Overview
b+s Connects for ServiceNow is a pre-packaged integration of ServiceNow and Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise (UCCE), Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX), or Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise (PCCE).
The integration creates a centralized interface that manages the real-time flow of interactions between the ServiceNow desktop user interface and Cisco CCE/CCX. CCE/CCX utilizes b+s Connects for ServiceNow to route phone calls to the most skilled agents who can elect to accept and manage these interactions through the ServiceNow GUI.
Connects for ServiceNow is the umbrella term for the ServiceNow and CCE/CCX integration solution. It consists of the following components:
b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package
The Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package is a scoped ServiceNow application installed from the official ServiceNow Store into a ServiceNow instance.
b+s Connects Finesse Gadget
The Connects Finesse Gadget is the web application in ServiceNow that the agent uses to interact with CCE services. It is part of the b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center application and establishes the connection to Cisco CCE/CCX.
Deployment
The b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package is hosted within ServiceNow.
The b+s Connects Finesse Gadget is hosted by Bucher + Suter on public cloud based origin servers and can be accessed via a global network of edge locations (CDN). The public cloud provider is responsible for the distribution of the application and guarantees low latency and high data transfer speeds.
Since version 4.0, we split the release schedule into a scoped app (store release) and an agent desktop (gadget). The release schedule for the store release remains unchanged, whereas the release schedule for the gadget changes to biweekly. Triggered by technical limitations, we have taken this opportunity to provide you with an up-to-date, secure and convenient update plan. Thereby our highest concern is not to disturb your business. This means: We ensure that security and bug fixes are automatically installed every two weeks. New functions have to be installed manually by updating the store app. This gives you the opportunity to test visible changes in a targeted manner, while guaranteeing secure operation through automatic updates.
Starting with ServiceNow San Diego and above, the Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package loads the gadget in the browser from a CDN into an iFrame by default. Versions below San Diego load the gadget by default directly from the ServiceNow instance itself. We highly recommend using the CDN for all versions of ServiceNow.
Except for the initial loading there is no involvement or communication with the public cloud provider. All communication always takes place between the agent's browser and Cisco Finesse or ServiceNow.
In order to ensure compatibility with upcoming ServiceNow releases and to provide a high level of security, b+s will deploy minor and patch releases of the gadget automatically in a two week cadence. For major updates or releases which require server-side changes, on the other hand, the package must also be updated manually in ServiceNow.
Versioning
These two components, the b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center package and the b+s Connects Finesse Gadget, are versioned differently. Both versionings are independent from each other. Please read the following chapters carefully to avoid any misunderstandings.
b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package versioning
The ServiceNow-hosted scoped application that is installed from the official ServiceNow Store (also known as "store release") gets updated a couple of times a year. Each update leads to a new version following the Semantic Versioning principle.
This numbered version, e.g. 4.10.0, can be seen in the "Version" section when viewing the application in the ServiceNow Store as well as in the Application Manager within the respective ServiceNow instance.
To simplify the distinction from both components, a named version for the store release has been introduced (in addition to the numbered version). We use animal names in alphabetical order:
| Named version | Numbered version | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Albatross | 4.13 | The first named version of b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package (store release) on the ServiceNow Store. |
| Buffalo | - | The next named version for the store release. |
The named version (Albatross, Buffalo, etc.) can also be seen in the ServiceNow Store as well as in the About menu directly within the gadget.
b+s Connects for Cisco Contact Center Package releases until version 4.10 do not have named versions.
b+s Connects Finesse Gadget versioning
The b+s Connects Finesse Gadget web application (also known as "gadget") that is provided by a CDN is updated at a regular cadence of around two weeks. Also here, each new update leads to a new version following the Semantic Versioning principle.
This numbered version, e.g. 4.11.5, is referenced in our Changelog along with relevant release information and it can be seen in the About menu directly within the gadget.
Please note that some of the gadget versions require a certain store release version. If this is the case, it will be indicated by the "Store release required: ..." information of the respective version in the changelog.
There are no named versions for the b+s Connects Finesse Gadget component.
Updates
For more information on updates and how to install them, refer to the Updates page.