a company phonebook and shortcut dialing in 3CX

[flurk]

hi,

I was searching how to set up shortcut dialing in 3CX, using a central company-wide phonebook. This feature is not included in 3CX.
for those interested: I managed to make a working setup
I had fiddled with Asterisk/Freepbx, and discovered that Freepbx offers these features. In the end, I reverted to 3CX (free edition) as the main PBX because... it has some other features that I prefer over Freepbx.
For the sake of the telephonebook I kept the Freepbx machine (a virtual PC) powered on and I tried integrating it in the 3CX realm.
The final setup is rather simple:
- 3CX and Freepbx both connect to the same external voip provider, using the same credentials.
- in 3CX I create an extra voip provider called "phonebook" (ext 10008). It connects to the freepbx IP addres.
- in 3CX I add a rule that every number starting with "n" should be routed to the "phonebook" provider.
- in Freepbx I set up a working phonebook (with shortcut dialing) and a route to the external voip provider.
- in Freepbx I created a simple extension, with the number 10008
That's it!
If I dial e.g. 7123 in 3CX, the call is directed to the Freepbx, and there the shortcut 123 is looked up in the central phonebook and called through the external voip provider.

happy tinkering,
Flurk

 

[leejor]

I've used this method of "speed dialling" for a while. Not certain if it is what you had in mind.
http://www.3cx.com/blog/voip-howto/speed-dials-using-3cx-outbound-rules/

 

[flurk]

Leejor,

you are right, your method will work also.
However, when I was researching for a solution to my problem, I came across a post in these forums of someone who called this method 'tedious' and who gave up using it in the end.
I'm sorry I can't trace that specific post anymore.

With Freepbx you can import and export bulk lists of speed dials using simple CSV-files.

regards,
Flurk

 

[leejor]

I suppose that it all depends on how many you are dealing with, and, if you make use of freePBX. Given that the forum primarily deals with a system that performs much the same function as freePBX (if not more), I'm not sure that the size of the audience, for this sort of application, is that large.