SoftPhone

Important information about softphones

  • In the event of an emergency, if possible use a land line to call 911. Use of a softphone to call 911 is strongly discouraged if another phone is available. Softphone technology may not provide the most timely or accurate location data and calls may be routed to the wrong emergency response center, or the emergency response center may make errors when determining your location. If you must use a softphone to report an emergency, be prepared to tell the dispatch operator your physical location. Stanford University is not liable for errors or delays in emergency response.
  • Note: it is not unusual to experience occasional loss of audio quality when using a softphone. For the best experience, use a USB headset and use a wired connection (Ethernet), if possible.

Cisco SoftPhone

The Cisco SoftPhone (Cisco Unified Personal Communicator) lets you place and receive calls on your Mac or PC. Log in using your SUNet ID and password. To get started:

  1. Obtain and Install the SoftPhone App [Mac] [PC]
  2. Log In [Mac] [PC]
  3. Set up Optional Preferences [Mac] [PC]
  4. Get to Know the Client [Mac] [PC]
  5. Choose SoftPhone or Desk Phone Mode [Mac] [PC]
Note: Although the SoftPhone is included in VoIP bundled service, each department makes its own decision whether to deploy it. Consult your Department IT Contact or administrator.

Desktop support and headsets are required.

Contacts

You can search the Stanford Directory for a contact and add that person to your Contacts list. All contacts can be in a general alphabetical list or organized into groups that you define. The Recent pane lists incoming and outgoing call history,

  • Recent Call History [Mac] [PC]
  • Search Contacts & Add a Contact [Mac] [PC]

Place and receive calls

To place a call, you can either click a contact, or press the Dialpad icon  and enter the number manually. To answer an incoming call, press the handset icon phone handset icon. With a call in progress, you can merge calls to transfer a call or to create a conference call.

  • Place Calls [Mac] [PC]
  • Respond to Incoming Calls [Mac] [PC]
  • Manage In-Progress Calls [Mac] [PC]

Notes:

  • A VPN connection is required for logging in to and using the SoftPhone from off campus.
  • Calls, chat, and video over SoftPhone are not currently encrypted, so should not be used to transmit Prohibited, Restricted, or Confidential Data.

IM and email

Although the SoftPhone client provides an Instant Messaging feature, it is not currently encrypted, so should not be used to transmit Prohibited, Restricted, or Confidential Data. IT Services recommends that you use the Stanford IM system instead.

For contacts or search results whose information includes an email address, click the envelope icon email icon to launch a message window in your default mail program pre-filled with the contact's email address.

  • Send Messages (Email and IM) [Mac] [PC]

Troubleshooting

If a problem comes up in installing or in using your SoftPhone, you can check the Troubleshooting page; if your issue isn't addressed there, submit a HelpSU request.

  • Troubleshooting Tips & Tricks [Mac] [PC]
Last modified May 1, 2013