[asterisk-users] Hardphone SIP phone costs

[SIP]

Gordon Henderson wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Mar 2008, Norman Franke wrote:
>
>   
>> As for why a company would purchase hard phones, several reasons. First, we 
>> are replacing many hard phones with computers. We have a custom application 
>> and have been moving folks main numbers to use the computer. We can make it 
>> "ring" externally and then they just put their headset on and hit an fkey to 
>> answer.
>>
>> The reason to not use a cell, in addition to potentially delaying an 
>> emergency response, is reliability. In any kind of emergency, they just don't 
>> work. And coverage and dropped calls are a problem, especially in office 
>> buildings.
>>
>> However, professionalism is, IMHO, the main reason. Cell phones sound 
>> terrible, generally have a huge delay (often with a related echo), they fade 
>> in and out, etc. I actively don't deal with companies where their sales 
>> people are on cell phones, and I have indeed actually to go with other 
>> vendors based on this. If you can't be professional enough to have an office 
>> with a real phone, why would I want to trust you''ll support anything you 
>> sell?
>>     
>
> My mobile does not sound terrible, does not have echo, does not fade in or 
> out, and the last time I used it to call the emergency services, I got 
> through straight away. I've not had a dropped call for a long time either 
> (going through tunnels on the train, or over Dartmoor excepted)
>
> Sounds like your country doesn't have a very good mobile phone 
> infrastructure, or operators that don't care.
>
>   
>> In the grand scheme of things, phone are cheap. With SIP phones, employees 
>> can move their phone to another office if they move and just plug it in. 
>> Companies can also better monitor employees.
>>     
>
> My mobile phone supports SIP (via WiFi) 3G and GSM... So I can move about 
> and have coverage via a variety of means, but GSM "just works" in the UK, 
> and when it doesn't work - well, I'm usually in a place where I don't want 
> to make phone calls anyway :)
>
> It's not perfect and I'm still after the holy grail of the "one device" 
> that will work anywhere, but it's getting there..
>
> Gordon
>
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Two of the four floors of the building in which I work are underground. 
Using cell phones as office phones has NEVER been a good idea. However, 
DECT phones just work. And well.

We have cell repeaters installed inside the building, but the shielding 
in the walls limits their effectiveness in many areas (datacenter, 
conference rooms, etc). But again... no issues with the DECT phones.

I don't think landlines will go away anytime soon simply for the very 
reason that mobile phones CAN'T be ubiquitous unless you have a tower or 
repeater anywhere where there's interference/low signal, etc.

At our mountain cabin, we have a DSL line and VoIP is grand. But we'd 
have to drive six miles to get to the nearest spot with mobile coverage. 
I could never do any work from there if I relied on the mobile as my 
'one true phone.'  This isn't to say there's not a day when it will be 
better. But right now, it's patchwork at best.