Common area phones in Lync Server 2013
Topic Last Modified: 2013-02-20
Common area phones are IP phones that are not associated with an individual user. Instead of being located in someone’s office, common area phones are typically located in building lobbies, cafeterias, employee lounges, meeting rooms, and other locations where a large number of people are likely to gather. Unlike other phones in Lync Server, which are typically maintained by using voice policies and dial plans that are assigned to individual users, common area phones do not have individual users assigned to them. This means that they must be managed differently than your other phones.
To manage common area phones, you create Active Directory Domain Services contact objects for all your common area phones that, like user accounts, can be assigned policies and voice plans. This approach enables you to maintain control over common area phones, even though those phones are not associated with an individual user.
Use the topics in this section to learn how to create contact objects for common area phones, modify and delete them, and configure and view configuration information about the common area phones in your deployment.
Note
You have three options for common area phones: the Aastra 6721ip common area phone, the HP 4110 IP Phone, and the Polycom CX500 IP common area phone. The Polycom CX3000 IP conferencing phone is another variant common area phone. However, it is intended for use in conference rooms. For details about common area phones, see the Common Area Phones section of Choosing New Devices.
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