abbreviated dialing (AbbrDial softkey does not appear on phone screen)

[Caballero1]

Hello All,

I have a few users with access to the Cisco Unified CM User Options & they can add speed dials for the first four buttons & this is fine.

Now in the Abbreviated Dial Settings in the Cisco Unified link which starts from number 5, we have entered some numbers. Apparently to "speed-dial" these other numbers (from 5 onward), the following needs to be done:
+ The abbreviated speed dial entries are numbered. The number to the left of your abbreviated speed dial entry is the index number.
+ The phone must be on-hook. Press the index number of the speed dial you wish to call. The AbbrDial softkey will appear. Pressing the AbbrDial softkey will dial the number.
+ Pick up the handset or use the speaker phone
+ There is no way to display a list of Abbreviated Dialing speed dials on the phone.
Above information found here:

http://nets.ucar.edu/nets/projects/voip/documentation/users/faqs.htm#speedy

Situation is, this so-called AbbrDial softkey does not appear on screen when following the above steps.

Does it need to be enabled in the CCAdmin section and more or less, how?

Thanks in advance
Angelo

 

[fieryhail]

You need to modify the softkey button template to enable this. It is done via CUCM Admin.

Go to Device>Device Settings>Softkey Templates

Choose the existing template you'd like to modify such as Standard Feature, Manager, etc.

Click on "Copy" at the top and name it to something of your choosing and then click "Save".

In the "Related Links" menu select "Configure Softkey Layout"

From here you can select a call state to work with. Abbreviated Dial (AbbrDial) is on the Off Hook menu with CUCM 71.5. So add that to your selected softkeys. Keep in mind that depending on the IP Phone that you have you will only be able to display 4 or 5 softkeys on the screen at any given time, to access more, you would have to use the "More" softkey that appears when there are more softkeys configured for the call state than the phone can display at once.

Once you have the softkey template configured, save everything, and go to Device>Phone and select the phone(s) that you want to change the softkey template on, and select your custom template from the list. Then save the phone and reset it. Thats it.

HTH

 

[Caballero1]

Thanks.Your information is clear and to the point.

I actually do not have access to the server-config aspect of the Cisco IP system/phones. Let's say I'm trying to get answers to relay information to the individuals in charge of the phone server, etc., as to make it easier for them to do it and that I dont have to bother them as much.

When I asked one of the server people about enabling the Abbreviated Soft Keys, the person said that they don't have CME which I think stands for Cisco Unified Communications Manager. Does that make sense?

Considering that I don't know much about what software/version/type of cisco phone system we have in the backbone, can the soft keys be enabled anyway? Based on the little that's been read about the Abbreviated Dialing, it is assumed that enabling the Abbreviated Dialing would be a simple thing or at the very least, the option would be there to do so. I do think we have the CUCM Admin interface/function.

I guess, more or less what are the components of a cisco IP phone system?

I thank you once again for your help.

Regards

 

[fieryhail]

CME actually stands for Call Manager Express, the instructions I gave are not for CallManager Express, they are for Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) and while I use CUCM 7.1.5, they will work for 6.x and I believe 8.x as well. They will also work for CUCMBE which is Cisco Unified Communications Manager Business Edition which is basically CUCM + Unity Connections all on one server appliance. CUCM/CUCMBE are server based, CME is router based.

As far as the components of a Cisco phone system, it depends on which Cisco phone system you're using. For CUCM which is usually used in larger businesses you have the CallManager server itself which does the call processing, Cisco Unity or Unity Connections also server based which handle voicemail, auto-attendant, unified messaging, etc. Then you have your voice gateway(s). Oftentimes Cisco routers which are used to connect to the PSTN or other sites. Optional components are Cisco Unified Presence Server (CUPS), Cisco Unified Contact Center/Express, Cisco Unified Mobility Advantage (CUMA) which enables mobile devices to integrate with the office telephony system.

Abbreviated Dialing is fairly simple to enable, yes it does have to be dne in the Administration section of CallManager. With any version of CUCM or CUCMBE the instructions I supplied should be very concise. For further questions, feel free to email at rmcgurn@rcserveny.com. HTH

 

[Caballero1]

Thanks for taking the time to explain. It's certainly made it clearer to me. Hopefully with the above info, things will be easier for the individual in charge to do its part. Thanks again. I will report back any updates.

 

[pndscm]

The number one thing to remember is to keep the phone On Hook when using AbbrDial key.

If the phone is off hook or speaker is on, it will not appear. In UCM 7.1 I don't see any way to add or remove the AbbrDial key while On Hook but it could be added to Off Hook softkey template.

 

[Caballero1]

Yes, this is now working. The above instructions followed & any user that needs to have the Abbreviated soft key "enabled" is added to the group that allows it. The phone has to remain on hook and when pressing the assigned abbreviated dial number, the AbbrDial soft key appears and call is dialed and another good day is welcome. Thanks to all.