I was about ready to launch into a new assignment for a client when some news concerning OnSIP, the cloud-based PBX service, attracted my wandering attention. The folks at Junction Networks have just introduced an OnSIP browser plugin for Firefox and Chrome that lets you perform a click-to-call. While this new feature is not technically very sexy, it is a big deal for the small businesses that are the likely customers of OnSIP’s virtual PBX.
Once upon a time, SMBs were practically indentured to their hardware vendors, who made them pay (and still do) for every little feature. This free click-to-call function from OnSIP is typically classified by enterprise PBX makers under a marketing-speak category called Unified Communications or Desktop Telephony. Having tried a few of these types of apps, I can attest that they were difficult to configure and even more painful to use.
I was able to install the OnSIP plugin on my MacBook Pro in under a minute, and then launched an X-Lite softphone to act as my virtual endpoint.
I achieved Unified Communications with little effort and no expense.
Once the click-to-call plugin is activated, Firefox turns phone numbers into URLs, which initiates third party call control: the cloud will extend separate connections to my X-Lite and the second party, bridging the two. In other words, this not a true embedded softphone— as is the case with Tropo’s new Phono APIs— but still immensely powerful.
And in my limited testing, it seems to have effortlessly identified phone number on web pages.
OnSIP’s click-to-call plugin gives me a reason to finally keep an X-Lite phone on all the time.
Phone numbers are turned into clickable SIP addresses.
Related articles
- OnSIP and PhoneTag (technoverseblog.com)
Quick question – does this click-to-dial feature work only with this OnSIP service – or can I get it to work with my xlite softphone and ANY VoIP phone service that is being supplied to my xlite softphone.
I have this need – but I do not want to use OnSIP. If this is not possible – are you aware of any plugin for Chrome that will turn #’s in click-able links that will dial my THIRD PARTY softphone using that softphone’s active VoIP service (no matter what that service may be?)
Thanks.
This plug-in assumes you have an OnSIp Service. But this is a good question! I’m going to go out on the limb and say that plug-ins are usually tied to a specific VoIP softphone. This has prompted me to go back again and see what’s new in the softphone world, especially on mobile devices. May write a post on this soon. Thanks for the kick in the VoIP. 😉
–Andy