[Asterisk-Users] Which analog phones to use and why?

[tmassey at obscorp.com]

Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com> wrote on 03/28/2005 11:44:03 AM:

> Depends on what functions you are trying to implement. Hold isn't hard
> on a regular phone. Transfer isn't hard. Voicemail access isn't hard.
> Beyond that, there isn't a lot that needs to be done. 
> 
> If you find that you need more functions, then you may need to move up
> to a SIP phone. 

Well, what it seems to come down to is two things:

1) People *expect* business phones to just plain have more buttons
2) People want one-button convenience

For example, people want to be able to push a single button to reach at 
least a selection of internal extensions.  Or, they want to be able to 
press a single button for parking a call, or voicemail, or who-knows-what. 
 Of course, a standard analog phone can't do those things:  it doesn't 
have the buttons!  :)

I guess even a telephone with speed dial buttons could do that, maybe? 
Something like this:

http://www.101phones.com/flypage/2126/8a3a9cb7ed9a26e52f4129070e30b829/Panasonic_KX-TS105W

I was just wondering how others are addressing this.  You can't all be 
making receptionists memorize codes, are you?  :)

Tim Massey