[asterisk-users] Panasonic x Asterisk if I can emulate Panasonic fast!

[Rodolfo Alcazar Portillo]

Am Mittwoch, den 15.10.2008, 21:03 -0400 schrieb C F:
> On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 11:54 PM, Jorge Mendoza <mendoza at tcc.com.pe> wrote:
> > Rodolfo Alcazar Portillo wrote:
> >> Im a 3-days-asterisk-newbie. In 3 weeks, I must have a PBX installed in
> >> a new office of ours: Panasonic or Asterisk. Asterisk would be, if I can
> >> emulate some Panasonic functions on Asterisk fast, to convince the
> >> executives.
> > Asterisk is more featured than Panasonic, but you must to know Asterisk
> > to convince your executives.... ;-)
> Not really so. Depending on lots of factors, usually for a small
> office of only 5-10 users Panasonic is more feature rich. Since the
> main feature they are looking for in a PBX is to be able to yell
> across the hallway; "hey boss call on 5 it's your wife" which is not
> really possible with Asterisk (yeah I know call parking, but how many
> phones support it flawlessly with flashing LEDs?).
> Other features that are quite popular in small offices and not
> supported by Asterisk:
> * Live call screening - Yes there is a hack that can do it, but it's a
> hell of a hack.
> * Phones that can do most of the usefull features supported by the PBX
> for a reasonable price with LED buttons, including the following
> features:
> ** Call recording with LED indication, while at it, the recordings
> integrate seamlessly with your voicemail, which means you don't need
> to browse the file system on the PBX to listen to it.
> ** Login/Logout of queues, Day/Night mode buttons with indication (1.6
> has this as well).
> ** Company internal directory on the phone updated on the PBX
> ** System Speed Dial on the display updated by the PBX
> ** Call Fwd by PBX with LED indication (not phone based callfwd which sucks).
> ** On screen Voicemail (on the phone).
> ** Line assignment to buttons with LED indication, and hold indication.
> ** Hold ringback (some IP phones support it).
> There are many more features but I can't remember them at the moment.

Ok, those are to consider, thanks for being specific. 

Negatives, for me: Forwarding is an important issue for us. I'll read
more, search for equivalent equipment before taking the decision. The
same with line assignment to buttons.

Ok, for me: Screening: do not need it. LEDs: Due to internal policies,
we usually buy the essential, so we have just 1 phone with leds, the
operator's. I'll buy the best phone for the operator. The rest must be
handled manually by her. No queues. No problem with directories.
Voicemail find I better on *. 

The rest, we will suffer, not important for us.

> Granted in bigger installations there many more factors and usually
> more funding which makes the above list almost obsolete for the
> features that Asterisk does have.
> Again my advice do not go with Asterisk for this installation go with Panasonic.

Maybe this is the time for us to switch to *. In some point we must
start this new tech. Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Rodolfo.

> >> What I have done until now: Bought 1 Linksys pap2 (2 FXS), 1 Linksys
> >> SPA3102 (1 FXS + 1 FXO) for making asterisk tests. Configured
> >> Asterisk/Fedora 9 so I can make SIP->PSTN and PSTN->SIP calls.
> >>
> >> Works. Now, I need this help, please:
> >>
> >> * Dialing from inside (pap2-FXS connected phone) to another number on
> >> the same city (goes out by SPA3102 FXO), voice works fine. But when a
> >> menu answers, and I dial over, the menu dialed keys works only 20% of
> >> all times. Why could this would be? Voltage levels? sound gains? Dialed
> >> keys get distorsioned when passing over the 2 Linksys? Linksys or
> >> Asterisk swallowing some dialed key? I noticed some echo...
> >>
> > Probably you are sending dtmf signals inband. Try outband.
> > For the echo, try to change the FXO/FXS impedance, and/or playing with
> > the rx and tx gains. I assume that do you have echo cancelling enable in
> > both SPA.
> >> * I need to assign two codes to each user, one for international calls
> >> charged to the office, another for international calls charged to the
> >> user. If the user enters an incorrect code, the call should not proceed.
> >>
> > See account codes. You can start here:
> > http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk+Billing
> >
> >> * I need to get a formatted calls report for the administrators to
> >> charge the users.
> >>
> > See same link, or google for billing
> >> I just am confused and stucked with all the documentation in Internet,
> >> and all this new asterisk jargon. I just need some links (or some
> >> directions) to go fast on this topics. Of course, some more help would
> >> be appreciated.
> >>
> > The link to start:
> > http://www.voip-info.org
> >
> >> Thanks a lot.
> >>
> > De nada
> >
> > Jorge
> >
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-- 
Rodolfo Alcazar
Responsable red y datos

Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH

Programa de Apoyo a la Gestión Pública Descentralizada y
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