[Freeswitch-users] Mitel 3300 ICP "Multicall" Equivalent

[Alex Crow]

Hello list,

Our company is considering a migration from Mitel 3300 ICP to an 
alternative platform, and of course FreeSwitch is a major contender, 
being as we are not enamoured with "black boxes" and proprietary protocols.

There is a function in the Mitel that ideally we'd like to replicate (on 
whatever hardphones are most appropriate). "Multicall" allows you to 
assign one number to a button (other than the "main line" or default 
extension) on several phones (up to 31 on the 3300) such that a call (or 
any number of concurrent calls up to the number of phones configured 
with that button)  to that number can be signalled on all phones and 
picked up by anyone with that button configured on that phone. We use 
that for calling direct to regional teams. No barging is allowed, and 
the button only changes state (from off to flashing) when a call needs 
answering on the multicall number. Said button assignment can be set to 
either ring or not. Once the call has been answered by one user of the 
multicall the light goes off on other configured extensions and another 
incoming call can be answered in the same way by another extension, 
regardless of the status of all other extensions with the same button 
configured.

I was looking at the SCA/SLA stuff on the wiki, which is a close as I 
could find to this behaviour, but barging is unwanted and we require the 
line appearance, ringing and answering to be as described above.

My question, given the above, is:

1. If SCA is able to do this, what is the best phone to support it 
(Polycom seems good from the wiki)
2. If SCA is not appropriate, I have the feeling that queues would be 
the next best option - if these can be assigned to a button on the phone 
so much the better.
3. BLF doesn't look right as it seems it needs at least one extension 
with that as its "primary" number.

There is some flexibilty here, but to ease transition it would be best 
to keep the functionality as close as possible.

IMHO the Mitel way is really odd but it's got a lot of traction having 
been used here for 7 years+.

Thanks

Alex

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