[asterisk-users] click to call

[Gordon Henderson]

On Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Anton Krall wrote:

> Hi Gordon
>
> So, mexuar solution was that java softphone that you talked about?

Yes.

> Any other small softphone type solution around, something on the same lines
> of what you described, something that the user could download but could be
> preconfigured or passed parameters to so they user wont have to mess with
> settings.

When looking for something else, I found that you can get a version of 
x-lite which can be dynamically re-configured at download time - Sipgate 
(www.sipgate.co.uk) use this. Once logged into their site, you download 
their version of x-lite (for free) and it "just works" on your PC, as 
they've included the account, IP address, etc. details as part of the 
download.

Cost (from x-lite) was about the same ~£1000 for the setup fee and tools 
required (from memory). The down-side of that version of x-lite is that 
it's windows only (Although the generic x-lite is multi platform) I looked 
at idefisk (my soft-phone of choice), but I wasn't sure if that too could 
be dynamically configured at download time. (Again about the same cost to 
have your own custom "skin" on it, etc.)

These both end up as installed programs though - not "transient" like a 
java based one.


Reading through these threads, it's clear to me that there is confusion as 
to what "click to call" really means (for some people). I think the issue 
is simply that there is more than one way to do it!

I think the OP in this thread wanted something along the lines of what I 
described, but the other (or "classic" way?) of click to call would 
involve the web visitor entering in their phone number on the web page, 
pushing "click to call", then it initiating a call via (eg) a .call file 
being placed in the asterisk call spool directory, so their phone rings, 
they pick it up, then the agents phone rings... and they talk to each 
other, with the agent footing the bill as it's then a PSTN call. The Java 
method is a pure VoIP method, so might be more attractive in some cases... 
But I'd be glad to enter one of my 0909[1] numbers into a click-to-call 
box ;-)

Gordon
[1] Calls cost the sender £1.50 a minute, and the owner of the number can 
get a substantial chunk of that!