Software client recommendation

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Dynamic

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#199248 10-Aug-2016 09:38

Hi Team

I'm a big fan of having a hardware phone on my desk. If I have to reboot my computer while on the phone, it's not a drama. I really like the BLF's on the hardware phones we use.

It will become more useful for us to be able to use a softphone from time to time. I would like some sort of presence information for off-site staff (ideally showing the person as away when their computer kicks into screensaver for example), and to be able to see when remote extensions are busy (BLFs).

Has anybody evaluated a number of softphones recently and could suggest one or two clients to start looking at?

Thanks in advance

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cisconz

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#1607446 10-Aug-2016 10:27

Would that not be a PBX feature, not a soft phone feature?

What is your current PBX a it will all hinge of that support.

Hmmmm

networkn

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#1607451 10-Aug-2016 10:31

We have a number of customers using Samsung Phone Systems, which can make use of Samsung DialXChange. It's well thought of, and you can actually pick up a Samsung PABX (OS7200) second hand on TM for about $300 and then buy the software and sip trunks etc as addons if you wish.

Dynamic

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#1607452 10-Aug-2016 10:32

Sensible comments.

Our desk phones are currently registering directly to 2Talk.

The presence would be a 'nice to have' but the BLFs are more important.

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Dynamic

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#1607454 10-Aug-2016 10:35

networkn:

We have a number of customers using Samsung Phone Systems, which can make use of Samsung DialXChange. It's well thought of, and you can actually pick up a Samsung PABX (OS7200) second hand on TM for about $300 and then buy the software and sip trunks etc as addons if you wish.

That is a nice suggestion, thank you. In our case I've been working on reducing reliance on an office so fire/theft/power/broadband issues have a lesser business-interrupting impact, so I'll stick with 2Talk or a similar cloud-based VoIP provider.

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networkn

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#1607456 10-Aug-2016 10:37

Dynamic:

networkn:

We have a number of customers using Samsung Phone Systems, which can make use of Samsung DialXChange. It's well thought of, and you can actually pick up a Samsung PABX (OS7200) second hand on TM for about $300 and then buy the software and sip trunks etc as addons if you wish.

That is a nice suggestion, thank you. In our case I've been working on reducing reliance on an office so fire/theft/power/broadband issues have a lesser business-interrupting impact, so I'll stick with 2Talk or a similar cloud-based VoIP provider.

Conversant are worth a chat to as well (and their rates are competitive), if you want cloud based PABX. I am pretty sure 2Talk will have an offering, but in my experience their support is ... below average.

cisconz

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#1607491 10-Aug-2016 10:56

My understanding - and I am happy to be proved wrong - is that there are no Generic SIP based soft phones that will provide presence on computer activity (apart from in a call/ not in a call).

For this to work, the Soft phone needs to work with the service outside of standard SIP messaging.

Hmmmm

radicall

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#1607505 10-Aug-2016 11:18

Dynamic:

Hi Team

I'm a big fan of having a hardware phone on my desk. If I have to reboot my computer while on the phone, it's not a drama. I really like the BLF's on the hardware phones we use.

It will become more useful for us to be able to use a softphone from time to time. I would like some sort of presence information for off-site staff (ideally showing the person as away when their computer kicks into screensaver for example), and to be able to see when remote extensions are busy (BLFs).

Has anybody evaluated a number of softphones recently and could suggest one or two clients to start looking at?

Thanks in advance

cisconz:

My understanding - and I am happy to be proved wrong - is that there are no Generic SIP based soft phones that will provide presence on computer activity (apart from in a call/ not in a call).

For this to work, the Soft phone needs to work with the service outside of standard SIP messaging.

We have done a considerable amount of research on Softphones and this would be my determination as well, no generic SIP based softphone will provide presence activity on idle computer.

We have chosen to utilise CounterPath http://www.counterpath.com/ Softphones (commercial version) which is nicely integrated with our Asterisk Free PBX Cloud offering.

Our commercial Version does allow for setting up Presence Change to Idle based on PC activity, selectable amount of time at user end.

If you are looking for support that is eager to please then give me a call and we can have a chat about implementing a service based solution for you.

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Dynamic

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#1607512 10-Aug-2016 11:36

Thank you.

@networkn we've not had any significant 2Talk issues in the 3 years we have been using them, but are aware their support is limited. I hear positive things about Conversant and may take a look at them at some stage.

@cisconz I'd not thought about presence being outside the SIP spec, but that makes sense.

@radicallnz thanks for the softphone suggestion and the offer. We have a client who I think has signed with you recently, so I look forward to hearing form them how the installation goes.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

Referral links to services I use, really like, and may be rewarded if you sign up:
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chevrolux

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#1608789 10-Aug-2016 18:13

networkn:

We have a number of customers using Samsung Phone Systems, which can make use of Samsung DialXChange. It's well thought of, and you can actually pick up a Samsung PABX (OS7200) second hand on TM for about $300 and then buy the software and sip trunks etc as addons if you wish.

Samsung Xchange rocks but it is a little bit lacking in the "mobility" side of things though. However, there is some extremely cool new stuff coming along very very soon that is totally centered around mobility. Think linking your mobile directly with your desk phone, a prescence/blf app for your mobile etc etc. Very cool stuff but not released quite.