Cordless phones, BLFs, shared parking, how?

[Scottie Holden]

I have a potential new client who is onboard and ready to go, with one GIANT exception. They currently have 4 incoming analog lines, with a Panasonic cordless phone setup. There are 5 handsets, and all 5 have busy/available indicators for all 4 lines. This is a small business, so everyone does every job. Currently, person A can answer cordless phone 1, and put call Z on hold, on line 1. They then notify person B that call Z is on line 1. Person B simply picks up the call on line 1, on cordless phone 2, or whichever one is in their hand or on their hip. They key here is the line indicators, so they don't have to worry about double parking or anything like that. I can't find anything at all that comes close to replicating this in the 3CX world. I know I can setup dummy extensions to access shared park slots from cordless phones, but there's no notification of busy/available. Apparently no cordless VOIP phone supports this, at least not with 3CX. I also know that you could potentially get this done with the mobile app on smartphones, but that is not ideal. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Scottie Holden]

Since most DECT phones can switch between multiple SIP accounts, could you register the handset to multiple extensions, and use SIP accounts like "lines" and accomplish this that way? That actually sounds like it could potentially work. Whether or not you could quickly get to the other accounts would be the issue.

 

[cobaltit]

Yes, stick with the current solution. 3CX is a PBX. You are looking for KSU type functionality using SLA which no system implements well. Key systems don't scale well though so when your customer gets bigger, they will have to do it the way bigger companies do it. So either get them to change their thinking or keep it as is because they won't be happy with the workarounds.

 

[Scottie Holden]

Could you install and setup 3CX and then feed analog lines to the existing cordless system via ATAs? The analog system wouldn't know the difference, so it should work the same in theory, correct? Of course the client wants both worlds, the smartphone app and all the 3CX features, with the same functionality they have now. Just trying to find a way to give it to them.

 

[cobaltit]

Have you heard the saying 'Wish in one hand, sh*t in the other. See which one gets filled first'? Sounds like a potentially problematic customer that might be worth just walking away from. Good luck!