[cisco-voip] overhead paging vs ip phones

[Scot Gossen]

I have installed both the Berbee app discussed below as well as Syn-apps's SA-Announce (www.syn-apps.net) and both are good products, but I would recommend the syn-apps product over Berbee. I haven't used Berbee in a while so i have to admit that i can't compare "apples to apples" - Berbee has probably improved, but from my experience syn-apps is easier to manage and more flexible. You can do paging, intercom (they call it "hoot 'n' holler" - horrible name - great function), and you can even send text messages to the phones. As with Berbee, you can page over phones and/or overhead speakers (both at once if you wish). You can also secure (pin code) the functions as well. Plus, from my experience, Syn-apps has great tech support. You can download the 30 day demo, call support, and they will walk you thru the install and config for free. If you like it, purchase the license, if not, scrap it. 

(BTW: i'm not involved in nor do I own stock in Syn-apps - just a satisfied end user.)

-Go0se

Jeffrey Ollie <jeff at ocjtech.us> wrote: On 2/26/08, Lelio Fulgenzi  wrote:
>
> I'm just wondering what people think about overhead paging. I know it's old
> school, but I like it's independance from the phone/network system in the
> event of an emergency. Plus, it's much cheaper considering the phones you
> have to buy and licence and the paging software you have to buy/licence as
> well. Granted it gives you two way communication if you need it and you can
> use the phone for other things as well, but in a tight budget situation, I'm
> thinking over head paging is the way to go.

In our case, we chose to install a Berbee InformaCast system that will
be broadcasting to both IP phones and IP-enabled overhead speakers.
We're installing the overhead speakers to cover areas where there are
no phones installed nearby.  I don't know where the cost breakdowns
are, but we already had IP phones with speakers so we added just
enough IP speakers to cover the additional areas.  Plus using
something like InformaCast allows us to initiate broadcasts from
almost anywhere.

> I'm also guessing a real speaker is going to be louder and clearer than an
> IP phone speaker.

Atlas Sound makes a device that allows you to hook up a standard
speaker/amplifier to a Berbee InformaCast system.  I'd provide a
direct link to their web site but it seems to be having problems.

As far as being louder, sure - the IP phones have relatively small
speakers and amplifiers built into them.  As far as quality goes
that's debatable... You have the same quality audio going to both the
IP phones and the external speakers.

Jeff
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