[snip] > > as well as the software, while the Polycoms can be > > centrally managed via TFTP/FTP/HTTP/HTTPS, etc. > > You mean: getting close to almost barely good enough to be as > managable as a local software?
No, I mean, if I have 50 extensions, I can create one config file, arrange it however I need on the server, and manage the 50 phones from my desk via ssh, etc. With softphones, I will have to get up and walk to each desk to change settings if I need to. > Unless your OS has a really really high TCO to manage, those > hardware phones are much more of a pain at that point. Again, I think this is true if you have 1-5 phones, but if you have 50+, I think not! This isn't even considering that you might have phones in remote locations, such as one of our branch ofices that is 3+ hours away. Central phone config means that I can make a change at 8:00PM and all of my users will have received it when the offices open in the AM, but softphones means I would have to remind everyone to leave their PCs on so I could remotely change the software config via VNC, and I don't evenknow if I would have to worry about user profiles having different settings, which would introduce another level of complexity. Of course, I could then set up centrally managed PCs, a la LTSP, but that's more of an undertaking than most want! [snip] > > >I agree, your boss will judge the system based on is > experience with > > >it. So don't skim on the quality if you want to keep him happy. > > > > This is why I think that it is worth the extra $50 or so for the > > cheaper hardphones. > > OTOH, there is the false logic that "just because you didn't > pay enough for it, means its quality is low". For instance, > on typical mainframe > installation, people spend much more on basically the same > thing. This is because they've already payed the 1,000,000$ > for the system, and are used to pay a bit more for accesories. Agreed, the "you get what you pay for" statement isn't always true, but I think it is, at least for most business situations, especially those with lower-tech workers (ie: not Power-users who will learn the special key shorcuts, etc.) [snip] > Summary: I'm not sure soft phones are there yet, but I > suspect they will be "good enough" for more and more people. I have to agree with you here, but I also think we'll have to agree to disagree on other points! Basically, it all depends on your situation, but for me, and I think that for most business users, small, medium, or large, the reasonable minor additional cost of a hardphone will be worth it. Tom _______________________________________________ Asterisk-Users mailing list [email protected] http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
