On Saturday 16 December 2023 at 13:57:47 UTC, Rupert Moss-Eccardt wrote:
> On 16 Dec 2023 12:49, Graham J wrote:
> > Java Jive wrote:
> >> On 16/12/2023 12:02, Graham J wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Mike Humphrey wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> BT Cloud Voice is a branded version of RingCentral - and as you say,
> >>>> it's
> >>>> aimed at businesses. Have they provided a login to the web interface? If
> >>>> so, you can can get the SIP credentials to add a VoIP phone manually
> >>>> - or
> >>>> if nothing else, you can attach an ATA and use an analogue phone.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks. We've used the web interface to manage redirects, so it will
> >>> be worth investigating whether the SIP credentials are available.
> >>
> >> Please report back what you find.
> >>
> >> My experience with a legacy but still occasional customer is that BT
> >> monetise any additions to the basic system as provided. So, for one
> >> example I investigated specifically for them, but it was some years ago
> >> now and I may not have remembered the details correctly and/or things
> >> may have changed, if you wanted to add an ATA device for an alarm, it
> >> had to be one that they approved and perhaps also supplied (ISTR there
> >> were just two, both quite expensive to purchase), and it was an extra so
> >> much per month on the bill, again quite expensive and not very much
> >> cheaper than the line rental it would have replaced.
> >
> > OK may be a few days.
> >
> > Certainly BT seems to monetise everything!
> It's what the people wanted. They voted for the government that
> privatised BT and provided the "crown guarantee". They also voted for
> the government that changed the pension rules aiding the creation of
> the black hole. And so, the only way to save taxpayers from a huge debt
> to be paid off is for BT to make as much money as it possibly can.

That was always the case, before BT was floated off GPO telephone prevent the purchase of third-party phones, modems etc. and bad habits die hard.

OTOH most savvy customers have long since learned about least cost routing and so in very many cases BT get little or no call revenue from the lines they provide. In my own case BT have not had a chargeable call off me for a decade or more apart from tests and mistakes.

On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:02:25 +0000, Graham J wrote:
> Mike Humphrey wrote:
>> BT Cloud Voice is a branded version of RingCentral - and as you say,
>> it's aimed at businesses. Have they provided a login to the web
>> interface? If so, you can can get the SIP credentials to add a VoIP
>> phone manually - or if nothing else, you can attach an ATA and use an
>> analogue phone.
>
> Thanks. We've used the web interface to manage redirects, so it will be
> worth investigating whether the SIP credentials are available.

If it's using the normal RingCentral interface, there will be an option to
change your handset. You should be able to select "Bring your own device",
then when you get to where it lets you select the model, there should be
an option to "configure manually". Of course it's possible BT have locked
it down and these options are unavailable.

Mike

Mike Humphrey wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:02:25 +0000, Graham J wrote:
>> Mike Humphrey wrote:
>>> BT Cloud Voice is a branded version of RingCentral - and as you say,
>>> it's aimed at businesses. Have they provided a login to the web
>>> interface? If so, you can can get the SIP credentials to add a VoIP
>>> phone manually - or if nothing else, you can attach an ATA and use an
>>> analogue phone.
>>
>> Thanks. We've used the web interface to manage redirects, so it will be
>> worth investigating whether the SIP credentials are available.
>
> If it's using the normal RingCentral interface, there will be an option to
> change your handset. You should be able to select "Bring your own device",
> then when you get to where it lets you select the model, there should be
> an option to "configure manually". Of course it's possible BT have locked
> it down and these options are unavailable.

They have locked it down.

Drilling down into the "BT Cloud Voice Express" page shows the current
device, and has a button to "Assign Device". A popup appears showing
the existing device (as already assigned) with a confirm/cancel option.
No mechanism to provide details of a new device, nor to program the new
device.

Probably if one orders a new device from BT, its MAC address is noted,
and BT prepares a configuration file which is automatically downloaded
into the device once it is assigned.

--
Graham J