Mitel 3300 ICP "Multicall" Equivalent
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 -- This message is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential information. Unless you are that person, you may not disclose its contents or use it in any way and are requested to delete the message along with any attachments and notify us immediately. "Transact" is operated by Integrated Financial Arrangements plc Domain House, 5-7 Singer Street, London EC2A 4BQ Tel: (020) 7608 4900 Fax: (020) 7608 5300 (Registered office: as above; Registered in England and Wales under number: 3727592) Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (entered on the FSA Register; number: 190856)
You want Directed Call Pickup right? /b On Feb 24, 2011, at 1:47 PM, Alex Crow wrote:
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
-- This message is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential information. Unless you are that person, you may not disclose its contents or use it in any way and are requested to delete the message along with any attachments and notify us immediately.
"Transact" is operated by Integrated Financial Arrangements plc Domain House, 5-7 Singer Street, London EC2A 4BQ Tel: (020) 7608 4900 Fax: (020) 7608 5300 (Registered office: as above; Registered in England and Wales under number: 3727592) Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (entered on the FSA Register; number: 190856)
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On 25/02/11 16:18, Brian West wrote:
You want Directed Call Pickup right?
/b
On Feb 24, 2011, at 1:47 PM, Alex Crow wrote:
Hi Brian, Thanks for your reply - makes perfect sense - if it's Asterisk style **<multicall_number> on a key with a SUBSCRIBE to the same number on the phone. I am concerned that one of the phones actually would have to be registered to that extension to make it work, or is that not correct? This is why I was looking at SLA. The other part of this is that the <multicall_number> must not go to voicemail or busy tone until capacity is reached, ie. all the people with the BLF button configured are busy. I tried this with TrixBox/Asterisk but as soon as one call was live all further calls to the same number gave voicemail or busy. If both of the above work "just great" in FreeSwitch then you may well have found my solution. I haven't attempted what you describe with FS as I don't have enough phones set up at the moment to do it, and I currently only have 1 Grandstream GXP2000 (needs FreeSwitch code hacking for BLF to work even half-properly) and a shedload of Mitel (SIP Mode 5224/5324) where the BLF doesn't work at all. Softphones are not under consideration at present. I'm quite able to get a couple of Polycoms or Snoms but I'd need to justify the expense to management. Cheers Alex -- This message is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential information. Unless you are that person, you may not disclose its contents or use it in any way and are requested to delete the message along with any attachments and notify us immediately. "Transact" is operated by Integrated Financial Arrangements plc Domain House, 5-7 Singer Street, London EC2A 4BQ Tel: (020) 7608 4900 Fax: (020) 7608 5300 (Registered office: as above; Registered in England and Wales under number: 3727592) Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (entered on the FSA Register; number: 190856)
On 25/02/11 17:47, Alex Crow wrote:
On 25/02/11 16:18, Brian West wrote:
You want Directed Call Pickup right?
/b
On Feb 24, 2011, at 1:47 PM, Alex Crow wrote:
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your reply - makes perfect sense - if it's Asterisk style **<multicall_number> on a key with a SUBSCRIBE to the same number on the phone. I am concerned that one of the phones actually would have to be registered to that extension to make it work, or is that not correct? This is why I was looking at SLA.
The other part of this is that the<multicall_number> must not go to voicemail or busy tone until capacity is reached, ie. all the people with the BLF button configured are busy. I tried this with TrixBox/Asterisk but as soon as one call was live all further calls to the same number gave voicemail or busy.
If both of the above work "just great" in FreeSwitch then you may well have found my solution.
I haven't attempted what you describe with FS as I don't have enough phones set up at the moment to do it, and I currently only have 1 Grandstream GXP2000 (needs FreeSwitch code hacking for BLF to work even half-properly) and a shedload of Mitel (SIP Mode 5224/5324) where the BLF doesn't work at all. Softphones are not under consideration at present. I'm quite able to get a couple of Polycoms or Snoms but I'd need to justify the expense to management.
Cheers
Alex
Brian, all, For any others that might be attempting such a migration, I think I have the setup OK. It seems to be sufficient to enable multiple registrations on FS, then at least on SNOM leave everything at default (no SLA!) other than disabling call waiting, and assign a "line" button for your "multicall" number. This appears to work as I described, incoming calls to the number ring on all registered phones, flash the button and pressing it picks up. If all the phones are busy the call goes to VM. Voila! Cheers Alex -- This message is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential information. Unless you are that person, you may not disclose its contents or use it in any way and are requested to delete the message along with any attachments and notify us immediately. "Transact" is operated by Integrated Financial Arrangements plc Domain House, 5-7 Singer Street, London EC2A 4BQ Tel: (020) 7608 4900 Fax: (020) 7608 5300 (Registered office: as above; Registered in England and Wales under number: 3727592) Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (entered on the FSA Register; number: 190856)
participants (2)
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Alex Crow
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Brian West