Tech Tips: Cisco Jabber

February 11, 2020

Cisco Jabber is a unified communications application built for secure instant messaging, group chat, voice and video calls. It is available through Duke free of charge and can be installed on Windows, Mac OS X and mobile devices. Here’s what you need to know:

The Basics – how can Jabber help me?

Need a quick response from someone?  Just open Jabber, send the message, and get back to work.  It’s like texting but you don’t have to use your cellphone.

Cisco Jabber is a messaging tool you can use on your desktop.  You can configure it so it’s always open.  No need to look up cell or office numbers.  It also eliminates the need to open email when all you need is a quick response.  It’s a great tool for teams and workgroups and has the following options:

  • Duke Contacts – Jabber will search the Duke directory by name and add contacts to your Jabber account.  Once you locate them, you can use the “add to groups” function for teams you have created.

  • Availability – Jabber integrates with your Windows Outlook calendar to automatically tell other Jabber users when you are available or not.  For Macs, you can edit your availability messages by clicking “edit status menu” from the pull-down menu.

  • Voice or video call – You can assign your Duke desk phone and make instant phone calls by clicking the Call icon on the person with whom you are trying to connect.  You can add video with a webcam.

  • Instant Group Chat – Cisco Jabber allows you to have instant group chats with multiple colleagues simultaneously, eliminating the need for a Zoom or WebEx session.  Great for teams or study groups.

  • Jabber at Startup – After you install Jabber, you can have it open each time you login, so it’s always available.

  • Mobile Device – Jabber can be installed on your mobile device, allowing you to integrate Jabber with your desk phone to forward calls to your cell without giving the number out.  (This service requires a request ticket to OIT.)

Looks good.  How do I install it?

  • Click here to go to the OIT Software Licensing site

  • Login and search for Jabber

  • Select the appropriate Add to cart button based on your OS (Windows or Mac)

  • Select Checkout

  • In the order form, select Duke Health under Additional order information

  • Follow the instructions for completing your order, then download to your device

  • The first time you launch Jabber, you’ll enter your Duke NetID and password

That’s it.  Once you’ve installed it, we recommend reviewing the self-training resources in the Links column at this site.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I join a chat room?

    • Sign in to Cisco Jabber

    • Click the Rooms icon

    • Select All Rooms from the My Rooms menu

    • It takes a while to load initially, but once it loads, you can select a room by clicking Join

  • Can I get a user guide?

  • How can I get full functionality of Cisco Jabber?

    • For phone (desk/cell), voicemail and WebEx, please contact your IT Service Desk who will make the request for you.  They will need the following information:

      • Duke Phone Number

      • WebEx Account Info

      • Type of Mobile Device (Android or iPhone)

    • For desk phone functionality, your Duke number must be assigned to a physical device (a desktop phone) as a primary number, otherwise, you lose the full functionality of the phone/Jabber integration.

  • Do you have any other helpful information?

    • Here is a link to an older article that Duke published when they launched Jabber.  It has some good background including a short video titled A Day in the Life Using Cisco Jabber.  It’s helpful to see how you can use Jabber.

    • Here is a link to the Cisco Jabber page that has a more recent video called The Power of Cisco Jabber.

  • Can anyone at Duke use Cisco Jabber?

    • Yes.  Cisco Jabber is available to all faculty, staff and students.

If you have any technical questions or problems, contact your IT Service Desk at 919-684-9200, or email to SONIT-Support@duke.edu.

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