Phones - Desk and Work Area

Introduction

The desk and work area phones are the majority of the phones and are the topic discussed.

Which phones should be purchased?  This depends on

• location - where are the phones going to be used?
• requirements
• phone features

Location

Phones are:

• desk phones
• power users
• regular users
• work area phones

The work area phones can be simple and reduced features.  The regular desk phone users only need a work area phone for their desk.  The power users need the extra flexibility to facilitate their job.

Phone Requirements

• all users
• manage up to 8 simultaneous calls
• page site
• intercom door
• 2 lines to allow a call on hold plus a line place another call
• retrieve email
• DND
  
• power users
• page 1m, SDSS, 3.5m and common phones
• manage conference rooms
  
• contact lists
• handling multiple calls in parallel
• work area phones
• easy to use
• phone IT management
• freepbx end point manager supports the phone
• support a few phones covering most needs
• phones should be easy to provision

Phone Features

• Lines - each line to a phone supports one phone call.  For example, a conference call with 5 lines supports 6 callers.  Most users need 2 lines.
  
• BLF Function Keys - programmable busy lamp field buttons with LED.
• Programmable soft buttons
• Gigabit network
  

Phones Tested

• Sangoma S500
• Snom S320

Discussion

The requirement that a simple phone has access to all 8 lines to simulate an old key system limits the number of SIP phones available.  It forces phones to have a high line count.  A simple phone is carefully setup for just a few simple functions with little or no growth for new features.

Because phones broadly fall into simple phones and power user phones, this gives some flexibility when buying a phone. The flexible, power user, desk phone is now becoming more like the cell phone with a better interface, programmable, customizable, and able to handle large volumes of calls.  By using the PBX computer to switch just the calls a user needs, and a smart phone to display just the active calls, a phone does not need a all the lines.  The smart phone is extensible and can handle from 8 lines to hundreds of lines without changes.

Users should be given the choice to choose between a simple phone and a power user phone.

Sangoma S500

2016 model Sangoma SIP 500 power user phone

• phone applications
• conference management
• parking lot
• contact list
• 5-way conference
• gigabit network interface
• expandible with new applications
  
• 36 soft programmable buttons and multiple pages of content.  Buttons are used to navigate the phone's features.
• fully integrated with freepbx
• provisioning is extremely simple
• can be reloaded and rebooted from freepbx
• HD sound
• Sangoma a long time VOIP manufacturer
  

Snom S320