Rating: 
Summary: No details
Review: This book has some good examples, but lacks any detail.
It skims over all the complicated topics.
Does not do a very good job at demonstrating how to build applications that integrate a web browser and an ip phone.
Very introductory.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Have
Review: This books is a must have for anyone developing services for Cisco phones.
This book isn't about http, ASP, or IIS but gets right to the heart of the matter which is properly using XML as the wrapper for presenting data on Cisco phones. The authors assume you know the language you'll be developing in as well as your server platform and spend practically no time at all discussing them. If you're a web developer already you'll probably be writing services before Chapter 5(p100). If you dont have a clear understanding already of XML, http, a scripting language for your server platform best to bone up on that first.
Although examples are IIS and ASP I was able to use it to write all of my apps in Python for Apache/IIS.
The examples are clear, concise, and the book is a good starting point to build from.
Rating:
Summary: The added tools on the CD sweeten the deal!
Review: This is THE must have book for developing services for the Cisco IP phones. Just getting the CallManager Simulator on the included CD makes this book worth the money. The simulator makes it possible to develop and test services without needing to purchase thousands of dollars of Cisco hardware and software. There's also an advanced techniques chapter that describes how to do a lot of the cool features for more complex applications. With the basic-to-advanced information in the book and the free code samples and programs on the CD, this book is a great bargain for the price!
Rating: 
Summary: Great potatos - needs more meat
Review: While I found this book very informative (and it helped clear up many questions I had), I think the authors should be a little clearer on certain issues and not assume that everyone reading the book is a web/HTTP expert. More in-depth coverage of authentication, posting, etc will go a long way to making the book a great reference for anyone wanting to develop XML applications for Cisco IP Phones.
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