Make VoIP phone call from Outlook

[Business Guy]

Has anyone figured out how to make a VoIP phone call from Outlook Contacts or
Business Contact Manager on a laptop? What do you need to install and how do
you set things up?

 

[Lon Orenstein]

I'm using RingCentral right now and it works great with Outlook contacts and
so-so with BCM. I'm working with them to integrate it better... Cool
service!

On most laptops, you just need a headset (either cheap that plugs into the
sound ports, or more expensive USB ones), and some VoIP software that links
to a service. The service you select will determine which VoIP software is
compatible and that will determine which set of contacts you can use. Almost
all of them work with Outlook and none that I've found will work directly
with BCM. eyeBeam is a real good softphone for VoIP from
www.counterpath.com.

HTH,
Lon


___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

 

[mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com]

Lon,

Would you recommend RingCentral over anything else? I am looking for a good
800# option that I can forward out to a mobile line when needed.

-THP

 

[Lon Orenstein]

I don't know if I'd say "anything else" because I've only studied 227 other
services and subscribed to 25 of them, BUT...

Since 1995 (when ACT! first developed their TAPI interface at the TAPI
Bake-Off), I've stayed on top of the telephony market, VoIP in particular,
and have had many different options from many different providers. The
RingCentral guys have a long history of doing this and have developed a
fabulous platform for small to medium sized businesses. You can use regular
phones or VoIP which makes it real flexible, especially for businesses where
people are working from different places and are mobile. Here are a couple
of reviews that say it in more detail:

http://microsoftstartupzone.com/blo...pling-voip-brings-significant-advantages.aspx

http://small-business-phone.com/?p=4

HTH,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

 

[mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com]

Thanks Lon,

We might just have a winner here! More research to be done over the weekend.

-THP

I don't know if I'd say "anything else" because I've only studied 227 other
services and subscribed to 25 of them, BUT...

Since 1995 (when ACT! first developed their TAPI interface at the TAPI
Bake-Off), I've stayed on top of the telephony market, VoIP in particular,
and have had many different options from many different providers. The
RingCentral guys have a long history of doing this and have developed a
fabulous platform for small to medium sized businesses. You can use regular
phones or VoIP which makes it real flexible, especially for businesses where
people are working from different places and are mobile. Here are a couple
of reviews that say it in more detail:

http://microsoftstartupzone.com/blo...pling-voip-brings-significant-advantages.aspx

http://small-business-phone.com/?p=4

HTH,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

Lon,

[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]