Avaya Aura Platform Release 10 was made generally available in December 2021. Avaya Aura R8 transitioned to End of Manufacturer Support on March 6, 2023, ending bug fixes, service packs, patches, security updates, and the ability to add licenses. Even with an extended support agreement, running legacy software and hardware solutions can add risk to your environment and allow no flexibility to scale.
Clients looking for additional time to budget and plan their UC strategy should consider upgrading to a minimum license version of 10.1.3 prior to the end of sale date. For those that have moved to a Subscription licensing model, R10.x is an entitlement. Clients should leverage this licensing investment that has already been made.
Avaya continues to move to a cloud-first business model, offering cloud and OPEX as their primary model. At the same time, the Communications software industry is moving away from perpetual licensing to better provide updates and security features for their software.
Why Avaya Aura Release 10.x
Business Systems Resiliency: Ensuring operational uptime and performance of data and voice networks is crucial. Disruptions can impact employee health and safety, supply chains, customer services, reputational damage, and increase business costs. R10 includes improved fault tolerance mechanisms for enhanced redundancy, failover capabilities, and error handling.
Enhanced Security: Security and compliance are two of the biggest threats that result from not keeping your technology current. System exploits of vulnerabilities are on the rise, making it more important than ever before to support the latest possible software releases and evolving security standards. Avaya Aura R10 provides the latest security enhancements and fixes to address vulnerabilities. It provides an improved level of data security that addresses current global threats with the introduction of a common version of RHEL 8.3, TLS 1.3 & Open SSL1.1.1.
- Internet Friendly Gateway allows G450/G430 Gateway deployments in remote locations without VPN or MPLS enterprise links. Gateways connect directly to Avaya Session Boarder Controller Enterprise (ASBCE).
- Support for Chrome and Edge Browser for system administration.
- A Data Privacy Guideline for each product and Support for Data Privacy Regulations, including log retention and OS-level encryption on System Manager (SMGR), Session Manager (SM), Communication Manager (CM), Application Enablement Services (AES), and G4xx Gateways.
- Improved Client / Endpoint Resiliency, policy-based assignment of SIP users to SM’s.
- New SIP capabilities: SIP clients can register to 2 SM’s in 2 data centers/IaaS + Branch Session Manager (BSM) (supporting 4+1 Registrations) and adhere to new (and future) standards like SIP Shaken/STIR remediation.
- It reduces the need for expensive specialized equipment and shifts from a CAPEX to a “pay as you use” OPEX model that offers new, more cost-effective licensing options.
- The smaller hardware footprint reduces maintenance costs, energy consumption, and environmental impact.
- New features and services can be deployed more quickly and scaled more easily to accommodate growth.
- Software updates and upgrades, including security enhancements and fixes to address vulnerabilities, can be implemented with minimal disruption to operations.
Compatibility
With each new release, Avaya adds support for newer hardware, endpoints, and third-party integrations. Should you Migrate to 10.1 or wait for 10.2?
Upgrade to R 10.1.3
- Multiple G650 Cabinets/Port Networks
- Large Analog/Digital footprint
- Want to stay with IPSIs
- Single Sign On
- VMWare ESXi R 7.0
- Estimated End of Sale May 2024
R 10.2 Upgrade Candidate
- G4x0 Media Gateways
- Stations migrated primarily to SIP
- Avaya Aura Media Servers deployed
- Single Sign On
- VMWare ESXi R 8.0
Upgrading to R10.2
Added Resiliency: Policy-based assignment of SIP user to Session Managers – Allow SIP clients to register to 2 Session Managers in a data center + Georedundant and Branch Session Manager (4+1 registrations).
New Deployment Models: Organizations can reduce their appliance footprint and support costs with the deployment flexibility of virtualization:
- 10.1 – AVP Evolution to Standard VMware – Simplifies VMware support and enables VCenter integration.
- 10.2 – VMware 8.0 Support – Further enhances the latest functionality of VMware ESXi 8
Subscription Bundles: Many clients have reduced their ongoing licensing and licensing support costs with the migration from perpetual licensing with SA/UA to the subscription model, including:
- Savings for bundling license entitlements currently paid for separately.
- Access to additional feature content included in UC & CC bundles.
- Built-in 20% stretch allowance within their subscription agreement for bursting and growth.
End User Access: Reduce the effort of deploying remote workers by utilizing a QR code which provides SSO for J-Series phones. Easier for your IT team and easier for your remote agent or worker. SSO J-Series SIP hard phones via QR Code – Use your AD credentials to register your hard phone, thus enhancing device security.
Platform Innovations: New innovations added to the Avaya Aura platform:
- Edge Friendly Gateway – VPNless media gateway connectivity (cloud-ready)
- SIP Malicious Call Trace – Physical threat notification and tracking of those calls.
- Real-Time Agent State Events
- Microsoft Azure Support for Simplified Cloud Migration
Lifecycle Update: Avaya Aura 8.1.3 is the last supported release for:
- Internet Explorer 11 browser support – This affects support for access to outdated applications.
- Avaya Virtualized Platform – Migration to updated compute and Avaya Solutions Platform.
- H.323 Innovation Updates – New feature requests for H.323 will not be accepted or added.
Avaya Aura 10.2 Considerations:
- IP Server Interface (IPSI) with G650 media gateway– programming support is deprecated in 10.2. Clients with a substantial footprint of G650s need to pay special attention, as converting or decommissioning this product is not a trivial expense.
- Deprecation of G650 gateways needs to be planned. Migrating as many digital and analog stations to SIP, where possible, will reduce the costs of converting to the newer G450 media gateway architecture.
Summary Recommendations
Why Upgrade to Avaya Aura Release 10.x
- Improved levels of data security
- Support Assurance – Risk Mitigation
- Scale Flexibility
- A Software Entitlement already Invested in
- Cerium Professional Services – CAPEX or OPEX options
- “Sweat” an Asset that Works
- Provides Time to Plan Future
- Plan the Work – Work the Plan
Cerium Networks Can Help
Organizations running R8 can schedule a UC Strategy engagement to identify the costs/timelines and determine the best path forward. This engagement will assess current Avaya solutions, consider the implications of end-of-manufacturer support, and help develop a plan to upgrade to R10.x or transition to alternative products or services.
