[Asterisk-Users] Re: Transfer with Budgetone

[Adam Goryachev]

On Thu, 2004-06-03 at 11:40, Tony Hoyle wrote:
> Adam Goryachev wrote:
> > Well, actually they are. Sure, for $20 you can buy an analog phone, for
> > $150 you can buy a grandstream, big difference. However, for a PBX class
> > telephone, you are looking at prices > $500 per handset....
> 
> No idea what you mean by PBX class telephone but if anyone at our company 
> spent $500 on a phone they'd probably be fired (unless it was the boss).

ie, new phones from NEC or other proprietary phone systems...

> Our desktop phones were done as a package deal from the building owner (who 
> also runs the existing PBX) for almost nothing.

Probably they make money in other ways, eg, in renting you the office
space, or from re-billing your phone calls, etc...

> All the company would want a phone to do is:
> 
> 1. Make calls.
> 2. Receive calls.

Plus consultative transfer calls
Plus speaker phone
Plus conferencing
Plus call parking
Plus music on hold
Plus ...

I don't think you have a complete list of requirements there...

> Just a straight replacement of the cheap phones that everyone gets with one 
> that has a cat5 socket on the back, does DHCP and auto configures itself. 
> Nothing flashy.  It doesn't need an LCD display with the time on it, or a big 
> flashing 'message' button.  Just a phone - preferably for no more cost than an 
> analogue phone.

Would be nice, but I suspect it will be another year or two before we
get there. It is all about volume, and today, there isn't enough volume
to cause the price to reduce by that much... (AFAIK)...

> The rest of the PBX stuff isn't needed (except *00# for call pickup, which 
> gets used a lot).

Try *8 instead on Asterisk systems....

> If I can't spec out a system which is like that then the project will be 
> shelved - which I suspect is precisely what my boss wants to happen (he's also 
> the main advocate of the MSN Messenger solution).  Corporate politics is like 
> that...

If *you* want to use asterisk, then I suggest you look at what Asterisk
can provide that MSN Messenger (without asterisk) can't provide. Then if
there is a business case for wanting those features, your job is 80%
complete. If you really want to use a hard VoIP phone with asterisk
instead of MSN Messenger with asterisk, then again, find the business
case that the VoIP hardphone can provide the MSN doesn't. IMHO, I like
to allow the other person to ponder the peculiarities and reliability of
their MS Windows based PC. Whether software or hardware, I figure a VoIP
phone should be significantly more reliable than a pc soft phone. What
about when you try to open a large file/db/something while on a call (to
look up the required information) and your call 'drops' out for a few
seconds... etc...

> The advantage is I got an excuse to play with Asterisk/VOIP at home (have a 
> Granstream and there's a Sipura coming [there was some talk of using sipuras 
> for those people that need them rather than using a digital PBX]).  I'll have 
> to use them now I've spent so much time/money on them....

Congrats...

> For myself I'd love to play with a Cisco but with the 7960 going for £600 a 
> throw I'm not in the market for spending that much...

I am in the same boat. I'm sure one day though, I will splurge on a
cisco, and will probably never again recommend anything else. However,
until then, I will probably not be able to 'see' the difference...

BTW: I don't see why MSN Messenger precludes asterisk... but either way,
I suppose all this is kinda off-topic and just adding noise ....

Regards,
Adam