SIP/VOIP Questions

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networkn

Networkn
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#249221 1-May-2019 13:31

Hi.

One of the things that is preventing us from moving to SIP/VOIP over our existing Samsung OfficeServ 7030 system, is the Samsung DialXchange product which is an app that is loaded on our PC's which shows call logs, presence, and allows for clipboard dialling.

Is anyone aware of any Cloud PABX or solutions that work off IP only devices, that supports this?

Cheers

nzgman

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#2228736 1-May-2019 13:54

A lot of systems have features like that. Take a look at 3CX (www.3cx.com). If you were located in Wellington I could have given you a demo. There will be an Auckland dealer that would be able to give you one though. (https://www.3cx.com/ordering/find-reseller/)

Graham

www.offthehook.co.nz

chevrolux

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#2228739 1-May-2019 14:04

3CX

I preached the good word for Samsung products for years. And Samsung Xchange is still one of the best CTI products around (from a user perspective anyway).

Out of the box with 3CX you get all that good CTI stuff in the 3CX 'Web Client' or windows client. Call logs, presence, drag/drop transfers, web page dialing, CRM integration (now you can even just connect to a plain SQL database with your own queries) etc. Plus you get WebMeeting which is a Skype replacement that runs directly in the browser and doesn't require anyone to "sign in". Just share the unique link and away you go. One thing that isn't there is the clipboard dialling in the way Samsung implements with the little tray notification. But with web page dialing (via the Chrome extension) I don't miss it that much. And you can just paste in to the Web/Windows client anyway.

The 3CX mobile app is also extremely good. Better than any other softphone product out there (looking at you Bria). It's integration in to the platform is unparalleled.

It isn't a multi-tenant product like the big boys run for the "cloud pabx" offerings so you have basically unlimited options for call flow and customisation as required. No extension limits, just how many simultaneous calls.

Deployment is super fast as long as you have supported hardware (we use Fanvil phones, they are awesome and cheap).

Don't stick with a standard license, pay for PRO.

If you want a "grab and go" sort of cloud service, get a 3CX reseller to host a server, provide the 3CX license, and provide the SIP trunks. And if you aren't feeling brave, give them your call flow requirements to set up too.

Shameless plug.

andgor

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#2234682 10-May-2019 18:13

At work we currently have a ShoreTel PBX and make use of the desktop application to control the IP deskphones. The version we have is quite old as we just don't like the desktop application in the newer versions (they're missing the "Docked Top" window mode is the main thing). We've recently put out an RFP for comms (WAN/Internet/Landline/Mobile/PABX) which is finishing soon so we've had a few discussions with providers about what's out there.

From what I can tell you can control an IP deskphone with the desktop app on Vodafone's One Business "Unified Cloud PABX", kinda. It wasn't powerful or customisable enough for us. Deskphones weren't that well integrated.

Pretty sure Vadacom's system allows deskphone control. The demo we had a while ago (last year sometime I think) was pretty rushed.

Today we had a demo of Mitel's cloud PABX (arranged through 2degrees) which was very very impressive. Desktop application could control deskphones perfectly (their own ones anyway). Each user could have multiple devices (desktop softphone, web client, deskphone, mobile app etc) and push and pull active calls between all their devices fairly seamlessly. Unlimited number of call handling modes (eg Standard, In a meeting, out of the office, on holiday etc) all fully customisable down to what devices ring (if any), if you accept chat etc. The mobile app could even change mode automatically based on your location. Might be a bit more than what you are looking for :-).

We had a play with 3CX but it just didn't work for us. Might be different for you.

From what I can tell from a quick Google the OfficeServ 7030 is SIP capable, both for trunks and extensions. So you could use SIP trunks and/or phones with it.

chevrolux

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#2234735 10-May-2019 20:43

I'd be interested to know what didn't work for 3CX compared with Mitel.

With 3CX you have no crazy licensing, just pick simultaneous call limit and that's it.
3CX supports almost all the main SIP capable phones - no vendor lock in like Mitel.
3CX CTI clients (web and windows), can control all of these phones perfectly.
3CX has prebuilt integrations for common CRMs to link with the CTI clients and do call journaling. Then it also has direct SQL database integrations built in too, no custom code, just plug in the query and profit.
3CX mobile app is purpose built to work perfectly in mobile networks with modern devices ie. Push service for waking the app, bluetooth audio integration (not a given on SIP softphones), contacts linking.

And that's all before you even set up some call flows, which with the added 'call flow generator' is practically unlimited.

andgor

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#2238533 15-May-2019 18:22

Yes there were some things we liked about 3CX eg the cost with the simple all inclusive licensing, many brands of SIP phones supported, audio and web conferencing, and the mobile app.

But it just doesn't have things we need and ShoreTel is just easier in a number of ways. All I know of Mitel is from the demo we had so below will mostly be 3CX vs ShoreTel from our perspective. Very briefly, will expand in a blog post later if I have time, some examples:

3CX doesn't have proper call queue voicemail boxes (it has come up many many many times in their forum)
3CX can only copy extensions, not queues or AAs (very useful when testing changes, just copy, make changes, try etc)
3CX can't change the number of a extension, queue, AA etc
3CX can't automatically log out queue agents on no answer
3CX Only manual import of phone books
3CX Phone book not used for caller ID name lookup on incoming calls
3CX Can't just flag a SIP trunk to say it dials extensions, I assume bridges work this way but they aren't as configurable as trunks for when talking to other systems.
3CX Call tones and rings on phones, built in provisioning didn't set to NZ style. I did get it with a custom provisioning file but that just gets too messy then as they have made it more difficult than it should be
3CX No simple call permissions, limiting by outbound rules seems the only way
Call handling modes/"Statuses" both have 5 but with 3CX only 2 can ring the phone(s) the other 3 don't. ShoreTel they all have the same configuration options. Mitel seemed to have has many as you wanted with a great deal that could be configured with each one
ShoreTel has site survivability but is all one system

Yes 3CX does work with lots of different IP desk phones, even syncing DND status. But only DND, not the other modes/statuses, or call queue agent logged in state. A (ad hoc) conference call started/created from the phone is different to a conference call started from the 3CX desktop or web app/interface etc. ShoreTel/Mitel phones don't have to muck with the caller ID name to show which DID was called or which huntgroup or call queue a call is from, they can show it on a different line on the phone display.

ShoreTel/Mitel do allow you to use generic SIP phones as well, that is one of our requirements for a new PBX, they just don't integrate as much as they do with their own phones.

I did want 3CX to work for us, it just didn't tick enough boxes.