Understanding the differences between Shared Call Appearances and Busy Lamp Fields
Shared call appearances and busy lamp fields let you monitor or answer a colleague's extension. The two features are similar, but have distinct differences. Below is a quick comparison of these features.
Feature | Shared Call Appearances (SCA) | Busy Lamp Fields (BLF) |
Function | Monitor if the other line is in use, idle, or ringing | Monitor if the other line is in use, idle, or ringing |
Sound or visual cue | A unique ring tone can play on your line and/or shows a visual indicator that the other line is ringing | Only shows a visual indicator that the other line is ringing |
Caller ID | Calls made shows the phone extension of your colleague (not your desk phone caller ID) | Caller ID shows your desk phone caller ID (not your colleague's extension) |
Indicator on display |
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Placing calls on hold and resuming calls | Can place call on hold or resume from the other person’s line | Can place call on hold or resume on your primary desk line |
Transferring | Not applicable | Transfer call back to the other person’s line by pressing the busy lamp field |
Dialing monitored line | Not applicable | Dial the line monitored by pressing the busy lamp field instead of manually inputting the extension |
Conferencing | Not applicable | Conference in the person monitored by pressing the busy lamp field instead of manually inputting the extension |
