Epik Networks Knowledge Base

Outlook Integration is a very cool feature which allows you to simply right-click a Contact in MS Office Outlook 2003/2007 and click Call Contact... to dial the contact's number through your office phone.  When used in conjunction with the Remote Phone feature, it can be used with virtually any phone including your home phone or cell phone!

Please note that the Outlook Integration feature requires a subscription to the Web Portal and the Remote Phone feature requires and additional subscription as well.

Installing the TAPI support software:

Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI) is a Microsoft API, which allows computers running Windows to use telephony services.

To install and set up the TAPI software, use the following steps: 

• Start the Web Portal (Go to http://myphone.epikip.net/ and log in)
• Click the Options tab
• Click the PC integration tab

Click install TAPI Service Provider to begin the installation process 

• Select a method for the installation and click OK. This procedure uses the Save option so that the program can be reinstalled if needed again

• Choose where to save the TAPI.EXE file and click Save. This example saves it to the desktop so that it is easy to find
• Find the TAPI.EXE file (shown here on the PC desktop) and double-click it to run the install program

• When you run the program, a message may appear stating that the executable is from an unknown publisher. Click Run
• You may get another security warning about the publisher. Click Run
• The Install Shield Wizard will start. Click Next in the Welcome dialog box to install the TAPI program
• Click Finish in the Installation Complete dialog box to complete the TAPI program installation.
• The final prompt states that the PC must be rebooted for the changes to take effect. Click Cancel and do not reboot your PC at this time.

Configuring Windows for TAPI

For TAPI-enabled programs to be able to dial using the TAPI Service Provider, Windows must be configured correctly to be able to use the proper line, get an outside line, and dial correctly.

The following notes apply to all TAPI-enabled programs:

• Instructions for handling area codes and, if necessary, 10-digit dialing must be configured
• If you are in a business setting and need to dial an outside line, the access codes required for outside calls (usually 9 or 8) must be configured

Use the following steps to set up TAPI Service Provider in Windows. The following examples are from Windows XP. Other Windows versions should be similar

• Click Start and Control Panel to open the Control panel window
• Double click Phone and Modem Options
• Click Edit in the Phone and Modem Options dialog box

1. In the Edit Location dialog box, click the General tab (if not selected) and do the following:

• Enter a Location name, if desired (boxed)
• Make sure the Country/region and Area Code information match your location and area code (see arrows)
• If you are in a business setting, set the outside access digits in the Dialing Rules section to the digit that must be dialed to make an outside call (circled)

• Click Apply
• Click the Area Code Rules tab and do one of the following:
• Click New to add an area code to the list
• Highlight an existing entry and click Edit to make changes

Note: If you have never configured Phone and Modem Options for your Windows computer, the Area Code Rules field will be empty. If you have setup Phone and Modem Options before for any device or application, the previously entered information will be displayed.

• On the New/Edit Area Code Rule dialog box, enter the 3-digit area code in the Area Code field for each area code where you have special rules that need to apply - such as dialing all 10 digits within your area code or having multiple area codes that are not long distance

Note: Depending on whether you clicked New or Edit, the dialog box will say either New Area Code Rule or Edit Area Code Rule. If you clicked Edit, the area code you highlighted will be displayed in the Area Code field

Example:

Residents in the Toronto area have three area codes (shown in the Edit Locations), and must dial the entire 10-digit number for all calls and do not need to dial 1 before making calls to any of those three area codes. As a result, the information in the Edit Area Code Rule box for 416, 647 and local 905 is set as follows:

• "Include all the prefixes within this area code" is selected
• "Dial 1" is unchecked
• "Include the area code" is checked
• Click Apply when the information is correctly set and do one of the following
• Click New to add another area code to the list
• Highlight another existing entry and click Edit to make changes
• Click Calling Card if you use a calling card for calls, select the type of calling card you use and fill in the appropriate fields
• When you are finished entering information in the New Location or Edit Location dialog box, click OK to accept the dialing properties, and close the dialog box

Open Phone and Modem Options dialog box

• Click the Advanced tab to see the list of available telephone providers
• Select VOIP Telephony Service Provider
• Click Add to open the Add Provider dialog box

• Select VOIP Telephony Service Provider and click Add
• When the GENBAND dialog box appears, do the following:

1. Enter the IP addresses 206.108.188.72 and 38.101.224.228
2. Click Add to add your telephone number (the one that will be used with the TAPI-enabled program [such as Outlook])

• Enter your company's main telephone number followed by letter ‘x' in lower case followed by your extension (i.e. 4165554444x2323)  and web portal password and click OK

Note: If you change your Phone/Web Portal login password, you must remember to come back to this configuration screen and change the password here also. Otherwise, you will no longer be able to place calls from Outlook.

• Click OK to return to the Phone and Modem Options dialog box
• Click Close in the Phone and Modem Options dialog box
• Reboot your PC to have the system recognize the added TAPI phones

Windows is now configured to allow users to make calls from their contacts, but the TAPI-enabled program must be configured to use the line for dialing. For information on configuring the program to use the telephone line for dialing, go to "Configuring Outlook to Use TAPI"

Configure Outlook to use TAPI

To configure Outlook or another TAPI-enabled program to dial using the system, use the following steps:

• If not already running, start Outlook (or the TAPI-enabled application)
• Click the Contacts icon to switch to the Contacts listing

• Right click any contact to bring up the Actions shortcut menu
• Click Call Contact on the menu (circled in the previous screen) to open the New Call dialog box

• Click Dialing Options to open the Dialing Options dialog box
• Click on the drop-down menu in the Connect using line field and scroll down any entries until you find your telephone number (circled)

• Select your telephone number and click OK to return to the New Call dialog box
• You may call this contact or close the New Call dialog box

Using TAPI to call from Outlook

This example uses Outlook, but other TAPI-enabled programs will be similar. The application documentation or online help should have information on making calls using the TAPI functionality.

Once you have configured Outlook or another TAPI-enabled program to dial using the system, you can place calls through your telephone from the application. Your PC must be connected to the same network that your phone is connected to for TAPI-enabled dialing to work with your IP phone.

Note: If your "Country/region" setting in the Phone and Modem Option > Dialing Rules > General tab of Windows is set to a country that allows variable length area codes, you may experience problems dialing from Outlook. If you have no problems dialing from the Web Portal or voice mail using click-to-call features or using Voice Assistant to dial, you will need to enter numbers in Outlook using the canonical format that has the area code in parentheses (i.e. +44 (1234) 567890).

To place a call from Outlook, use the following steps:

• Start Outlook (if not already running)
• Click the Contacts icon to switch to the Contacts listing
• Right click on the contact you wish to call to bring up the Actions pop-up menu

• Click Call Contact on the menu (circled in the previous screen) to open the New Call dialog box

• Click Start Call to dial the telephone number displayed in the Number field.

Notes:

• You cannot call four-digit extensions from Outlook. A complete 7- or 10-digit phone number must be used
• Always check to be sure you have the correct number selected before starting a call. If you have multiple phone numbers entered for the person you are calling, you must use the drop-down list to select the number to call
• The speaker on your telephone should be activated and you should hear ringing or a busy signal as the call is connected to the dialed number
• If the person you called answers, carry-on the conversation in the usual manner
• Do NOT click the Close button or icon in the New Call dialog box while carrying on a conversation on the speakerphone (if available on your phone). Closing the New Call dialog box while using the speakerphone will end the call immediately. Minimize the New Call dialog box or, if you need to close the dialog box, pick up the handset. Picking up the handset moves control of the call to the physical phone from the computer under Outlook and TAPI
• End the call by hanging up the handset, pressing the speaker button or clicking the Close button or icon in the New Call dialog box.