Conference limitations using MFM

[dagwoodsystems]

History: User purchased analog Polycom Soundstation conference phone for use with their Legend. Their switch had no analog station ports and no slots for expansion. I supported the Polycom by adding an MFM to the existing MLX set in the conference room.

Problem: User now wants ability to conference several outside parties, whether initiated from the inside or outside!

My angle: Single-line conference calls are limited to two outside parties. I can't get call waiting tones at this station (an MFM limitation?), so there's no indication that an inbound call is trying to join in. A conference with outsiders, it seems, must be initiated from the inside (call 1st, flash, call 2nd, flash again). I've suggested a third-party conference bridge as an alternative.

What do you think?

 

[jlshelton]

Even multi-line sets are limited to 2 outside parties on a conference call. You could have users setup the conference call on the MLX set, then conference in the MFM/Polycom. But my experience is that Legend conferencing isn't as high quality as true conference bridges.

Cost of dial-up conferencing has dropped to about 10c/min/leg, with very good quality. Ease of use is superior (just dial in), and you can build a conference bridge supporting hundreds of people.

=John=

 

[dagwoodsystems]

Agree with you on the two outside parties limitation.

The original problem was the MLX speakerphone (too much clipping, microphone not dynamic enough for a conference room full of people). Audio degradation from Legend conferencing is acceptable and never an issue.

When it comes to room acoustics, the Polycom is clearly superior to the MLX. But it is a single-line phone, and less adapt at handling multiple calls.

Example: Conf Room calls Party #1, they answer. Conf Room then calls Party #2. Party #2 is detained and will call back when ready. Typical, no?

MLX: When Party #2 calls back, it arrives on the second station appearance. Touch Conference, touch the blinker, touch Conference again and Viola!

Polycom: When Party #2 calls back, the caller receives busy or goes to cover. There is no call waiting tone to tell the Conf Room that their second caller is trying to join in. And that is the new complaint. They want to bridge on callers ad-hoc, like they could with the MLX. I call you, you call me...it doesn't matter, I can manage and distinguish multiple parties with multiple buttons.

I have used the MLX to join outsiders first, then added in the Polycom. It is a bit of a kludge, but may be the best compromise. What they really want (are you listening Avaya?) is a multiline phone engineered specifically for conference room applications.

As an experiment, I put TWO bridged appearances of the Polycom's extension on the host MLX. This kept Party #2 from getting a busy signal, but did not improve the ability to add the inbound call to the conference.

 

[Pepperz]

You can conference from a polycom through the Legend, but you must be calling out on it to do conference. If the called party isn't yet ready to conference, have them call back on another extension when they are, then "polycom " out to them.

Pepperz@charter.net

 

[Ghostin]

Once you install a conference bridge, you will be amazed at how quickly they will pay for themselves. I have about 20-25 at customer sites, and they all just love them.