asterisk users - Jan 2004 - Re: Multi-line help & AOL Messenger Style PBX Navigation

Sean,
> I am thinking of proposing this system to my partner corp which would
> entail around 13 extensions and 6 lines...  How would I give someone
> upstairs the ability to view if each user was on the phone or not?  <--
> should probably be a new thread....  Currently they have 18 button
> phones that are programmed with the incomming lines, then the users
> (LED's glow when user is on). =20
This is something I've been trying to work out.

I bought a Cisco 7914 for the Cisco 7960's we have, which according to 
the box, allows users to see the status of other lines. Hmmm...

In closer view, it seems the Cisco Call Manager itself pushes updates 
to the phone... Something that a standlone application polling Asterisk 
could do... Better yet, chan_sccp is beginning to support more and more 
features of the Cisco Call Manager's SCCP implementation - so it's 
possible that some kind of line status could be pushed out via SCCP to 
the phones with right kit (namely the 7914).

SIP, as far as I can tell, is really an HTTP style standard that is 
better suited to carrying "media" over IP, rather than just 
specifically voice. Of course, it's been developed over the years, and 
is now getting more and more advanced, but it will always be designed 
from a different point of view, using technology that doesn't have the 
same limitations!

My solution, is to use something like Gastman as an advanced console 
for the Operator and "power users". It may even be conceivable to have
a small version of Gastman that sits in the bottom of your screen, and 
keeps you informed on the status of people and their lines. Could 
actually be a handy piece of software - not just for Voice. I'd love to 
know where the hell people are, without having to phone them! Almost 
AOL style!

Imagine that! An AOL Messenger style application. You can chat with 
people via conventional text chat, you can set your status - like "Gone 
to lunch", or "At My Desk", even "Busy, but accepting
Priority calls".
Then, double click on their name entry, and ta-da, your phone extension 
starts ringing. Pick it up, and it connects you though to them. Or for 
the softphone users; it has an integrated soft phone.

Cisco technicall refer's to the 7914 as being a speed-dial and line 
extension unit, which just happens to report back on lines status. It 
does state, that it is by no means, an Operator/Attendant's console. 
Instead, they have a dedicated piece of software for that. Web 
Attendant is an ugly Java-made browser-based application (AstGuiClient 
is Kate Moss compared to the Cisco application) which provides live 
status on all lines, both incoming/outgoing and internal, with an XML 
micro-directory. The directory is basic in comparison to the XML based 
directories that 7960's can use, and seems like an after-thought. 
Because it's browser based, the user still has to have a softphone or 
hardphone (with a headset of course) to actually act as an attendant. 
Think of it as a visual display/console - not as an attendant station.

It's more that feasible to take an IP Phone with a large display, 
that's capable of running Java, and to write an attendant solution to 
sit on it. Better yet, take this console maxim further and use 
AstGuiClient or Gastman as console's and transfer managers, and just 
use hardware for the speaking-bit.
> This is so much fun!  (no really!)
W...ww..."Work", what is this thing? :-)

Best,
Ad.