Basic Cisco IP Phone Features

Dennis Hartmann, Global Knowledge Instructor, CCIE No. 15651, CCVP, CCSI, CCNP, CCOP, MCSE

Softkeys represent features available to the phone while in a call state. An idle phone is in the "on hook" call state because the handset is on the cradle holding the phone hook down. When the handset is lifted, the phone is in the "off hook" state. If the phone is in an existing call, the phone is in the connected call state. The CUCM call states are as follows:

• On Hook
• Connected
• On Hold
• Ring In
• Off Hook
• Connected Transfer
• Digits After First
• Connected Conference
• Ring Out
• Off Hook with Feature
• Remote In Use
• Connected No Feature

Default On Hook Softkeys

The on hook call state has many available softkey features, but only three are enabled by default. The default softkeys in CUCM 6.1(1) include Redial, NewCall, and Call Forward All (CfwdAll). Pressing the redial softkey will dial the last attempted phone call using the speaker phone. The NewCall softkey will take the phone off hook with the speakerphone active.

The CfwdAll button will allow the user to enter a call forwarding destination for all calls destined to the Cisco IP phone. If the company uses 9 as an access code for outside calls, remind the users of the system to include the 9 for all external PSTN call forwarding (e.g., cell phone). Call forwarding can be restricted by configuring a calling search space on the CfwdAll settings of the directory number. Calling search spaces applied to the call forwarding options of the directory number will override the line and device calling search space configurations on the phone. The line/device calling search space (CSS) is applicable only to the call forward all (CFA) call forwarding option. All other call forwarding options use the traditional calling search space methodology. CUCM versions prior to 5.0 do not include a line CSS configuration item for the CFA option.

Callback

The first unselected softkey in the off hook call state is the CallBack softkey. The CallBack softkey is a feature that allows the calling party to initiate a CUCM monitor of the called party's line state. The callback feature can be used after an unsuccessful call where Call Forward Busy (CFB) does not forward the call to voicemail. The calling party presses the CallBack softkey initiating CUCM to monitor the called party's phone. When there is a state transition (on hook or off hook), the calling party's phone rings back with LCD display information of the called party. If the calling party picks up the phone, the called party's phone begins ringing. CallBack requires the Cisco Extended Service to be running on CUCM. This feature is not effective when call forward busy conditions are forwarded to the subscriber's voicemail greeting.

Call Transfer

Another unselected softkey in the on hook call state is the Direct Transfer (DirTrfr) softkey. This softkey is used to transfer two active calls when you are on multiple lines of a phone, and you would like to connect the two calls without being part of the conversation. Without this feature, one would need to coordinate a new phone call between the recipients by bouncing between the two phone calls. Click the DirTrfr button while one of the calls is active, then highlight the other call using the rocker panel of the phone and then click the DirTrfr softkey again.

Call Pickup Options

Another unselected softkey in the on hook call state is the Group Pickup (GPickUp) softkey. Group pickup is a variant of call pickup, and CUCM has three call pickup options: call pickup, group call pickup, and other pickup. The pickup softkey will allow a user of a Cisco IP Phone to pick up a ringing phone within the same pickup group at their phone.

For example, in an organization with six members of an IT support help desk, all six IT help desk member's directory numbers can be put into the same pickup group. If a member of the IT help desk group walked away from their phone, another member of the group could redirect an incoming call to their phone by choosing the pickup softkey.

To do this, a call pickup group needs to be configured in CUCM administration (Call Routing > Call Pickup Group). Click the Add New button. Create a name and number for the pickup group. This number does not need to follow your internal dial plan and does not need to be in the direct inward dialing (DID) range the company purchased from the PSTN provider. The call pickup group number is never dialed directly. The call pickup number provides a mechanism to relate phone directory numbers into a group to provide coverage for people who have temporarily left their desk. Click Save.

The call pickup number can be applied to the directory numbers of the six phones in the IT help desk. Navigate to the directory number configuration page (Call Routing > Directory Number). Choose your phone search criteria and click Find. Choose the call pickup group from the Call Pickup Group drop down menu. Click Save and then Reset. The call pickup key is enabled in the off hook call state by default.

For example, White Pine Communications has segregated support resources within their IT group. Four of the six group members will support CUCM and Cisco IP Phones, while two of the members will specialize in supporting Cisco Unity voicemail (VM), automated attendant (AA), and Unified Messaging (UM). Two call pickup groups will be configured to relate the directory numbers of CUCM and Unity support members. Group pickup will be utilized to answer calls across multiple call pickup groups.

Group call pickup does not require additional configuration in CUCM. The end users who will use the system must know the pickup group numbers that need to be dialed when a phone is ringing in a different pickup group. Use different ringers in each call pickup group so the end users can audibly differentiate call pickup groups. If an idle user in the CUCM support group hears a ringing phone in the Unity group, she can click the GPickup softkey and dial the pickup group number of the Unity support group.
Pickup allows pickup groups to be related to each other. This eliminates a lot of end user training and memorization of pickup group numbers. In our example, the CUCM administrator would relate the Unity pickup group number to the CUCM pickup group and vice-versa. The end users can then pick up calls to any pickup group using the Pickup key option.

This is just a sampling of the IP phone features available in CUCM via softkeys. For more, please download our Cisco IP Phone Features white paper.