Users can choose from two phones, the Polycom VVX411 and the Polycom VVX601. The Polycom IP6000 is the conference phone on offer and supported by U of T Telecommunications. Descriptions are below.
Note that the phones that connect to the Bell phone lines are not compatible with VoIP systems, and so, when migrating to VoIP, you will have to purchase new phones if you need them.
Polycom VVX 411 The VVX 411 is a full-colour, 12-lined, business media phone built for today’s busy office workers and call attendants who need a crystal-clear communications tool. The Polycom VVX 411 is a cost-effective and high-quality unified communications solution that will handle mid-to-moderate call volumes with the most advanced telephony features. | Polycom VVX 601 The Polycom VVX 601 media phone was created for today’s busy managers and knowledge-based workers. It is an intuitive and powerful handset that can keep up with your multitasking and diverse call handling. Aimed to cater to a wide range of unified communications environments, the VVX 601 drastically improves efficiency through the touch-screen interface and supports expansion modules for applications, such as personal video conferencing and wireless networking. | Polycom IP 6000 The Polycom SoundStation IP 6000 is a SIP-based, next-generation IP conference phone designed to deliver superior performance for small to midsize rooms. With advanced features, broad SIP interoperability, and remarkable voice quality, the SoundStation IP 6000 offers a price/ performance breakthrough for SIP-enabled IP environments. |
Please contact voipservices@utoronto.ca for more information or to order.
Remember: a physical phone may not be necessary when using the VoIP system
Anyone who works at a computer for much of the day may work just as efficiently, and perhaps more productively, without a physical phone. A desktop application (included with a VoIP license) and a headset, along with the mouse or keyboard for clicking numbers to make calls or buttons to take calls, allow for a very comfortable user experience.
If someone just can’t get used to working without a physical phone, one can always be added one later. There are no charges in addition to the cost of the phone if you add a phone at a later date.
There are some instances when a physical phone is necessary:
- When several users share a phone. This scenario is common in research areas, where there is one phone to which several people, each with their own computer, have access. Because the one phone account cannot appear on more than one person’s computer, it would need to be a physical phone that the users use, rather than the desktop application
- When someone regularly answers the phone for another person, such as an assistant for a director.