[asterisk-users] Using MSAccess to dial on a Zap line

[Alex Balashov]

On Wed, 27 Jun 2007, Jason Martin wrote:

> Is there a better way to do this? The complaint we are getting now is 
> the call rep doesn't want their phone to ring when making a call. Can 
> the manager interface give a phone number to dial on an off hook Zap 
> line?

   You would need to somehow associate the off-hook Zap channel with the
particular user in the middleware layer.

   In principle, there is not a good way to reimplement what you are
suggesting, because what you are suggesting appears to carry the logical
implication that Zap can somehow dial on *behalf* of the phone station
while it is off-hook, or for that matter on-hook, without calling back
to the station in order to bridge the call after there is progress on
the far end.  I know of no way to do this.

   What you might be able to do to ease your complaints, though--assuming
this is not already how it's implemented--is to call the destination
number first, and only call the "originating" Zap station back once
progress/ringing on the far end has begun.  The "events" in the Manager
API should provide for this, I think.

   Otherwise, this type of click-to-call functionality doesn't work so well 
with analog phones.  If you had IP handsets you might be able to find a 
way to cleverly RPC a call origination request into an actual handset, or 
at least exert finer control (at the SIP level) over how and when the 
agent phone is put into the loop of the call scenario with ringback
suppression, custom indicator lights, and things like that.

-- Alex

--
Alex Balashov
Evariste Systems
Web    : http://www.evaristesys.com/
Tel    : +1-678-954-0670
Direct : +1-678-954-0671