Workaround for 2 outside line conference limit

[ACSupport]

Hi. We are using a Merlin Legend phone system. I have always understood our system to limit conference calls to three inside and two outside lines. Does anyone know of a workaround for the 2 outside line limits? Does anyone know if you can "daisy chain" or conference in a conference call? For example, ext 220 calls two outside lines, ext 221 calls two outside lines, and ext 221 conferences in 220. I don't have the staff handy for a test.

Thanks!

PK

 

[bluemr2]

Don't think that would work, but if you have centrex lines, you could do that on the line side. Pick 1 line, create a centrex conference, hold, pick 2nd line, centrex conference, then on the legend phone, conference the 2 lines.

 

[CarGoSki]

IP Office...

Use system monitor unless of course you are a Tard then it IS the fault of the pbx.

 

[merlinman]

The "LIMIT" is cast in stone:

The Originator plus 2 outside members and 2 inside members.

Yes, Centrex features can add more members to a conference.

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman

 

[dagwoodsystems]

As I recall, an IP Office with analog trunks only ALSO only supports two outside parties. Obviously those barriers are shattered when digital trunks are used.

It also helps to know that back in the days when Legend was designed, AT&T was not only selling long distance as a provider, but conferencing services as well (and charging a heap of money for it, too). I suspect they purposely limited the conference capabilities of their PBXs so they wouldn't lose revenue on the service side.

Tim Alberstein

http://www.dagwoodsystems.com

 

[merlinman]

Considering what Tim just mentioned, there are now alternatives to the AT&T Conferencing services out there.

Some are Audio only and others are Audio + Video (computer + internet).

That's something to think about.

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman

 

[SYQUEST]

There were other conferencing provides then too! MCI, Sprint, and some operator service providers had conferencing services. The Merlin Legend/Magix was not the only system that had this limitation. For the systems of the time this was standard, for the most part two outside parties is ALL anyone offered. Even the NT Meridian PBXs had a two line limitation, but allowed a six internal station conference option. I think it was money, but in a technical sense, it was the cost to build analogue conferencing ports. When you look at the stand-alone conferencing systems (Tellabs made one), they were not cheap! Now, you have the extreme digitalization of every aspect of voice transmission to get it from one point to another and some have very good economies of scale in regards to cost, implementation, and operation.

....JIM....