Tech

Traditional PBX phones featured buttons with LED indicators for various functions, often labeled manually. In the SIP world, vendor-specific implementations and limited standards, like the "dialog" standard for BLF, dictate functionality. While BLF allows LED control, actual button behavior relies on provisioning. The Vodia PBX extends button provisioning beyond snom to Polycom and Yealink phones, simplifying setup while maintaining functionality. For Polycom, this even enables park orbits, allowing users to park and retrieve calls easily. Though not identical to legacy PBX experiences, these enhancements significantly improve usability and streamline operations for modern VoIP systems.

Tech

SIP's human-readable format, unlike H.323, allows easier understanding of the communication between clients and servers, though not everyone can interpret the details without understanding the specific RFCs. This clarity helps when troubleshooting issues, especially when reviewing SIP logs. In multi-domain environments, however, finding relevant messages can be challenging, especially when filtering by IP only works at the system level. The upcoming version 5.0.11 will address this by allowing domain administrators to access SIP logs, making it easier to diagnose issues in isolated environments independent of other system traffic. This update promises significant improvements.

Editorial

Passwords remain a crucial vulnerability despite the best security measures. Even with technologies like TLS, SRTP, and certificates securing phone calls, weak passwords still expose systems to attacks. Hackers use automated scanners to find open SIP ports and exploit weak passwords. To address this, snom ONE 5.0.9 now highlights accounts with weak passwords and shows what's vulnerable. While the system can generate secure passwords, administrators must avoid “No Security” settings to prevent exposure. Implementing strong password policies is a key defense against unauthorized access and potential system misuse.

Tech

With the release of Internet Explorer 10, users can now access real-time notifications through WebSocket support, a feature introduced in snom ONE version 5.0.6. This allows the user portal to display extension availability, turning it into a web-based attendant console that doesn’t require additional software. As long as the user has a recent web browser, including IE10, users can access the attendant console from various devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones that support WebSocket. While the console’s current design may be basic, it will evolve with more features and enhanced functionality in the future.

Editorial

snom ONE allows extensive customization of web pages, emails, and device configurations, making it easy for customers to adjust content through the web interface. This feature is particularly useful for multi-tenant setups, as content can be tailored for different users based on their roles. Customization comes with challenges, however, especially during software upgrades. Changes made to templates, provisioning files or translations can be overwritten by new updates, causing issues in the system. To avoid problems, users must review and adjust their customizations after each upgrade, ensuring any unnecessary changes are removed and that everything works seamlessly.

Editorial

snom ONE has supported IPv6 since the early days of PBXnsip, and while we're still waiting for service providers to fully embrace IPv6, there are more practical issues to address. One of the challenges is the handling of DNS records for IPv4 and IPv6 (A and AAAA). As more services add AAAA records, the problem arises when clients without IPv6 connectivity still receive those records, which leads to connection issues. A recent example was Gmail, where the snom ONE email client stopped working. The solution was to prioritize IPv4 records first, though this workaround isn't a permanent fix, as IPv4 will eventually become obsolete.

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TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) has been a staple in connecting user programs with telephony hardware, evolving from physical devices to virtual software solutions. Widely adopted by the PBX industry, snom ONE also provides a TAPI service provider (TSP), with the latest version offering enhanced functionality. The new TSP supports both incoming and outgoing calls, including automatic call clearing even before the phone is picked up. It also includes a reconnection feature for lost connections, addressing internet reliability issues. Available for both 32 and 64-bit systems, users should ensure they install the correct version for their operating system.

Tech

With snom ONE, staying connected during unexpected events like a snow day is simple. By setting up your cell phone or landline number to your snom ONE extension, you can easily forward calls to an auto attendant, hunt group, or agent group. This setup requires designating at least one user to activate the feature. Once enabled, users can forward calls and activate night mode remotely by dialing *80 from their phone. Additionally, the system allows you to change the main greeting to inform callers of special events like snow days, ensuring seamless communication even from home.

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With snom ONE expanding into the cloud, the need for multiple administrators became evident. The new system now includes three distinct roles: the "super administrator," who retains full control over the PBX; the "system administrator," who shares many privileges but cannot alter super administrator accounts; and the "domain administrator," who manages specific domains without impacting account licenses. This new structure eliminates the need for sacrificing accounts for administrative purposes, and it clarifies roles. Additionally, the "login as" option has been removed, making it clear which role each user has within the system.

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The auto attendant is a valuable feature, one that's replaced switchboard operators in many businesses, particularly where cost efficiency and technological advances are key. In version 5.0.4, this feature has been enhanced to offer a more streamlined user experience. The "start" trigger now automatically initiates dial-by-name mode, allowing callers to search for names immediately without selecting options. The new release also includes direct destination options and the ability to disconnect calls after a set period of inactivity, particularly useful for analog lines. Additionally, the system can now include a user’s cell phone in the dial-by-name mode without the caller being aware.

Editorial

The addition of the snom 710 to the 700-series has significantly enhanced deployment flexibility, especially with our version 5.0.3 improvements. One key change is the automatic device button profile assignment, which eliminates manual configuration and saves time by allowing the PBX to pick the right profile when provisioning devices. This simplifies deployments and ensures phone features are fully utilized. The update also customizes hard key provisioning per device, improving functionality. And the new PBX discovery method using snom XML RPC server streamlines setup, especially for hosted PBX and private cloud users, saving time on troubleshooting and device resets.

Announcement

This article discusses the release of version 5.0.1 of the snom ONE PBX, highlighting fixes and improvements made following the 5.0.0 release. Users who installed version 5.0.0 can now easily upgrade through the web interface by inputting a simple XML link. One of the major issues with 5.0.0 was a JavaScript error preventing administrators from changing PINs for extensions, especially when Microsoft Lync was not enabled. This article also addresses the template error for fax messages, which had been left empty in the build process. Additionally, improvements were made to the Microsoft Lync presence update, with a more efficient DNS lookup for easier setup. Although snom ONE is working on integrating Office 365 Lync presence features, this will probably be included in the upcoming version 5.1.