A few best practice questions on BLF/Favorite Contacts and how to use attendant.uri field

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've been using BLF (seemingly successfully) for a while now, but I took the time to review how I used it and came out more confused than I was. I`ll bullet point my questions, hopefully someone can tell me what I could be doing better.

I specifically want to know how attendant.uri can/should be used

1) I have been using BLF by adding local contacts to my phone, and making sure BLF is active on them.  Beside the different icons used, how is this conceptually different then using BLF field that are added through the web/attendant.ressourcelist method? Why do both methods exist, and why arent they using the same set of icons?

It seems I should have been using the attendantressourcelist method, as it seems better in every respect.  Any thought?

2) I would like to automate the modifications to the phones, making sure they update with employee churn.  I certainly could automate the creating of a .cfg file that contains all ressoucelist data, but is there a more intelligent way of doing this? I can't find anything detailed about what I should be putting into attendant.uri .  I am using Asterisk (if it matters). Do I just point this to an address that contains a list of ressourcelist? Whats the format?

3) Finally, if I were to "push" the whole list of 40+ employees, there would be no space on most devices to show the whole list. How can I enable individual users to "hide" some to leave space for their local favorites to appear on the screen?

[SteffenBaierUK]

Hello mgaudette,

welcome back to the Polycom Community.

Certain functionalities like the URI method are for certain partners and may require an NDA or are exclusive only.

I assume you could reverse engineer this studying a BroadSoft Server implementation.

Moving keys around is described here:

Jan 12, 2012 Question: Can I change / re-assign the appearance of  Line, BLF, Speed Dial and Presence Keys?

Resolution: Please check => here <=

Please ensure to provide some feedback if this reply has helped you so other users can profit from your experience.

Best Regards

Steffen Baier

Polycom Global Services

[Anonymous]

It helps somewhat. I understand attendant.uri should NOT be used in principle in my setup.

I have checked the link you nicely put in your last email, but on my VVX400 I can't see my contacts in the web Utilities/Line key Configuration page. I have a contact in my phone (Directories - contact list) which does not appear in the phone's web UI, and when I add a new Line Function, the only options are Registration or BLF. I got no speed dial.  Your screenshot clearly shows contacts are being part of this mecanism. I tried using latest Chrome and Latest Firefox browser.

More importantly I still don't understand why I would want to use Contacts with Watch buddy enabled, as opposed to attendant BLF. They both seem try to answer to the same need. Why would I use one or the other? They seem like duplicate mecanisms for the same thing. I'm sure there is a clear purpose for each, and understanding this will help me choose my way forward more wisely

EDIT: I am using firmware 5.2.3 on this particular VVX400

[SteffenBaierUK]

Hello mgaudette,

please pay closer attention to the notes in the above linked FAQ post:

NOTE: The above is currently only available on the SoundPoint IP range! 

The Contact / Directory Web Interface functionality is only available at present on the SoundStation / SoundPoint range.

Buddy watch is a completely different basic version of the Attendant functionality and explained => here <=.

The Attendant function comes in two versions:

• attendant.resourceList.x.address aka Asterisk and other SIP PABX's
  
  or
  
  
• attendant.uri aka BroadWorks

All you are interested in is the attendant.resourceList.x.address and the link above shows how you can configure the phone to move any lines around as you want to customize the phone.

Please ensure to provide some feedback if this reply has helped you so other users can profit from your experience.

Best Regards

Steffen Baier

Polycom Global Services

[Anonymous]

Thank you. I still am not clear on why I would ever want to use Speed dial buddy watch as opposed to Attendant BLF. 

---

Buddy watch is a completely different basic version of the Attendant functionality and explained => here <=.

---

Even your own sentence is contradictory: is it "completely different", or a "basic version" of BLF? It can't be both...

I'm not trying to be pedantic, I really am trying to understand in a given scenario whether I should use BLF or Watch buddy. As I understand them they do the same thing, but are setup in slightly different fashion with slightly different icons.  Would you have some rule of thumb, to the effect of "when you want X, use BLF, when you would like to accomplish Y, use Watch buddies"?

[SteffenBaierUK · Accepted solution]

Hello mgaudette,

Again, all of this depends on the SIP server to support it.

Buddy watch simply shows online or offline, it does not state any alerting state etc. where BLF does.

If your SIP server does not support BLF aka dialog-info+xml then you would have to use xpidf+xml aka Buddy watch instead.

In your case Asterisk does support BLF so we can stop discussing Buddy watch.

Polycom simply supports several different features in order to satisfy the needs of our customers.

There are FAQ posts about both and you can follow up the RFC's in addition. For more detail please work with your Polycom reseller.

Please ensure to provide some feedback if this reply has helped you so other users can profit from your experience.

Best Regards

Steffen Baier

Polycom Global Services

[Anonymous]

Basically, if BLF works use that, and if it doesn't go with Buddy Watch as a consolation prize.  Exactly the explanation I was looking for.

Thank you.

[DavidG23]

Hi,

This is fantastic but when using BLF, the administrator then need to create every contact on every phone right ? Is it possible for the user to create BLF themself instead of Buddy Watch ?

[Anonymous]

They can, using the phone's Web IU with the admin password.

If you the Web UI is disabled or you don't provide them with the admin password, they would need to add contacts on their phones and enable Watch Buddy (which, as the thread implies, isn't the same thing, but close enough for more purposes).

[SteffenBaierUK]

Hello all,

you need to understand the difference between Busy Lamp Field and the Buddy Watch functionality.

• The Busy Lamp Field is more like an old PSTN functionality for a switch board where the status of each extension (maximum 50) can be monitored and their incoming calls including calling numbers are presented to the phone using BLF.
  
• Buddy Watch is a simple Online / Busy signalling utilized via the Phones Directory

• Both features need to be enabled via an administrator
  
  Presence for Buddy Watch and then adding a Number to the directory and enable Buddy Watch on that contact
  or
  Static Attendant functionality via Web Interface (Utilities > Line Key Configuration)
  
  
• Only the SPIP Phones can add Buddy Watch via the Utilities > Line Key Configuration
  
  
• Both features can be setup via the provisioning server

Other SIP servers like BroadWorks support a dynamic BLF where the Attendant.URI us being used.

All of the above depend on the SIP server to support the functionality as the Phone SUBSCRIBES to this service.

Please ensure to provide some feedback if this reply has helped you so other users can profit from your experience.

Best Regards

Steffen Baier

Polycom Global Services