[Asterisk-Users] Asterisk as plain PABX in call centre

[jurgen]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

> Depending on why you want to get rid of the fujitsu. What is it that
> makes you want to get rid of it? Not enough handsets, not enough
> incoming lines, or not enough features etc...

All of the above. :-)

We're getting close to maxing out our 30-channel ISDN connection, and
there's literally no more room for expansion in the old Fuji. We're
scraping for headsets too, and there are some features (like call
queuing, IVRs and voicemail) that it's just not able to do.

> > We've also got a dozen or so plain analogue lines, used for fax
> > machines, fax modems (Hylafax!), answering machines (real ones!) and
> > other assorted weird stuff.
> 
> AFAICT, you are best off trying to have these sorts of lines totally
> by-pass the PBX, (any sort of PBX). So, really, just ignore this stuff
> for the moment. Later on, you can try out the rxfax/txfax stuff to
> replace hylafax and/or other fax machines.

The analogue lines are currently hanging off the Fujitsu now. It
provides a dial tone so these devices feel more comfortable - plus it
allows me to route numbers from the ISDN block through to
analogue-line devices in the office.

> Of course you can do this, but you will need a channel bank for all
> those non-VoIP phones you want. You will probably want to use T1 channel
> banks with the TE4xx cards. One E1 coming in plus 2 or three T1 channel
> banks.

I guess what I'm missing here is *how*. How does Asterisk know what to
do with all the extra buttons on these phones? How does it know what
to do with the LCD screen? Some of the buttons simply send DTMF into
the PABX, but there are other ones that are specially programmed lines
etc etc. Surely there's some kind of protocol involved right now in
the way the phones talk to the PABX. I'm not even sure of what to look
for in this regard.

> > I need some testimonials from people using Asterisk in a call centre
> > environment. There must be some people out there doing it. How did you
> > pull it off? What equipment are you using? What do I need to watch out
> > for along the way?  How's it working out for you now? I'd like to be
> > able to go to the Directors with as much backup as possible. "Here are
> > a bunch of similar setups, all working great and saving money".
> 
> Isn't this sort of stuff listed on the wiki??

I found a few testimonials, but they're more geared to the VoIP user.
While this is encouraging, I haven't found any having to do with using
it as a plain old ordinary PABX, or in a call centre environment. I'd
love to be proved a blind fool who can't search properly though. :-)

Best,

.....jurgen


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