Cisco Intercom - Is there one?

[snootalope]

Does Cisco offer anykind of intercom system? I know you can configure the phones to auto-answer, which is great, but say you have to reach a larger office and need the page to use overhead speakers... Do they make an external box that is VoIP ready that can do overhead paging?

 

[jfp23]

Cisco doesn't directly but we purchased a solution from the company at the web site below which allows us to paget through the phones as well as to overhead speakers.

http://www.ipcelerate.com/

 

[Oldtimephoneguy]

Another oversite from Cisco when they didn't allow phone people to help in the design and engineering of their CCM. One thing you can do which is "chincy" in my opinion is to program an extension on the phone with a # before their extension. Example: If my extension is 4800, I program another extension on my phone as #4800. If some one dials #4800 and I have this line programmed to auto answer it acts as an intercom. It works but takes up a button location. It's dirty but it works.

Frank. City of Cape Coral, Florida

 

[VoIPFANATIC]

The above works great as a "baby" monitor in my residence.

 

[snootalope]

thanks for the link jfp, i'll check it out.

Oldtimer, what's the point of the #? I don't get it? Couldn't you just assign a different extension to the line that auto answers and accomplish the same thing?

 

[ptdog]

Another option is use an extension with auto answer. Assign one extension to each of the phone, with a CSS of each extension to only see a translation pattern that is blank, but translate it to the other extension. Have each extension do auto answer. Basically when you press the button on one phone, it dials automatically the other extension. It will auto answer after 1 ring.

You will have to create extra partitions and CSS. This has been working great for US. This actually came from TAC.

 

[snootalope]

ptdog, what's the CSS stand for?

 

[ptdog]

Calling Search Space.

 

[Oldtimephoneguy]

Sure is allot of good ideas but if I'm reading this correctly each user will have two extension numbers: One for normal extension dialing/transferring and one for using the intercom. Might not be too popular.

Frank. City of Cape Coral, Florida

 

[ptdog]

Frank,

For the auto answer with the new Partitions and CSS, you can just put the into a partition where only the intercom buttons can call it, keeping them for private use only between two people. Even with the # solution, it is still an extension and still uses a button.

 

[BCSCB]

Hi,

We have just installed a solution called " Checkmate Tannoy"

You add the tannoy to your services as its an XML service. Its a secondary piece of software that integrates into CCM. We have installed on a seperate server. It has all sorts of features. You can set up different groups, play files ( e.g ) Fire alarms, to all , or post messages on the screen giving information, road closed etc. You can make an announcement to an office, a group of people or the whole site !!

http://www.checkmate.com/products/b...ssaging_overview.cfm?sectionID=7&productID=28

 

[pndscm]

The newest version of CallManager 6.X has intercom built into the system. But it will only work with the newest phones, the 79X1 series.

 

[snootalope]

Good to know about 6.x - I'm upgrading our 4.1(3) machines to 6.0(1a) here in about a week.

Hopefully getting a few new phones, too.

 

[ronromano]

I'm sorry, I don't belong in this forum but I have to say this. I love the fact that Cisco thinks they are such a great phone solution and they don't offer paging, a basic telephone system feature, as part of it! What a joke. You have ro go to a third party to get paging on your brand new all powerful Cisco system!?

I don't know the answer to this, but do they not support it because it causes problems if it was part of the product? Is it so they can point the finger at the other vendor?

Does anyone else wonder about that?

 

[Oldtimephoneguy]

I think the CCM is a very good product but lacking in normal telecom features and flexibility. As a phone guy since "78" I've seen many changes in the technologies and systems. It's very obvious the Call Manager was engineered and developed by people that didn't know much about telephone systems and users requirements.(Data people). And it's all too often that the decision to install (deploy as they call it) CCM in various locations is made by the same people who know little about telecom other than you just pick up the handset and dial. To them phones are simple and trivial: Any one can do it! Lucky for many of them it's the real phone people who can make it work and keep it working. Like I always say, "If the IT people keep the network up 99.5% of the time they are heroes. If we phone people keep the voice systems up 99.5% of the time, we're FIRED!
Have a good Monday!

Frank. City of Cape Coral, Florida

 

[Planetmaker]

If the IT people keep the network up 99.5% of the time they are heroes. If we phone people keep the voice systems up 99.5% of the time, we're FIRED!"

Heh, I'm going to remember that one!

 

[mtashiro]

Use CallManager 6. Has intercom and paging (station to station)