cisco onprem uc · published

Unified CM globalized dial plan and +E.164 routing

Verified 2026-09-25 · 50 sources · tier 1–5

Unified CM Calling Party Normalization lets administrators globalize and localize calling party numbers so that the appropriate calling presentation is displayed on the phone 4. In the tel URI standard, globally unique numbers are identified by a leading + and are composed of the country code and national significant number per E.123 and E.164 41.

How it works

In Cisco's Collaboration 14 Preferred Architecture, every endpoint directory number that has a DID is provisioned as a +E.164 number 25. Cisco lists as benefits of +E.164 directory numbers that they are unique, simplify forced on-net routing, and give correct caller ID automatically across call flows 24. For endpoints without a DID, the Preferred Architecture uses an enterprise specific number made of an access code, a site code, and an extension (for example, 8-140-4001) 27. With +E.164 directory numbers, AAR needs no multiple AAR groups or AAR PSTN prefixes because the on-net destination number can be used directly as the alternate PSTN address 23. In the field, integrators report that moving to a globalized +E.164 dial plan reduces the amount of ANI and DNIS manipulation and makes ingress and egress failover easier to build 10. However, field reports suggest that a globalized dial plan still has to carry abbreviated (short-code) dialing separately to preserve users' existing dialing habits 9.

Because the Preferred Architecture routes everything on +E.164, the called party number of every inbound PSTN call must be globalized to +E.164 from the format the provider sends 30. With calling party normalization, the phone shows a localized calling party number on its screen and the globalized number in its call log directories 1. The Preferred Architecture uses calling party transformation patterns in dedicated partitions (for example SJCPhLocalize and USPhLocalize) to localize +E.164 calling numbers for abbreviated display on phones 36.

Unified CM incoming calling party prefix and strip-digit settings exist per number type (National, International, Subscriber, Unknown) and can be set on gateways, trunks, device pools, and as clusterwide service parameters 15. The clusterwide incoming calling party prefix service parameters apply to a device only when the corresponding prefix is left at its default at both the device and the device pool level 43. The Preferred Architecture globalizes inbound numbers partly with Cisco IOS translations on the SIP gateway, which it says are required so that ISDN number type information is not lost when the call is sent to Unified CM over SIP 31. Because SIP does not carry number type, calls through Unified CM SIP trunks support only the incoming calling party settings for number type Unknown 45. WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that because Unified CM SIP trunks honour only Unknown-type incoming settings, a SIP-attached gateway facing an ISDN carrier needs to turn the ISDN number type into an explicit + prefix before the call reaches Unified CM, or the type is lost 18.

Pattern matching and transformation

In Unified CM patterns, an unescaped + is a wildcard that matches 1 or more occurrences of the preceding digit or wildcard 39. To match a literal international escape character in a Unified CM pattern, the + must be preceded by a backslash (+), which makes it a dialable digit rather than a wildcard 8.

A translation pattern applies its digit manipulation first and then routes the call again using the calling search space configured on the translation pattern 49. The Preferred Architecture sets Use Originator's Calling Search Space on dialing normalization translation patterns so that the secondary lookup uses the same CSS as the primary lookup 34. The Preferred Architecture provisions all dialing normalization translation patterns as urgent patterns 35. On fixed-length dialing normalization translation patterns, the Preferred Architecture also sets Do Not Wait For Interdigit Timeout On Subsequent Hops 33. Cisco identifies the number of classes of service as a key driver of dial plan complexity and advises defining as few as possible 28.

Calling party transformation patterns adapt the global form of the calling party number into the local form required by the off-cluster network behind the route group devices 3. Called party transformation patterns adapt the global form of the called party number into the local form required by the off-cluster network behind the route group devices 2. Transformation patterns take effect by placing their partitions in a CSS set in the Calling Party Transformation CSS or Called Party Transformation CSS field of a device, device pool, gateway, or trunk 48. Provider-specific localization of calling and called numbers on outbound calls is done either on the gateway with Cisco IOS voice translation rules or on Unified CM with calling and called party transformation patterns 26. WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that the calling number a carrier receives from a globalized Unified CM dial plan can be shaped in 2 places, Unified CM calling party transformation CSSs and IOS voice translation rules on the gateway, so both must be checked when the carrier sees an unexpected caller ID 16.

Calling party transformation CSS assignment and mobility

A Calling Party Transformation CSS can be assigned to phones, device pools, gateways, and trunks 5. A phone inherits the device pool's calling party transformation CSS when its 'Use Device Pool Calling Party Transformation CSS' check box is selected 50. When a device roams under Device Mobility, the Calling Party Transformation CSS of the roaming device pool overrides the device-level Calling Party Transformation CSS 7. Cisco advises configuring the same Calling Party Transformation CSS on all devices that share a line, to avoid inconsistent calling number display 44.

Local route groups

Local route groups let a single set of route patterns serve multiple locations, with Unified CM choosing the gateway from the calling device's location rather than from the route pattern 21. Unified CM provides a default local route group named Standard Local Route Group, and administrators can define additional named local route groups 22. Each local route group is bound to an actual route group in the device pool, and the binding used for a call comes from the device pool of the originating device 20. A route list can include the Standard Local Route Group or a custom named local route group as a member 42. A route pattern pointing at a route list that contains a local route group resolves to the route group configured for that local route group in the calling party's device pool 32. WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that combining +E.164 route patterns with local route groups means 1 country-level set of PSTN route patterns can serve every site in that country, with site-specific differences carried by device pools rather than by patterns 17.

Protocol and gateway restrictions

Unified CM SIP trunks and MGCP gateways can send the international escape character (+) on calls 38. H.323 gateways do not support the + character, so numbers sent to them must be localized (the + removed) before egress 37. Unified CM does not attempt to send the + character over QSIG 40. Calling Party Transformation CSS settings do not apply to T1-CAS and FXO ports on a gateway 46. Calling party normalization may not be supported in some transferred-call scenarios because transfer relies on midcall updates 47.

Multi-cluster routing and GDPR

In multi-cluster deployments, the Preferred Architecture uses Global Dial Plan Replication, which can advertise 1 +E.164 number, 1 enterprise significant number, and up to 5 alphanumeric URIs per directory number 29. Global Dial Plan Replication depends on the Intercluster Lookup Service (ILS), which must be configured first 13. A directory number can carry an enterprise alternate number and a +E.164 alternate number, each generated by applying a mask to the directory number, and either can be advertised over ILS 12. Advertised patterns summarize a range of enterprise or +E.164 alternate numbers so a single pattern, rather than each number, is replicated across the ILS network 11. The enterprise or +E.164 alternate number can be designated as the advertised PSTN failover number, but remote clusters still need route patterns that send those failover calls to a gateway 14.

See also

See also Wrong or missing caller ID on outbound calls. See also Unified CM dial plan partitions and calling search spaces. See also Unified CM device pools and device configuration model. See also Unified CM translation and transformation patterns. See also Unified CM route patterns and partitions configuration.

Applicability

Applies to: Cisco Unified Communications Manager and IETF tel URI. Deployments: on-premises and any. Sources checked 2026-09-25. The guidance on +E.164 provisioning for directory numbers with DIDs applies specifically to Cisco's Collaboration 14 Preferred Architecture 25. Tel URI leading + requirements are defined under RFC 3966 41.

What remains uncertain

The calling number and Diversion header sent to the carrier on forwarded calls from a globalized dial plan are not covered by the sources below. The order of application of route pattern masks and route list transformations versus transformation CSSs, as well as device versus device pool precedence, is not covered by the sources below. Which device pool supplies the local route group on forwarded and transferred calls is not covered by the sources below. Emergency calling and ELIN or callback number handling in a +E.164 dial plan are not covered by the sources below. Whether Unity Connection accepts + in extensions and alternate extensions is not covered by the sources below. CUBE voice translation rules that map ISDN number type to a + prefix for inbound globalization are not covered by the sources below. Exactly which transferred-call scenarios break calling party normalization is not covered by the sources below. Unified CCX handling of + in globalized dial plans is not covered by the sources below.

See also

Related to

  • Wrong or missing caller ID on outbound calls — Calling party transformation CSSs on Unified CM trunks and gateways (or IOS voice translation rules on the gateway) decide the calling number format that reaches the carrier; see claims on egress localization and transformation CSS assignment

Referenced by

Sources

  1. 1
    With calling party normalization, the phone shows a localized calling party number on its screen and the globalized number in its call log directories.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, globalization/localization description · Checked 2026-09-25
  2. 2
    Called party transformation patterns adapt the global form of the called party number into the local form required by the off-cluster network behind the route group devices.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Transformation Patterns, Called Party Transformation Patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  3. 3
    Calling party transformation patterns adapt the global form of the calling party number into the local form required by the off-cluster network behind the route group devices.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Transformation Patterns, Calling Party Transformation Patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  4. 4
    Unified CM Calling Party Normalization lets administrators globalize and localize calling party numbers so that the appropriate calling presentation is displayed on the phone.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, overview section · Checked 2026-09-25
  5. 5
    A Calling Party Transformation CSS can be assigned to phones, device pools, gateways and trunks.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, configuration of Calling Party Transformation CSS · Checked 2026-09-25
  6. 6
    The Unified CM calling party normalization chapter states that Cisco Unity Connection does not support the international escape character (+), so calling numbers must be localized before they reach Unity Connection.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Interactions and Restrictions, Cisco Unity Connection · Checked 2026-09-25
  7. 7
    When a device roams under Device Mobility, the Calling Party Transformation CSS of the roaming device pool overrides the device-level Calling Party Transformation CSS.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Interactions, Device Mobility · Checked 2026-09-25
  8. 8
    To match a literal international escape character in a Unified CM pattern, the + must be preceded by a backslash (\+), which makes it a dialable digit rather than a wildcard.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, wildcards and special characters in route patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  9. 9
    Practitioners note that a globalized dial plan still has to carry abbreviated (short-code) dialing separately to preserve users' existing dialing habits.field report
    Why Globalized E.164 Dial Plans for your Cisco UC Environment? · article body, discussion of dialing habits · Checked 2026-09-25
  10. 10
    Integrators report that moving to a globalized +E.164 dial plan reduces the amount of ANI and DNIS manipulation and makes ingress and egress failover easier to build.field report
    Why Globalized E.164 Dial Plans for your Cisco UC Environment? · Why Globalized E.164 Dial Plans section, benefit list · Checked 2026-09-25
  11. 11
    Advertised patterns summarize a range of enterprise or +E.164 alternate numbers so a single pattern, rather than each number, is replicated across the ILS network.
  12. 12
    A directory number can carry an enterprise alternate number and a +E.164 alternate number, each generated by applying a mask to the directory number, and either can be advertised over ILS.
  13. 13
    Global Dial Plan Replication depends on the Intercluster Lookup Service (ILS), which must be configured first.
  14. 14
    The enterprise or +E.164 alternate number can be designated as the advertised PSTN failover number, but remote clusters still need route patterns that send those failover calls to a gateway.
  15. 15
    Incoming calling party prefix and strip-digit settings exist per number type (National, International, Subscriber, Unknown) and can be set on gateways, trunks, device pools and as clusterwide service parameters.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, incoming calling party settings / globalization section · Checked 2026-09-25
  16. 16
    The calling number a carrier receives from a globalized Unified CM dial plan can be shaped in two places, Unified CM calling party transformation CSSs and IOS voice translation rules on the gateway, so both must be checked when the carrier sees an unexpected caller ID.inferred
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Outbound Calls: Called and Calling Number Localization; combined with Configure Call Routing chapter, Transformation Patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  17. 17
    Combining +E.164 route patterns with local route groups means one country-level set of PSTN route patterns can serve every site in that country, with site-specific differences carried by device pools rather than by patterns.inferred
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Outbound Gateway Selection Using Local Route Group · Checked 2026-09-25
  18. 18
    Because Unified CM SIP trunks honour only Unknown-type incoming settings, a SIP-attached gateway facing an ISDN carrier needs to turn the ISDN number type into an explicit + prefix before the call reaches Unified CM, or the type is lost.inferred
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Restrictions, SIP; combined with Preferred Architecture, Inbound Calls: Called and Calling Number Globalization · Checked 2026-09-25
  19. 19
    The Release 15 call routing chapter states that the local route group approach works for centralized call-deployment scenarios only.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Local Route Groups overview · Checked 2026-09-25
  20. 20
    Each local route group is bound to an actual route group in the device pool, and the binding used for a call comes from the device pool of the originating device.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Local Route Groups, device pool association · Checked 2026-09-25
  21. 21
    Local route groups let a single set of route patterns serve multiple locations, with Unified CM choosing the gateway from the calling device's location rather than from the route pattern.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Local Route Groups overview · Checked 2026-09-25
  22. 22
    Unified CM provides a default local route group named Standard Local Route Group, and administrators can define additional named local route groups.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Local Route Groups · Checked 2026-09-25
  23. 23
    With +E.164 directory numbers, AAR needs no multiple AAR groups or AAR PSTN prefixes because the on-net destination number can be used directly as the alternate PSTN address.
  24. 24
    Cisco lists as benefits of +E.164 directory numbers that they are unique, simplify forced on-net routing, and give correct caller ID automatically across call flows.
  25. 25
    In Cisco's Collaboration 14 Preferred Architecture, every endpoint directory number that has a DID is provisioned as a +E.164 number.
  26. 26
    Provider-specific localization of calling and called numbers on outbound calls is done either on the gateway with Cisco IOS voice translation rules or on Unified CM with calling and called party transformation patterns.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Outbound Calls: Called and Calling Number Localization · Checked 2026-09-25
  27. 27
    For endpoints without a DID, the Preferred Architecture uses an enterprise specific number made of an access code, a site code and an extension (example 8-140-4001).
  28. 28
    Cisco identifies the number of classes of service as a key driver of dial plan complexity and advises defining as few as possible.
  29. 29
    In multi-cluster deployments the Preferred Architecture uses Global Dial Plan Replication, which can advertise one +E.164 number, one enterprise significant number and up to five alphanumeric URIs per directory number.
  30. 30
    Because the Preferred Architecture routes everything on +E.164, the called party number of every inbound PSTN call must be globalized to +E.164 from the format the provider sends.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Inbound Calls: Called and Calling Number Globalization · Checked 2026-09-25
  31. 31
    The Preferred Architecture globalizes inbound numbers partly with Cisco IOS translations on the SIP gateway, which it says are required so that ISDN number type information is not lost when the call is sent to Unified CM over SIP.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Inbound Calls: Called and Calling Number Globalization · Checked 2026-09-25
  32. 32
    A route pattern pointing at a route list that contains a local route group resolves to the route group configured for that local route group in the calling party's device pool.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Outbound Gateway Selection Using Local Route Group · Checked 2026-09-25
  33. 33
    On fixed-length dialing normalization translation patterns, the Preferred Architecture also sets Do Not Wait For Interdigit Timeout On Subsequent Hops.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, +E.164 Routing and Dialing Normalization · Checked 2026-09-25
  34. 34
    The Preferred Architecture sets Use Originator's Calling Search Space on dialing normalization translation patterns so that the secondary lookup uses the same CSS as the primary lookup.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, +E.164 Routing and Dialing Normalization · Checked 2026-09-25
  35. 35
    The Preferred Architecture provisions all dialing normalization translation patterns as urgent patterns.
    Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control · Dial Plan, Table 2-14 Dialing Normalization Translation Patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  36. 36
    The Preferred Architecture uses calling party transformation patterns in dedicated partitions (for example SJCPhLocalize and USPhLocalize) to localize +E.164 calling numbers for abbreviated display on phones.
  37. 37
    H.323 gateways do not support the + character, so numbers sent to them must be localized (the + removed) before egress.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Restrictions, SIP trunks and MGCP gateways · Checked 2026-09-25
  38. 38
    Unified CM SIP trunks and MGCP gateways can send the international escape character (+) on calls.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Restrictions, SIP trunks and MGCP gateways · Checked 2026-09-25
  39. 39
    In Unified CM patterns an unescaped + is a wildcard that matches one or more occurrences of the preceding digit or wildcard.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, wildcards and special characters in route patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  40. 40
    Unified CM does not attempt to send the + character over QSIG.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Restrictions / Interactions, QSIG · Checked 2026-09-25
  41. 41
    In the tel URI standard, globally unique numbers are identified by a leading + and are composed of the country code and national significant number per E.123 and E.164.
    RFC 3966: The tel URI for Telephone Numbers · Section 5.1.4 Global Numbers · Checked 2026-09-25
  42. 42
    A route list can include the Standard Local Route Group or a custom named local route group as a member.
  43. 43
    The clusterwide incoming calling party prefix service parameters apply to a device only when the corresponding prefix is left at its default at both the device and the device pool level.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, clusterwide service parameter note · Checked 2026-09-25
  44. 44
    Cisco advises configuring the same Calling Party Transformation CSS on all devices that share a line, to avoid inconsistent calling number display.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Interactions, Shared Lines · Checked 2026-09-25
  45. 45
    Because SIP does not carry number type, calls through Unified CM SIP trunks support only the incoming calling party settings for number type Unknown.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Restrictions, SIP · Checked 2026-09-25
  46. 46
    Calling Party Transformation CSS settings do not apply to T1-CAS and FXO ports on a gateway.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Restrictions, T1-CAS and FXO ports · Checked 2026-09-25
  47. 47
    Calling party normalization may not be supported in some transferred-call scenarios because transfer relies on midcall updates.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, Interactions, Transferred Calls · Checked 2026-09-25
  48. 48
    Transformation patterns take effect by placing their partitions in a CSS set in the Calling Party Transformation CSS or Called Party Transformation CSS field of a device, device pool, gateway or trunk.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Transformation Patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  49. 49
    A translation pattern applies its digit manipulation first and then routes the call again using the calling search space configured on the translation pattern.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 15 and SUs - Configure Call Routing · Configure Call Routing chapter, Translation Patterns · Checked 2026-09-25
  50. 50
    A phone inherits the device pool's calling party transformation CSS when its 'Use Device Pool Calling Party Transformation CSS' check box is selected.
    System Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Release 15 and SUs - Calling Party Normalization · Calling Party Normalization chapter, phone configuration and Device Mobility interaction · Checked 2026-09-25

Documents

tier 1 standards and regulators

RFC 3966: The tel URI for Telephone Numbers

IETF / RFC Editor · 2004-12-01 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Preferred Architecture for Cisco Collaboration 14 Enterprise On-Premises Deployments, CVD - Call Control

Cisco · 2021-05-21 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 5 independent technical research

Why Globalized E.164 Dial Plans for your Cisco UC Environment?

Byteworks · 2019-02-21 · accessed 2026-09-25

Cite this page

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, September 25). Unified CM globalized dial plan and +E.164 routing. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/cucm-dial-plan-globalization

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-cucm-dial-plan-globalization,
  title  = {Unified CM globalized dial plan and +E.164 routing},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/cucm-dial-plan-globalization},
  note   = {Verified 2026-09-25}
}