Extension versus User

Within Manager, there are configuration forms for both extensions and users. The following paragraphs discuss the relationship between the two within Manager and the IP Office control units.

Extensions refer to physical telephone ports, their characteristics and connection. The Manager configuration tree displays the list of physical extensions available on the system.

Users are the people who use the system and Dial In users for data access. A system user does not have to have an extension number that physically exists - this can be useful if the user does not require their own extension but does require to use other system features such as voicemail, call forwarding, etc.

By default, each Extension is associated with a User. The User Name is used to identify the caller in the display of suitable phones and PC programs. These User Names can be changed via the User configuration form.

Physical extensions are associated with an extension number through their Extension form. A user is associated to that extension, by setting that extension number in their User form.

Note that changing a user's extension number affects the user's ability to collect Voicemail messages from their own extension. Each user's extension is set up as a "trusted location" under the Source Numbers tab of the User configuration form. This "trusted location" allows the user to dial *17 to collect Voicemail from his own extension. Therefore if the extension number is changed so must the "trusted location".