Ways to make dual-line phones behave more like a key system set?

[ambleside]

I thought I saw a post on this before but maybe it was a mirage - I looked. It basically explained how to use call blast and a virtual phone with monitoring to make a line that could allow anyone to handle multiple in-bound calls.

Which buttons and line appearences don't count against the two call limit on a dual line phone? 

For instance, If call 1 and call 2 are joined in an ad-hoc conference, call 3 goes to vm but if they are both transfered to a meet me spot, then it's only one call at the station, correct?

Same for hold vs. Park - if the call is put on hold, it's still being handled by the phone but if it's parked and recalled, its no longer handled.

In a small office without a receptionist, I'd like everyone to be able to pickup everyone elses calls.  Basically visibility + directed pickup.  I have sidecars for everyones phones (SPA525's) already.  Ideas? Guidelines? Pointers to that phantom post I'm imagining?

[ambleside]

Never found the post but tried something that may work - any ideas about the pitfalls?

Mainline is 555-5500

Took 8 buttons on the side car and set them up as shared, 500-507.  For each button, I set busy forward to the next DN except for the last which I set to also go to VM on busy.

On the right, I'm doing straight shared for each user on the system.

First issue that cropped up is that everyone gets the MWI for the general mailbox.

2nd one I anticipate is making visibility proper for on the phone vs. one their line.  I want to let each person pick up the others line, but I suspect that'll then not give me visibility if they are on the phone - we've got lots of buttons here so maybe just another set....Intercom or monitor?

Any other issues that occur to anyone?

[Nathan Compton]

Monitored lines will show you the status of a line, but will not let you pickup the line.  It also functions as a speed-dial.  If you were wanting to monitor the complete phone, you could use a Watch line.  Watch line will trigger BLF if any of the lines on that phone are busy.  If you make Shared lines for all of your extensions, you could see all phones ringing, BUT instead of personal mailboxes, you will have General Mailboxes.

Another way you could do the 8 buttons is to have a hunt group with a pilot number of 500 and assign dns 501-508 to buttons.