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The HP Community is where owners of HP products, like you, volunteer to help each other find solutions.
HP Recommended

I am new to Polycom, having just received my first Polycom phone to replace an Aastra 6755i.  In the day that I have had it, the 550 is frustrating me to the limit.  The support documentation and manuals I have accessed have been terrible, so I am hoping someone can assist.  Several questions:

 

1 - Is it possible to add a dialing delay to numbers that have been saved in the directory?  For instance, for calling cards, bypassing autoattendants, etc., it is useful to enter a delay that will allow additional numbers to be automatically dialed.  On every other system I have used, this is accomplished by inserting commas (e.g., 2015551212,,,2,,3) to create delays followed by other keys.  My phone rejects the commas.  Is there another way?

 

2 - Is there a simple way to get into my phone book?  As it stands, I must hit the Directories button, then the Select key, then either scroll forever OR tap the More button and then the Search button, then type letters, then hit the Search button.  If I type 2 letters into the search screen, that is SEVEN buttons that must be pressed to find a contact.  Please tell me that there is an easier way!

 

3 - When I create a conference call, how do I drop ONE caller?  I know I can SPLIT a call that has been conference.  But after doing so, there is no button to End Call that shows up when you highlight the split call.  And splitting puts both calls on hold.  How do I end one without leaving the conference. 

 

4 - If I want to assign two or three phone numbers to one contact (e.g., home, cell, work), do I need to create THREE separate contacts, rather than one contact with 3 numbers?

 

The 550 has some advantages in the way it elegantly handles my Plantronics headset and has a larger screen.  But in every other way I am soooo frustrated with this phone and wishing I could get my Aastra back.  I hope someone can provide me with some info that will help me love this new phone.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Merk

8 REPLIES 8
HP Recommended

Hello Merk,

welcome to the Polycom Community.

 

  • Question 1

    I am not aware of a way in the directory. You can use a Softkey for example as shown in the 
    community's VoIP FAQ contains this post here:

    Nov 25, 2011 Question: How can I change the functionality of a softkey button?

    Resolution: Please check => here <=

  • Question 2

    Again the quoted VoIP FAQ post above or this post here:

    Nov 4, 2011 Question: How can I change the functionality of an Hardware Button?

    Resolution: Please check => here <=

 

  • Question 3

    Not knowing the Software version you are running it will be difficult to answer that correctly. Using UCS 4.0.4 for example a manage softkey should appear. Please ensure you are running the latest supported software and re-test.

    Oct 7, 2011 Question: What SIP or UC Software Version or BootROM Version is supported by my Phone?

    Resolution: Please check => here <=

 

  • Question 4

    Not supported. You have 1 entry per contact only . The only workaround is using an LDAP server.

    Jan 30, 2012 Question: Can I use a central Phone book or is LDAP / Corporate Directory supported?

    Resolution: Please check => here <=

 

Please ensure to provide some feedback if this reply has helped you so other users can profit from your experience.


Best Regards

Steffen Baier

Polycom Global Services

------------------------------------------------
Notice: I am an HP Poly employee but all replies within the community are done as a volunteer outside of my day role. This community forum is not an official HP Poly support resource, thus responses from HP Poly employees, partners, and customers alike are best-effort in attempts to share learned knowledge.
If you need immediate and/or official assistance for former Poly\Plantronics\Polycom please open a service ticket through your support channels
For HP products please check HP Support.

Please also ensure you always check the General VoIP , Video Endpoint , UC Platform (Microsoft) , PSTN
HP Recommended

Steffen,

 

Thank you for your answers.  Unfortunately, the FAQ links you provided are way above my head.  I could not make heads or tails of the programming required to do what was listed there.  I am just an end-user, not an IT guy, and am looking for simple solutions using the Menu features on the phone or available via the online user interface.  To me, the technical nature of the materials you referenced highlight how inflexible and feature-less this phone is.  All of these functions were easily accessible on every prior desk phone I have owned over the past 15 years. 

 

Question 1 - Adding Time Delays to Saved Directory Entries - I am amazed that the Polycom 550 cannot do this as a routine matter.  Adding pauses to dialing strings must be a standard feature. 

 

Question 3 - Dropping One Conference Participant - I am using software version 4.0.3.7562.  Does that help?  Is there a more robust version of the software that I can install which will provided improved functionality?

 

I truly appreciate your help but am flabbergasted at the lack of basic functionality provided by this phone.  Add in the difficult to navigate menus and it makes me wonder why users were not consulted in its design. Thanks again for your help. 

 

Merk

 

 

HP Recommended

Hello Merk,

 

as already explained for question 1, as far as I am aware, this is not a feature our current customer base has seen the need for yet.

 

For question 2, UCS 4.0.4 is the latest Version but older versions already had this functionality.

 

Whilst in a conference calls:

 

image

 

when Manage has been pressed:

 

image

 

This is how our phones are designed and work.

 

Any changes would need to be requested via a feature request as explained in the FAQ.

 

Our Partners and customers that have millions of these phones in the field are very familiar with our vast feature set and you may need to consult your Polycom reseller and / or Polycom support if you require any additional help.

 

Best Regards

 

Steffen Baier

------------------------------------------------
Notice: I am an HP Poly employee but all replies within the community are done as a volunteer outside of my day role. This community forum is not an official HP Poly support resource, thus responses from HP Poly employees, partners, and customers alike are best-effort in attempts to share learned knowledge.
If you need immediate and/or official assistance for former Poly\Plantronics\Polycom please open a service ticket through your support channels
For HP products please check HP Support.

Please also ensure you always check the General VoIP , Video Endpoint , UC Platform (Microsoft) , PSTN
HP Recommended

Steffen,

 

Thanks again.  As to the conferencing issue, I do not see the screens that you sent.  When I am in conference, I don't see Manage. 

 

The only buttons that appear are Hold, End Call and Split.  If I touch Split (which places each conferenced call on hold separately), the butons change to Resume, New Call, Transfer and Conference.  If I then hit Resume, I am connected to the highlighted  call and the buttons change allowing me to End Call.  But in order to drop a caller and connect to the remaining call, I must navigate no less than 5 different screens/menus.  

 

If there is a way to restore the Manage softkey, please let me know.  Thank you.

 

Merk 

HP Recommended

Steffen,

 

Another question . . . is there a way to sort the Contact Directory?  Mine is in a hodgepodge order and I cannot tell how it is sorted.  But it would be great if I could locate the option to sort by last name or even first name.

 

Thanks.

HP Recommended

And another . . . when I am trying add a caller to a conference call, the only way I can see to do it is by using the dialpad.  Is there no way to add call using the Contact Directory?

 

Sorry to bombard you but the issues keep popping up.

 

Merk

HP Recommended

Hello Merk,

 

in regards to your follow up comment on how to manage the conference.

 

My phone is running a factory default installation with very little changes. I am unaware who setup your phone and what options they may have disabled. You would need to check this on your end.

 

In regards to the sort order of the local directory, this is by first name.

 

The Search functionality can be changed from First to Last name via a configuration parameter. The Admin Guide 4.0.1 has more details on this.

 

In regards of adding a contact from the directory either into a conference or when transferring the call.

 

This is simply archived by selecting the Directories Hardkey, selecting the contact directory and then selecting the contact and pressing the Dial softkey.

 

I would suggest you work with your Polycom reseller after consulting the various user guides if you have any more follow up questions.

 

Best Regards

 

Steffen Baier

------------------------------------------------
Notice: I am an HP Poly employee but all replies within the community are done as a volunteer outside of my day role. This community forum is not an official HP Poly support resource, thus responses from HP Poly employees, partners, and customers alike are best-effort in attempts to share learned knowledge.
If you need immediate and/or official assistance for former Poly\Plantronics\Polycom please open a service ticket through your support channels
For HP products please check HP Support.

Please also ensure you always check the General VoIP , Video Endpoint , UC Platform (Microsoft) , PSTN
HP Recommended

I appreciate you help in guiding me through my Polycom experience.  However, after using this phone for a few weeks, I decided that it's UI is simply insufficient for my needs.  Although I still prefer Aastra's interface, I have switched to a Cisco SPA504G and find that the options I was seeking are present. 

 

I hope this feedback helps Polycom to improve its offerings.

 

Thanks again for your help.

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.