Hotdesking

The hotdesking features of the Avaya IP office 500 system allow you to log on at any phone and that phone will then take on the features of your phone including your extension number, any call forwarding options or pickup group settings. This can be especially useful if you sometimes work at a different location or in fact don’t have one fixed workspace. In order for you to be able to use this feature and log in to a phone you need to get your system administrator to assign you a login code.

Setting a Log in code

System Administrators: To configure a login code for a user open up the IP Office Administrator console and find the user. Click on the Telephony tab and then select the “Supervisor Settings” sub tab. Enter a login code. OK this change and save the configuration. This change can be merged into the running config – no need for a reboot. You will notice a little key icon now appear next to the user to show that they need to enter a code to log on.

Logging into your phone

When you log in to a phone you take control of that phone and the person who was previously using that phone will not now receive calls on it. Their calls will be treated as busy. You can only be logged into one phone at a time so that if you log into a phone and you were already logged in elsewhere you will be logged out of your previous location. If you want to have calls ring on your usual phone and another phone you would be better using the call forward option or the follow me option.

Logging in to an Avaya 1608 handset is very easy. Press the button under the option that says “Features” on the display and scroll down until you get to “phone user”. Press OK and then scroll down to the login option. Press the “Select” button and you will be prompted to enter your extension number and password. When you have finished using the phone the logout process is very similar. Press the Features button and again select “phone user” and then go to the logout option and you’re done. When you log out of the new phone you will be automatically logged into your default location. If you don’t want this to happen then you can get your system administrator to configure the “forced login” option thereby if you don’t specifically log in to a phone you will be treated as not logged in and all calls to you will be treated as busy.

Forwarding Calls

There are also another couple of options to route calls to another handset. You have the option to forward calls. This can be forward on busy / no answer or unconditional forwarding where all calls get forwarded to another phone. Go to Features > Forward and then scroll down to whichever forwarding option you want.

A useful feature if you are already at another location is the Follow me here option. Again go into the Forward option on the handset and scroll down until you get to the Follow me here and press OK. Enter your usual extension number and all calls will be routed to this phone.

These are a few of the very easy ways you can leverage the Avaya IP Office system if you work in multiple locations in the organisation.