asked on

Single IP phone that integraes with Outlook or Exchange.

I work from home and would like to drop my phone line. I would like to get an IP phone service and phone that will integrate with Outlook. I don't need a big phone system, just one phone. If possible I would like to have a few cordless phones as well but these do not need to integrate with Outlook.

Reid Palmeira

In most cases, it's not the actual IP phone itself, but the service provider that will have to integrate with outlook.

Can you be a bit more specific about how you want it to integrate? are you looking for click to dial features? recieve voicemails to your inbox? import/export address book? what specifically are you looking to integrate with outlook?

LanMan6401

ASKER

I wasn't even sure were to start. I work from my home office. I want to drop my POTS line and get a VoIP line. My cable company offers a service and of course there is other third party options like Skype and Vonage. I do everything from Outlook which is connected to Exchange 2k3. I would like a desktop phone that can tie into Outlook for phone numbers. I've seen some applications that make a "call with ip phone" button within Outlook. That would be nice. If I could search my contacts from the IP phone, that would be good to. I would like to setup some speed dials, if I could pull that info from outlook as well.

I like the features and look of the Cisco VoIP phones but I don't think they will work with the services that are cheap and easily available to me. I'm willing to spend a few hundred on a desktop phone and hundred or less on the cordless phones.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

kode99

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LanMan6401

ASKER

Ok, this gets me started. I'll call my local cable company and see how that service supposedly works.

Thanks!

Reid Palmeira

when you check with your cable company, also keep in mind that most of them will have specific hardware that they provide with the service, usually something like a cable modem with a build in ATA (analog telephone adapater like Kode99 mentions above), so they may not be able to provide you with services for the IP phone of your choice. There are two ways that service is typically provided, most cable companies and other LECs (local exchange carriers, phone companies) will provide voip services where you either plug in your regular analog phone or hosted services where they provide you the IP phone and all the services so you don't really get your choice of phone. Ask them what's available since it differs from provider to provider.

As already mentioned, most of the outlook dialers tie into an IP PBX system so you may be stuck there. Kind of depends on what types of service you can get.