified Contact Center Express

Back in 2006 I was a Cisco TAC engineer supporting Contact Center Express (a.k.a. IPCC Express, CRA, CRS, IPIVR, now known as CCX).  Information is so scarce that even TAC engineers joked it was "tribal knowledge".

To make things more interesting (instead of saying "worse"), CCX components were developed by different companies - CCX Engine was developed by Cisco while Desktop Suite was developed by Spanlink (now Calabrio).

Cisco's documentation is "menu driven" instead of "task driven".  i.e. the documentation explains what each menu does but doesn't tell you what menus you need to navigate to achieve a specific goal.

Training partner classes are more focusing on scripting other than system integration.

Since then I was hoping to write a book on CCX.  Not a "CCX For Dummies" but a book for engineers.  For engineers that are smart enough to grasp any new products or technologies with a lab and a good book.

Different people have different definitions of "good book".  My definition is:

1) KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.
2) Tell me something new - Something that the manufacturer manual didn't tell me.

I've been procrastinating due to work and family.  Now it's 2015.  I finally had the chance to finish something I wanted to do nine years ago.  For the time being, the book is only available from LuLu.com (http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-houtong-luo/deploying-cisco-unified-contact-center-express/paperback/product-22186750.html).  It will be available on other retailers (such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) later on.  Table of content can be viewed from here.

Same as my other book "Deploying Cisco Unified Presence", I did this with limited time and resource.  I'm pretty sure there will be typos and mistakes in the book.  I'd appreciate it if you can send me your feedback and suggestions to houtong@gmail.com.

By the way, I'm setting up a charitable foundation (Luo's Foundation) to support  students from low-income families.  All proceeds from this book will go to the foundation.  I will publish the details when the foundation is fully set up.

Thank you very much for your support.