How to use external contacts, in user's Switchboard?

[undo111]

Hello,

Switchvox has the External Contacts --> Contacts Module --> in Extensions Features. This module allows us to upload a contacts list which can have many fields like: first_name, last_name, organization, job_title, location, email_address, primary_number, primary_number_label, secondary_number, secondary_number_label, etc.

While on the user's Switchboard we can use Phonebooks panels to give the possibilty to users to call external/internal numbers from Switchboard. But these phonebooks have limited info regarding entries in the phonebook, just: name, and external number!

Also, there is no possibility for the user to get access to these external contacts uploaded from External Contacts --> Contacts Module --> in Extensions Features, from the Switchboard Panels.

For example to access these contacts from the Directory Panel.

Is there any way to:

1. Use the external contacts uploaded from External Contacts --> Contacts Module --> in Extensions Features, in the user's Switchboard?

2. Create phonebooks with more fields to enter data for the phonebook entries?

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,
Andi

[dpodolsky]

Currently you can't use the External Contacts in the Switchboard, but I will enter that as a feature request.

If you are using the new Digium phones then the external contracts get pushed to all phones on the system and you can use the contact app on the phone to browse and dial.

[undo111]

hi dpodolsky,

thank you for your reply..!!!

it will be a very useful feature!

best regards
andi

[JoeBlowSwitchvox]

Hey, is there any way to disable some things like IVR's from being shown in the contacts app on the phone? It annoys the customer when using it as a transfer tool.

[dpodolsky]

In the same section as External Contacts (Tools -> Contacts) there is an Internal Directory feature. Just select a group of extensions that you want in your Internal Directory (all extensions excluding IVRs and Queues perhaps) and that will limit which extensions show up on the User's phones. By default "All Extensions" is the group for your internal directory which explains why you see IVRs.

[lprikockis]

Currently you can't use the External Contacts in the Switchboard, but I will enter that as a feature request.

Any even vague estimate on when we might see such a feature? Or has someone managed to hack something together already?

If you are using the new Digium phones then the external contracts get pushed to all phones on the system and you can use the contact app on the phone to browse and dial.

This makes me sad. Since we're already heavily invested in Polycom phones (since Digium phones weren't even available when we started using Switchvox), it's not likely we're going to switch over to Digium phones now.

Unfortunately, limiting features like this to only proprietary phones makes me want to think about switching to a generic Asterisk install and ditch Switchvox. We came to Switchvox from Mitel precisely to avoid this sort of vendor lock-in.

[dpodolsky]

Unfortunately, limiting features like this to only proprietary phones makes me want to think about switching to a generic Asterisk install and ditch Switchvox.

We don't purposely limit features to our Digium phones. There are many features which just won't technically work on Polycom phones (and other manufacturer's phones) and those phone limitations then limit what we are able to provide our customers. This end point limitation was one of the main reasons we got into the phone making business, we wanted to make a better experience for our customers. We take all end points into careful consideration when building new features for our product and do our best to make them work.