Netaxis, with over a decade of experience supporting leading operators globally in managing their voice networks, is a trusted partner for Cisco. We specialise in performing upgrades of BroadWorks to ensure our clients benefit from the latest technological advancements and platform improvements.
Cisco BroadWorks Release 25, available since August 2022, introduces significant enhancements. R25 extends the BroadWorks “Release Independent” model to its main call control node the Application Server (AS), thereby providing monthly updates instead of traditional major releases. This approach ensures regular delivery of new features, security updates, and improvements, keeping systems up-to-date and secure.
Importance of Release 25
Maintaining the latest or a fully supported release is crucial for accessing competitive features, receiving the latest security updates, and benefiting from ongoing platform enhancements. Outdated systems risk security vulnerabilities and reduced functionality.
Although Release 25 has been available for over 2 years, there are still many operators running older versions.
Key Updates for Network Operators with Release 25
1. Platform Enhancements
- Monthly updates for core components like the Application Server, Database Server, and Execution Server.
- New features include support for HTTP/HTTPS URLs for Music on Hold, enhanced Sequential Ring, improved Personal Assistant scheduling, addition of special numbers to phone lists, and error propagation for provisioning bridge errors.
2. Improved Documentation
- Comprehensive documentation and release notes for all BroadWorks components, ensuring clarity on changes and new features.
3. Customer Impact
- Flexibility in sourcing music on hold media files.
- More control over internal vs. external call handling.
- Greater scheduling flexibility for Personal Assistant services.
- Easier access to important enterprise numbers.
- Enhanced transparency and troubleshooting for administrators.
4. Release Independent Model
- Monthly releases with new features and security updates.
- Faster security updates, improving protection against emerging threats.
- Enhanced reliability and uptime due to improved high availability and failover capabilities.
- Tighter third-party integrations via expanded APIs.
- Streamlined patch management, reducing manual processes.
5. Why Choose Release 25 Over Waiting for Release 26
- Immediate access to valuable new features and enhancements.
- Ongoing security updates and platform improvements.
- Simplified patch management with automated monthly updates.
6. Security Improvements
- Release 25 addresses vulnerabilities from earlier releases (R22, R23, R24).
- Provides comprehensive security protections, including the latest patches and architectural enhancements.
7. NIS2 Compliance
- BroadWorks R25 aligns with the European Union’s NIS2 Directive, offering enhanced security, improved scalability, streamlined upgrade processes, and better compatibility with other Cisco products. This supports compliance with NIS2 requirements for cybersecurity.
Conclusion
Upgrading to Cisco BroadWorks Release 25 offers numerous benefits, including improved performance, security, and scalability, streamlined upgrade processes, and enhanced compatibility with other Cisco solutions. The Release Independent model ensures customers have continuous access to the latest features and security updates, making it a critical choice for network operators and administrators.
For more information and to ensure your network benefits from these advancements, contact Netaxis today. Our expertise and partnership with Cisco guarantee a seamless upgrade to BroadWorks Release 25, securing your communications infrastructure for the future.
BroadWorks Release 25: Crucial for NIS2 Compliance
The European Union’s Network and Information Security (NIS2) Directive aims to enhance cybersecurity across various sectors, including industrial control systems (ICS). BroadWorks R25, the latest release of Cisco’s unified communication platform, offers significant improvements in security and compliance. This article highlights the key benefits of upgrading to R25 and how it aligns with NIS2 requirements.
Key Security Enhancements in BroadWorks R25
- Release Independent Model: R25 follows a “Release Independent” model, which means that each monthly release includes new features and security updates. This ensures that customers always have access to the latest security patches and features, making it easier to stay compliant with NIS2.
- Improved Scalability and Performance: R25 introduces architectural changes that enhance scalability and performance, particularly in key services like XSI, DMS, and NPS. This improvement helps in managing the increased security demands of NIS2 compliance.
- Streamlined Upgrade Process: The R25 upgrade process is streamlined, with clearer documentation and a defined upgrade order for the various BroadWorks servers. This simplifies the upgrade process and reduces the risk of issues during migration.
- Enhanced Compatibility: R25 improves compatibility with other Cisco products, such as the Network Function Manager (NFM). This integration helps in managing security incidents and ensuring compliance across both IT and OT domains.
- Latest Security Updates: R25 includes the latest security updates and patches, addressing vulnerabilities and ensuring that customers are protected against emerging threats. This is critical for NIS2 compliance, which emphasises the use of international standards and best practices for cybersecurity.
Compliance with NIS2 Requirements
- Risk-Based Approach: NIS2 recommends a risk-based approach to cybersecurity, which requires comprehensive visibility into the OT environment. Cisco Cyber Vision helps in detecting and profiling connected assets, monitoring communications, and detecting malicious traffic and anomalous behaviors. This provides a strong foundation for assessing OT cyber risks and implementing NIS2 compliance.
- Zero-Trust Access Control: NIS2 requires implementing advanced capabilities such as zero-trust access control policies. Cisco Secure Equipment Access (SEA) and Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) can be used to enforce policies restricting communications between zones, segmenting the industrial network without complex hardware and cabling modifications.
- Incident Reporting: NIS2 makes it a legal obligation to report cyber incidents within 72 hours. Cisco Cyber Vision combines protocol analysis, intrusion detection, and behaviour analysis to detect malicious activities on the factory network. Events are aggregated into Cisco XDR and/or the Cisco Splunk security platform, making detection, investigation, and remediation simpler and more powerful by unifying cybersecurity across IT and OT.
Upgrading to BroadWorks R25 is crucial for NIS2 compliance due to its enhanced security features, improved scalability, and streamlined upgrade process. The release’s “Release Independent” model ensures that customers always have access to the latest security patches and features. Additionally, R25’s improved compatibility with other Cisco products and the latest security updates make it easier to manage security incidents and ensure compliance across both IT and OT domains.
