Couple of questions on Hot Desking

[Crono]

Hi Guys,

We opened up a branch office not too long ago and we have a Mitel Ops Manager clustering the two locations so employees can 3 digit dial one another and page the other location.

So far so good but since people from the branch office have been coming back and forth they would like an easy way to set extensions, hence Hot Desking.

I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out the licensing behind getting this to work. Have any of you done this? May I post what how I think this works and you tell me if I'm off?

* If I take an existing IP phone user and make them a Hot Desk user, that should free up a license so that I may create a base extension on their phone. Is that right?

* I talked to a VAR and they said that in order for people to hot desk from one location to another I need to have an open hot desk license to accommodate them at the site they are moving to. I take it that Mitel Ops Manager doesn't pool licenses, it only shares phone directory information amongst the sites right?

Thanks in advance for any advice that you may provide.

Regrads,

C

 

[kwbMitel]

Hotdesk users consume User Licenses.

Each IP Phone set consumes 1 device and 1 user license.

To convert a existing non-hotdesk system for hotdesking.
- Order 1 User license for each hotdesk user
- Change the phone DN to new number
- Create Hotdesk User using original DN of phone
- Setup your COS to allow hotdesk login
- Login

Sales might try to sell you Hotdesk Licensing. A Hotdesk license has 2 User and 1 device license. This provides for the phone and the hotdesk user. In your scenario, you only need to add the user license. The 3300 is only aware of user or device licenses. Hotdesk Licensing is only a sales term.



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Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[Crono]

Hi kwbMitel,

Thanks so much for your reply. Do you know how the licensing applies across two locations? When I have a hot desk user come to the main office, do I need to make sure I have an open user license so that they can log in? That's what the VAR is telling me.

We always assumed that the Ops Manager would pool the licensing together from both locations. I guess that was not one of the things it is capable of.

Thanks again!


-c

 

[kwbMitel]

OPSman does not pool the licensing but that is not a factor in this application.

It depends on a couple of factors but the typical setup is that the User with a hotdesk Login can login on either system and the host system (one with the Hotdesk user defined) will provide call control.

If both systems reside in the same local dialing area, this does present any difficulties. If the 2 systems are in different toll coverage areas then the user needs to understand that they are dialing out of the host system that is a long distance call from where they are. There are ways to overcome this issue via special ARS programming but thats another post I think.

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Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[SmurfTurf]

I believe you can just buy a hot desk device license. Mitel item number 52001153 and this is a much cheaper way rather than buying them separately.

 

[kwbMitel]

Don't think so Smurfturf.

My understanding is that the hotdesk license 52001153 requires that you buy at least 1 User License for each Hotdesk license purchased. Cumulative cost is greater than just buying the User license alone.

On new systems, it is definitely the better way to go but not for a retrofit.

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[SmurfTurf]

kwbMitel, You are right I was just looking at my last install and see it on the order. Sorry for the bad information.

 

[MitelInMyBlood]

Unless I'm mistaken I believe hotdesking also limits you to something like 13 or so keyline buttons. Ordinarily this isn't a problem, just something to be aware of.

Original MUG/NAMU Charter Member

 

[kwbMitel]

MIMB,

I don't think so. I vaguely remember that if you log in to a set with less keys than you have configured, the excess keys are just inaccessible.

Haven't put this to the test though.

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.