Virtual Devices

[PitzKey]

Hello,

I see that there’s a new feature added to the extensions, called Virtual Virtual Devices, which, from what I understand, it allows you to create an extension and “attach” a virtual device, thus, allowing you to set an external phone number in this section.

So here’s two questions:

1. What is it different from what we were able to do until now when creating an extension with no device attached and used FollowMe with an external number?
2. When entering a number, I see that it sets the following in the Asterisk Database:

[root@pbx1 ~]# asterisk -x"database show <tenantID>/extensions/1234/dial"
/<tenantID>/extensions/124/dial          : Local/18884440000@cos-all

Shouldn’t this rather be a custom dial string? So we can specify our own custom stuff.

For example, so we are able to set something like:

Or any SIP URI:

SIP/whatever/foo

Or:

SIP/Foo/Bar&PJSIP/1234@MyTrunk

Thanks

[miguel]

Our idea is to allow using the Virtual Device as static agents with External Numbers instead of creating hot desking extensions with Diversions.

[PitzKey]

The problem with that is, that usually, if you have external numbers in a queue, you’d want to have call confirmation (press 1 to accept this call) enabled, so the callers do not end up to the external number’s personal voicemail.

If you allow putting there any string, you gain that we can put custom dial strings AND that anyone who wants to put an external number can put a local channel, like local/18880004444@cos-all
That way you can do both…

[miguel]

What you are proposing is almost the same. even if you are allowed to place a custom string, the confirmation wouldn’t be there.

[PitzKey]

@miguel

even if you are allowed to place a custom string, the confirmation wouldn’t be there.

True.

1. We can send it to a custom context tho, that handles the confirmation.
2. The idea is, that if you allow adding a custom dial string, you can accomplish what you can currently do, PLUS many more things, like mentioned above.

[miguel]

Sorry, that’s not the intention of the feature.

Remember in queues you can define how long the agent will ring, so if you set up the ring time to 15 seconds, the call will never reach the agent voicemail.

[PitzKey]

@miguel

Remember in queues you can define how long the agent will ring, so if you set up the ring time to 15 seconds, the call will never reach the agent voicemail.

That is true if the person’s phone is powered on. However, if their phone is powered off, or of they rejected the call, then we are back to square one.

In short:

1. Queue calls with external numbers are not reliable is we don’t use call confirmation.
2. I think we will all appreciate if this section can be replaced with a custom dial string section. (Which again, that will not remove any functionalities, it will only enable more!)