How to Connect the Polycom VVX Color Expansion Module to your VVX Phone

August 11, 2017 by Steve Lopian

If you are one of the many people who handle an overwhelming amount of incoming calls for a living then you can understand that sometimes what your phone comes with, it’s always enough.

Every now and then we think of how much easier our jobs would be if we just had a little extra help. An example would be having two monitors on your desk instead of one. Another might be having your own stapler instead of having to walk to the printer every time you needed to staple something.

All of these things are nice to have, and sure, they would help make our lives easier. But, the reality is that we can probably still do our daily tasks even without them. And if you did need them to function, then I’m sure they would be on your desk.

But what happens when what you have just isn’t enough, and adding a missing component to your work day would really speed things along, and produce greater proficiency? That’s when you decide to pull the trigger and make additions to your team’s resources.

A good example of an add-on that would help someone who deals with massive amounts of call traffic a day would be an expansion module. Let’s take the Polycom VVX400 for example. This phone is stacked with features and it has a whopping twelve line keys!

But what if twelve is not enough? And that paper sidecar is doing nothing but slowing you down? Even the people at Polycom know this could happen to anyone. That’s why they created the VVX Color Expansion Module!

If you are running short on line keys at twelve, how about 24 more?! That is what the VVX Color Expansion Module brings to the table. And if you’re still short? You can daisy chain up to 3! So if you have a Polycom VVX phone on your desk, and you think this is something you absolutely must have, the only question left is: How do I connect it to my phone?!

Well, that’s simple! Just follow these easy steps!

How to Connect the Polycom VVX Color Expansion Module to your VVX Phone

Connect an auxiliary cable from the AUX port on the phone to the AUX IN port on the expansion module.
The LED Lights on the module’s line keys flash red and green as the module start up.
After the first module is on, you can connect up to two additional modules to your VVX phone.
Information for the expansion module will display here

And that’s really it! The rest of the work is going to be in the expansions interface, and for that, you will have to contact your Systems Administrator. However, once you have the expansion module, (or modules) hooked up, you can check their status to make sure you did everything properly. You can do this by following these steps:

Select Settings in the phone’s menu
Under Settings, select Status
In the Status menu, select the module you want to view
Information for the expansion module will display here

Some of the things you will be able to see are the type of module, software version, assembly revision, and serial number.

After it’s all said and done, the bottom line is that you will now be able to manage your company’s call flow like a pro!

Do you have a Polycom VVX phone on your desk? Do you have any Color Expansion Modules attached to it? If not, what are you using? We want to know!

5 Ways VTech-Snom Can Help Your Business Overcome Communication Challenges

August 8, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

When it comes to cordless telephones, VTech is second to none. Leveraging their global experience in telephony, engineering, and manufacturing with the technical expertise of Snom, VTech delivers innovative and diverse product lines.

VTech does more than just manufacturing business phones. They improve your business communications. But don’t take our word for it. Check out the five ways VTech can help your business overcome communication challenges.

1. VTech uses a vertically-integrated infrastructure to design superior phones

The VTech global team of more than 1,500 R&D professionals continually innovate VTech and Snom products. Through state-of-the-art research, engineering and global design influence, VTech delivers high-quality products to customers at affordable prices.

2. The Versatile Product Portfolio fits your business – big or small

From small offices to enterprise level corporations, VTech has the ideal solution to satisfy your requirements. Known for easy-to-use and cost-effective designs, VTech and Snom offer a wide range of product lines including:

SIP phones
DECT wireless desksets
Wireless conference speakerphones
Wireless headsets, softphone applications
Broadcast solutions
Public announcement systems
Multi-base station DECT systems
Campus deployments
Specialized hospitality phones

Click here to see VTech products.

3. Industry-Leading Warranties give you peace of mind

At VTech, your satisfaction is their priority. To ensure a good communication experience, VTech provides best-in-class warranties, which covers three years on the SIP desksets and two years on the conference phones. Now that’s what we call great coverage!

Unlike their competitors, VTech sends out new products as advanced part replacements when needed. This way, you can minimize downtime and increase satisfaction for your customers and partners. This is an extremely valuable service that will make you stand out.

4. Complementary support helps you through the sales and setup process

Most importantly, VTech offers help when you need it. You’ll receive end-to-end support (pre-sales, post-sales and field sales) from a team of U.S.-based sales people, engineers, and marketing executives to assist you with any issues or concerns. This support is particularly crucial when you have a limited IT staff.

5. VTech uses their vertical market expertise to meet your unique needs

As a market leader in the hospitality industry with specialized product offerings and dedicated sales and support teams, VTech is the only hospitality-certified room phone vendor on the BroadCloud® platform. VTech is continuously developing telephony solutions and programs to meet the unique needs of vertical market customers, including those in public sector, grades K-12, and higher education.

Interested in learning more about VTech products? Call one of our VoIP experts today at 1-800-398-8647 to get your questions answered. Or visit the VTech product page to learn about the products yourself.

[VIDEO] The Fanvil X2P Available Now!

August 7, 2017 by Steve Lopian

If you are looking for new office phones but are keeping a budget in mind, then the new Fanvil X2P should be on top of your list.

This new release comes with everything you’d expect from a high-end model VoIP phone, for the price of an economy phone. And it looks great too!

One of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time is that Fanvil actually swapped out the handset on this phone and gave it the ability to use a footswitch to answer and end calls! I feel like this is something that has not been done before and would be a great fit for a call center environment!

If you need more convincing, just watch this short video we put together for you!

The VoIP Addict’s Guide – Hotlining FXS with the ADTRAN Total Access 908e

by Marc Spehalski

A while back we published this video above on setting up the Adtran Total Access 908e as an FXS gateway. To recap a little, an FXS gateway allows you to connect analog phones or stations, to a VoIP based system. It does that by providing an analog interface like an FXS port to which you connect your analog phone, and through the use of witchcraft, translates the signal from analog to digital.

To clarify a little bit more if you’re new to this technology: when we talk about analog gateways, we are generally referring to two types of interfaces, or ports; FXS and FXO.

FXS stands for foreign exchange station, but to get to the points, it’s what PROVIDES dial tone to a device like a credit card machine, fax machine, or an analog phone.

FXO stands for foreign exchange office, and RECEIVES dial tone. An example of an FXO port would be on a modem.

So say it with me, FXO PROVIDES dial tone, FXO RECEIVES dial tone. It’s Easy!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about hotlining. Hotlining is when an FXS port automatically dials a predetermined number when off hook. You’d see this sort of setup on common are phones (door entrances, hallways, lobbies, etc.), or in elevators. The idea is simple: restrict what the user can do with the phone.

To achieve this on an Adtran Total Access 908e, it’s simple, sort of. You can configure roughly 90% of the Adtran Total Access 900 Series devices through the graphical user interface, but there are some nifty features hidden in the command line, like hotlining! The good news is configuring a hotline using the command line is about as complex putting on your own socks.

First some prerequisites:

Make sure your dial plan is configured to accept the digits you plan on calling when your FXS port goes off hook.
Have a trunk group also accepting the digits and have a trunk to send the call to.
Know your current, or default passwords.

Let’s go:

As an example, we’ll create a user “5000” and configure a hotline for that user on FXS 0/1 to dial 716-867-5309 when off hook.

Log in and create the user: Got o Users Accounts and fill out some basic information such as first, last name, and select “Analog Station” as Phone Type. Select FXS 0/1 and click Apply.
SSH or Telnet into the Total Access 908e and configure the hotline using the following syntax:
Check your configuration using “show run” or “do show run”. It should look like this:

Now, when any device connected to FXS 0/1 goes into an off hook state, the Total Access 908e will dial 716-867-5309. I told you it would be easy.

To be honest, the Adtran Total Access 900 line is capable of a lot more, and it’s one of my favorite pieces of equipment. Not to overuse the term, but I consider it the true Swiss Army Knife of the telecommunications world. Learn more about it by visiting Adtran’s site, or calling VoIP Supply at 1-800-398-8647.

Happy VoIPing!

7 Skype Tips and Tricks You Didn’t Know

August 4, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Skype is nothing new to most of us. We all love how simple and straightforward Skype is. It probably only takes you less than 30 minutes from downloading to dialing your first call through Skype.

You think you already know all about Skype? Well, there might still be some features that will surprise you! Check out the 7 Skype tips and tricks in this post to see what they are!

#1 How to Make Calls from Skype Contact List

Do you know you can start a Skype call by double-clicking on a contact? Here’s how:

Click Tools >> Options >> General Settings
Check the box: When I double-click on a contact start a call

Pretty easy, huh?

#2 How to Hide or Show the Skype Moving Pencil

You must have noticed that when you are chatting with someone on Skype message, there’s a pencil image moving showing you that someone is editing his/her message. Not a big fan of this feature? No problem. Here’s how you can hide it and have more privacy:

Click Tools >> Options >> IM & SMS >> IM Settings >> Show Advanced Options
Uncheck the box: Show when I am typing

#3 How to Clear Skype Chat History

Erase your chat history in Skype is easy. Just follow these two steps:

Click Tools >> Options >> IM & SMS
Click IM Settings >> Show Advanced Options >> Clear History

Be aware though, once you clear your history, you can’t restore the messages! So think twice before you hit the button! You can also adjust the time frame that you want to keep your history by selecting the drop-down menu.

#4 How to Get Keyword Notifications on Skype

Too many messages that you don’t have time to read them all? Use Skype’s Keyword Notifications to get notified only when certain words are mentioned in the IM window. Here’s how:

Click Conversation menu>> Notification Settings
Select the radio button: Notify me only if these words are mentioned.
Type in the keywords you’d like to receive notifications

Now you can sit back and focus on your work!

#5 How to Set Up the Caller ID on Skype

Caller ID shows your phone number when you make a call. You might want to set up this so people recognize you when you make Skype calls to landlines or mobile numbers.

Click Skype menu >> Account. You will see a web page where you get more call related information
Click Caller ID and select Country/Region and type in your Phone number.
Click Verify Number.

You are all set. Test it out!

#6 How to Edit Your Last Message on Skype

Oops, made a mistake in the message that you just sent? Press the Up Arrow Key on your keyboard, Skype will automatically copy the text you sent and put in your chat box where you can correct and re-send.

#7 How to Transfer Skype Account Contacts

call-transfer Need a new Skype account but feel it’s tedious to re-add in all your contacts again? Let Skype do the work for you! You can easily backup all of your contacts from the old account and simply transfer them into the new one within minutes.

There you have it! Are you using any of the tricks I mentioned? What Skype features do you like to see? A hosted VoIP Service has a lot of useful and more advanced features, be sure to check it out too!

VTech and German-based Snom Create Powerful Communication Solutions

August 2, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

VTech Communications, Inc.is no stranger to the Voice over Internet. As a global leader in electronic learning products and the world cordless telephones, VTech constantly grows and improves customers and partners.

After VTech acquired Snom Technology GmbH, the world’s first and leading brand of enterprise, the two companies have become stronger and more powerful than ever in the areas of hardware, software development, telephony R&D, and operational efficiency.

Snom and VTech operate separately to take full advantages of the two companies’ strengths as well as to create a powerhouse team. Together, with the global experience of Snom in VoIP telephony and technical support, and with the operational capability and state-of-the-art design of VTech, the two companies have strengthened their product portfolios and technological leadership to deliver a wide range of powerful, innovative product lines to their customers. These products include:

SIP phones
DECT wireless desksets
Wireless conference speakerphones
Wireless headsets, softphone applications
Broadcast solutions
Public announcement systems
Multi-base station DECT systems
Campus developments
Specialized hospitality phones

Click here to see all VTech products and Snom products.

As one unified company, VTech and Snom can now provide more diverse products at competitive pricing.

The acquisition has increased synergy in sales development for both VTech and Snom. This win-win partnership is expected to further strengthen their market position in the VoIP industry and produce positive effects in the Pacific region and North America. Stay tuned for more exciting news.

Digium Released NEW E-Series Switchvox Appliances and Subscription Changes

August 1, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

August 1st, 2017, Digium announced the release of their new E-Series Switchvox appliances and subscription changes.

Targeting small to medium businesses, Digium’s new E-Series Switchvox appliances are built with less operational complexity and better value at an even lower price. The Switchvox E-Series includes the E510, the E520, the E530 and the E540. Let’s see what all the buzz is about!

new-appliances

Up to 500 Users and 200 Concurrent Calls

If you have ever used any of the older versions of the Switchvox appliances, you will tell the difference right away. The E-Series are all SIP only appliances with up to 600 supported phones, 200 concurrent calls, and 200 conference users. Much powerful and flexible than before.

Less Weight, Lower Price

Comparing to the older, smallest versions of the Switchvox appliances, the Switchvox 80 and the Switchvox 310, the E510 is much lighter (less than 2 lbs) and can easily fit in your backpack. What’s even better is that you can get the E510 for less-than-half the price of the Switchvox 310. It comes with no bundled registration code (hardware only) and pre-installed Switchvox software.

The next level up, the E520 appliance also supports more concurrent calls and conference users (up to 100) than its counterparts with only 6 pounds of weight at a much lower price. The E-Series appliances are the first ever Switchvox appliances that are powered by Dell hardware. Check out how the E520 and E530 compare to the older Switchvox 310 and the Switchvox 360 models in the charts below!

iDRAC8 Enterprise with Lifecycle Controller

The E530 and E540 support up to 600 phones and up to 200 concurrent calls. They are also Dell-based appliances with less than 24 lbs weight at a much affordable price. These two models are equipped with the iDRAC8 Enterprise with Lifecycle Controller with no additional costs, allowing you to monitor, maintain, and update your units easily.

Where Can I Purchase the E-Series?

The E-Series Switchvox Appliances are now available for purchase on VoIP Supply’s website. Visit our Siwtchvox product page to learn more about the new appliances or simply call our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 today for more details!

Subscription Changes

The other big announcement today is Digium’s support subscription changes. Digium previously had four main support levels (Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium), +Virtual as well as Maintenance. These are sold by a single user, 5-user, 25-user, and 100-user pack.

switchvox-support-levels

Gold Subscriptions
Originally, Digium announced that on October 1, 2017, current Gold Switchvox subscriptions would no longer be available for renewal. They have amended that policy to the following:

Customers with current Gold subscription will be grandfathered into the Legacy Gold support level and can continue to renew their support by purchasing Gold renewals and system maintenance beyond October 1, 2017
Legacy Gold customers will also be able to add additional subscriptions to their existing Gold systems.
Any customer buying a completely new system will be purchasing under the current pricing model rolled out on August 1, 2017, which only allows for Platinum and Titanium Subscriptions

Silver Subscriptions
Silver subscriptions are end of life. Our earlier communication was that Silver customers would be upgraded for free to Gold support by purchasing Gold renewals and system maintenance by September 30, 2017. As a result of initial customer feedback, Digium will be revising our policy to the following:

Silver is end of life, but a Silver customer can upgrade to Gold for free beyond October 1, 2017.

Optionally, Silver customers can opt for 24/7 support and upgrade to Platinum for a small fee per user. Platinum does not require a yearly maintenance fee (previously $500 per system), so for many customers, this will be the preferred, most cost-effective route.

Silver customers upgrading to Gold will be able to renew and add subscriptions per the details above.

Any customer buying a completely new system will be purchasing under the current pricing model rolled out on August 1, 2017, which only allows for Platinum and Titanium Subscriptions

NEW Patton Academy: Obtain Patton Training and Certification Anywhere, Anytime!

by Ying-Hui Chen

No time to learn about Patton? That’s not an excuse anymore! Now you can get Patton training and certification anywhere, anytime at your own pace!

Patton is now launching the new Patton Academy for their Partners to learn about Patton products and services and get hands-on practices online! Any Patton Partner can learn how to install, configure, and operate Patton SmartNode, Copperlink and other products based on the Trinity OS.

Get started and earn your Patton Certified Voice Professional (PCVP) and Patton Certified Voice Expert (PCVE) credential today! Enroll in course number one and order your training kit for the hands-on exercises here: https://www.patton.com/academy/

How to Lock and Unlock the Snom M85 Ruggedized DECT Phone

July 28, 2017 by Steve Lopian

It is hard to imagine a job that doesn’t need a phone. There are an endless amount of different and unique jobs our there, but I’m pretty sure every one of them, one way or another, needs a phone in some capacity of the business.

For this blog, I want to focus on the jobs that are not set in a cushy air conditioned office. Instead, I want to talk about the jobs that need wireless phones, or better yet, wireless VoIP phones.

What is the first job that comes to mind when you think of wireless phones? For me, I immediately thought of a construction job. Because construction can get messy, I would also have to assume that the wireless phones they are using are also ruggedized AND probably even DECT!

What kind of phone could cover all those bases? Well, I’m sure there are several. But for this blog, we are going to use the Snom M85 as an example. This is a wireless DECT phone that can take a beating and will last you a very long time.

Aside from this phone’s long range and nearly bulletproof casing, there is one weakness. This weakness is something that all phones have, their buttons. No matter how much of a beating this phone can take, if you press up against something or if you drop it down the stairs, you run the extreme risk of accidental use. Like….calling someone, paging someone, etc.

Luckily, the Snom M85 has you covered with its Automatic Keylock. This is a function that can take the frustration out of your day, and it is easy to manage.

How to Lock and Unlock the Snom M85 Ruggedized DECT Phone

If you would like to lock and unlock your phone manually every time, then all you have to do is:

Press the star key and hold down for at least 3 seconds
A lock symbol will appear in the top line of the display
When pushing a button while locked, the keylock message will appear

See, that was easy! To unlock your M85 after it has been locked all you do is:

Hold the star key down until the lock icon disappears
The phone will then be unlocked and ready for use

That might be the easiest set of directions I have ever seen! But one more cool feature this phone has is the Automatic Keylock feature.

How to Use Automatic Keylock on the Snom M85

This will allow the phone to lock itself if it has not been used in a selected period of time. How do you set this? Again, simple! Just follow these easy steps:

From the menu, select Security
Then select Automatic keylock
From there must select the number of second or minutes. Your choices are 15, 30, or 45 seconds, or 1 to 5 minutes. This will set the inactivity period before your phone locks itself
Press the red End Call key until you return to the home screen

And that’s it! Depending on how long you selected, if your phone is not active, it will lock itself and prevent unwanted phone calls, leaving your phone off the hook, or draining the battery.

To unlock the phone after it has locked itself, just use the same manual steps and hold the star key until it unlocks.

Do you have a ruggedized wireless phone at work? Do you use the Snom M85? If not, what do you use? We want to know! Also, what How-To blogs would you like to see in the future? Let us know in the comments!

Can I Use Grandstream UCM6208 as a Backup for UCM6108?

July 26, 2017 by Ying-Hui Chen

Our tech support team at VoIP Supply offers great pre- and post-sales support plus provisioning, consultations, configuration, and installation help. We get a lot of VoIP hardware and software questions and would like to share the solutions with everyone.

In previous Mom’s calling Q&A series, we have discussed: What is the Default Password for the Grandstream UCM6204? Today, we have more new real questions and answers from VoIP users just like you.

Can I Use UCM6208 as a Backup for UCM6108?

Q: I have a UCM6108 and I want a UCM6208 as a backup. Is it easy to clone the configuration from the UCM6108 and transfer it over?

A: Yes, this will work as long as both systems are on the same firmware versions. The backup configurations will restore.

STAY TUNED

Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us, please submit a technical support ticket or contact our VoIP experts today at (866) 582-8591

More from: Q & A Ying-Hui Chen Grandstream Q&A

How to Connect the Polycom VVX Color Expansion Module to your VVX Phone