Integrations
Office PBXs and IP phones
Companies with an office PBX don't have to replace it to get a contact center: the platform connects to the PBX over a trunk. Agents take calls from a queue, calls are recorded, and an agent can transfer a customer to legal, accounting, or the warehouse at their usual extensions. The office reaches support with the same short extension as before. We connect PBXs that support SIP or H.323 – Avaya, Cisco, Panasonic, Mitel, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Unify, and others – and agents keep their Yealink, Poly, and Cisco IP phones.
Office PBXAvaya, 300 extensionsconnectedProtocolSIPrunningExtensions2000-2299availableContact center5000-5099availableCapabilities
What you get with Office PBXs and IP phones
Use cases
How a contact center works alongside your office PBX
Three common setups for companies that run their own PBX.
The customer reaches a lawyer without calling back
A customer calls the contact center with a contract question the agent can't answer. The agent finds the company lawyer in the directory and transfers the call to their extension on the office PBX. The customer record shows who the call went to and when.
- Directory with office extensions
- Transfer to a PBX extension
- Logged in the customer history
Customercontract questionon the lineAgentAnnatransferringLegalext. 2145, office PBXconnectingSummarycall in historysavedAn employee dials a short extension
An accountant dials the IT help desk extension from an office phone. The call travels over the trunk to the platform, the next available specialist answers, and the ticket is saved. Nothing changes for the employee: same phone, same extension.
- Short extension from the desk phone
- Support queue on the platform
- Ticket saved
Office employeeext. 2310callingRoom5000, supportdialedQueueIT supportacceptedRequestin historycreatedThe PBX is shut down after the last department moves
A company plans to replace an aging Panasonic PBX. The contact center goes live on the platform first, then departments move over one by one, and the PBX stays on until the last number is gone. Calls between departments run over the trunk the whole time.
- Contact center first
- One department at a time
- Old PBX runs until the move is done
NowPanasonic in officerunningContact centeron platformstartedDepartmentsmoving one by onein progressOld PBXafter migrationretireVendor names are examples: we connect any PBX that supports SIP or H.323.
How it works
PBXs, phones, and extension plans
PBXs
Avaya, Cisco, Panasonic, Mitel, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Unify
The office PBX connects to the platform over a trunk. Most modern systems use SIP, and older Avaya and Cisco models also support H.323. If a PBX has no IP interface, we connect it through a gateway over T1/E1 or analog lines.
- Trunk over SIP or H.323
- Gateway for older systems
- Any vendor with SIP
Avaya, CiscoSIP, H.323supportedPanasonic, MitelSIPsupportedAlcatel-Lucent Enterprise, UnifySIPsupportedNon-IP systemsvia T1 gatewaysupportedPhones
Yealink, Poly, and Cisco IP phones
Agents' IP phones register on the platform and pull their settings from the server automatically: extension, plus pause, transfer, and log-out-of-queue keys. If a feature needs newer firmware, we update it.
- Auto-provisioning from the server
- Pause and transfer from the phone
- Firmware updates
Deviceplugged infoundSettingsfrom serverloadedRoomext. 5012scheduledKeyspause, transferconfiguredNumbering
A single extension plan
Office extensions stay the same, the contact center gets its own range, and calls between them use short extensions. Local numbers and outside lines stay on the PBX where your carrier is connected.
- Office extensions unchanged
- A dedicated contact center range
- Outside calls work as before
2000-2299office PBXno changes5000-5099contact centernewEnrollmentfour digitsbetween PBXsOutside linesvia PBX with trunksame as beforeSetup
How we connect your PBX to the platform
- 01AssessmentWe review the PBX model, the extension plan, and where outside lines are connected, so launch day has no surprises.
- 02DesignWe decide which numbers move to the contact center and which stay on the PBX.
- 03TrunkWe set up a trunk between the PBX and the platform, and both share one phone system.
- 04NumberingWe give the contact center its own extension range and leave office extensions untouched.
- 05PhonesWe register agents' IP phones on the platform and map the features they need to keys.
- 06TestingWe call agents from the office and back, and test short extensions and outside calls.
Requirements
What your PBX needs
- PBX
- Avaya, Cisco, Panasonic, Mitel, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Unify, and others
- Protocol
- SIP or H.323; older systems through a gateway
- PBX licenses
- Trunk channels on the PBX side, if the vendor requires them
- Access
- Your PBX admin or the contractor who maintains it
- IP phones
- Yealink, Poly, Cisco, and others with SIP
- Cost
- No platform licenses needed; work is billed in hours
Preparation
What to prepare
Q&A
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a new PBX for the contact center?
No need. The platform connects to your PBX, and the office keeps calling as before.
Which office PBXs do you connect?
Any PBX with SIP or H.323: Avaya, Cisco, Panasonic, Mitel, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Unify, and others. Older systems without IP connect through a gateway.
Can an agent transfer a customer to an office department?
Any extension on the PBX is available for transfer, so the customer doesn't have to call again.
How does the office reach the contact center?
Staff dial a short extension from their own phone, and the call goes to the right group.
Do we need extra PBX licenses?
Some PBX vendors license trunk channels; we check this during the assessment. The platform itself has no licenses.
Will our IP phones work?
Any SIP IP phone will work – Yealink, Poly, Cisco, and others. If a feature is missing, we update the firmware.
Can agents work without IP phones?
Agents can work without desk phones, and IP phones stay with those who prefer them.
Can we retire the old PBX later?
You can. The contact center launches first, departments move over one by one, and the PBX is shut down after the last number.
Who configures the PBX on your side?
Your admin or PBX maintenance contractor. We give them the trunk settings and test the connection together.
How much does connecting an office PBX cost?
The platform has no license fees; our engineers' work is billed under your support plan. We estimate the scope after reviewing your PBX.
Glossary
Terms on this page
- IP PBX
- A company phone system that runs over the internet and your local network. Learn more →
- SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
- The protocol that sets up calls in IP telephony. Learn more →
- Customer record
- The screen of customer data an agent sees during a conversation. Learn more →
- E1 – a digital trunk for phone lines
- A digital phone line that carries 30 calls into an office at once. Learn more →
- Softphone
- A phone app that runs on a computer or in a browser. Learn more →
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