Hotdesking

Hotdesking is not part of the standard sipXecs distribution but you can find it at https://github.com/Telecats/sipXhotdesking)

Requires sipXecs 4.6

Introduction

In hotdesking, also sometimes called location independent working, hotelling or freeseating, workers do not have their own desks, but are allocating work space according to their needs. Such an environment is heavily dependent on correctly route your telephone calls to the desk of your choice. The optional sipXhotdesking module offers such an functionality.

Additionally the initial rollout of new phones becomes easier. Normally a phone has a number, so if a company get 100 new SipX phones, every phone has to carefully be put on the exact right desk. With hotdesking enabled you can just put a phone on a desk. Only make sure the manager and the office manager get the right phone, one with extension pad. ? In the morning every user will be able to connect themselves to their own phone by reading the instructions sent by e-mail

The way it is implemented is on a functional level:

When a phone is not 'logged in', the phone will be connected to a user without a name, maybe just the company name and almost no permissions at all. That user can only call predefined number like 911, the reception and maybe some other numbers
All phones in the company will initially be connected to that user
When the use walks in the user will call the hotdesking extension *11 by default (or whatever code has been setup)
SipX will asks for the pincode
User enters pincode + # key
SipX will remove the 'nothing' user from the phone the user used
SipX will connect the user who owns the extension the user just entered to the phone the user used
Phone gets SIP notify to retrieve the new settings
Depending if the phone supports hotprovisioning or not, the phone might reboot or the changes will be applied without reboot

Some extra info:

Logging out can be done by dailing the same *11 extionsion. This will ask the user if they're sure, if # is pressed the phone will logout. This is done to make sure users don't log out by accident, which might be annoying, see the next point
Some phones will reboot after retrieving new settings, some won't. Rebooting is not a problem when no PC is connected to the phone, if there is, network is lost for some time, which may not be good enough
When the user only enters *11 and then dial, an IVR will asks them politely to enter their extension and press the # key. ? After that the pincode thing will be asked
We only use Freeswitch for the audio things
Some of the steps can be skipped, like pincode and confirmation. See configuration documentation for more details.
One other thing; there also will be a permission, to allow some phones not to logout. This is good for elevator and conference room phones.

How does it work:

There's a new feature in the features menu; hotdesking. In this menu you can choose the * code to use. Default it's *11
There's a new permission hotdesking (default disabled)
Wav files are included in English
It works for all phones, but in order to apply changes to the phone without rebooting the phone should support implement Hotprovisionable interface located in sipXhotprovisioning
When a company needs to be rolled out, a list of users is imported. All users get this phone: ~~in~HD
This user will be created automatically. This user cannot be called
When the phone starts up it will get this ~~in~HD user. In the GUI one can define what the phone should display in such a case. Company name for example or 'Call *11 to login'...
The ~~in~HD user has no permissions, only hotdesking. So it can only call internally. Or maybe 911, see configurtion documentation
The user dials *11. He/she gets an IVR which will ask the user: 1. Login on this phone. 2. Login on this phone and logout all other phones with the user you're logging in with. After pressing one of those options the user will be asked for an extension. If entered the user will be asked for pin. If the last step is correct.
Conformation will be asked (choose one)
The phone (and all phones that should logout in case of option 2) will get a SIP notify
Phones will download new configuration and reboot. Most phones will reboot, unless hotprovisioning is supported.

Extras

Auto select

When an IVR menu contains MULTIPLE menu items, the prompts are played to the user.

But when the IVR menu only contains ONE menu item, it is automatically chosen to speedup the IVR.

This feature increases usability tremendously.

Warning: When recording new IVR prompts, be aware of this feature.

Quick login *11xxx

Another feature to increase usability is the quicklogin. This allows users to login without using the IVR. By *11[extension] the user is logged in direct, without using the IVR.

Note: Wen an other user is active on the phone, this user will be logged off.