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:

1. Press the star key and hold down for at least 3 seconds
2. A lock symbol will appear in the top line of the display
3. 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:

1. Hold the star key down until the lock icon disappears
2. 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.

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:

1. From the menu, select Security
2. Then select Automatic keylock
3. 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
4. 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!

It is hard to imagine life without Caller ID. I know I am not alone when I say that I barely know anyone’s actual phone number anymore. Once they are added to my contact list, their name is all that matters.

These days, the same can be applied to your desk phone at work, with the power of VoIP technology, you are able to use your desk phone just like you would use your personal cell phone.

Most of the time, these phones have just about every feature your cell phone has, and in some cases, even more features! I have written past blogs about IP phones having cameras, recording video, and even custom ringtones in the past, so I know the possibilities are basically endless.

But because this is a basic blog that deals with the simplicity of VoIP, I am going to use the Polycom VVX300 as an example. This is an entry-level phone, it has nothing flashy about it, but it is packed with features!

One of these features just happens to be a contact list. You are able to add phone numbers to your VVX300 phone book just like you would on your cell phone. And because we all have that one person who calls all the time, but we never want to answer, you can do more than just ignore the call like you would on your cell phone. You can have the VVX300 automatically reject the call!

How to Reject Calls from a Contact on the Polycom VVX300

To do this is simple. If you absolutely never want to take a call again from an annoying telemarketer, or say, an ex that keeps calling you at work? Then follow these easy steps!

1. Select Directories from Home view, and select Contact Directory
2. From your directory, use the up and down arrow keys to select the contact whose calls you want to reject, and press Info
3. From the contact’s information screen, press Edit
4. From the Edit Contacts screen, use the up and down arrow keys to select Auto Reject, and select Enabled, and then press Save

And, POOF! From now on, every time that contact calls your Polycom VVX300, the call will automatically go to Voicemail. The one thing this phone cannot do automatically delete your dreaded contacts Voicemails. You will have to do that manually.

Do you have a Polycom VVX300 on your desk? Do you use the Auto Reject feature? If so, who keeps bugging you? We want to know!