Product Overview: Call Buttons

Using Call Buttons for Quick Alerting

There are many situations where activating an alert or sending a notification needs to be performed quickly and easily with a simple press of a button. In such situations, communication needs to be clear and direct. Call buttons are often deployed in a VoIP environment for quick and easy broadcasting. Installing a call button in almost any environment can enhance a UC system. Call buttons can be used for any application requiring one-touch programmable announcements or notification alerts.

Call Buttons with Smart Relays

Relay inputs and outputs are common features on all Algo IP endpoints and accessories. With Algo’s smart relay solution, Algo Call Buttons can be powered, activated, and supervised through a relay connection to expand the connectivity and capabilities of Algo IP endpoints within a communication system.

In an Algo call button, a smart relay will provide power to the 1202 or 1203 for the buttons to be backlit. This allows a user to see that they are powered on and working. Call buttons are able to have backlighting through the power provided by the smart relay input which is simultaneously used as a method of supervision. The normal state of these buttons is a precise amount of current. When the buttons are activated, the current changes and triggers the specific event associated with the connected IP endpoints have been configured for, such as playing a pre-recorded message, a tone, or an alert.

Deploying Algo Call Buttons

Call buttons are typically used in environments where quick and easy broadcasting is imperative for assistance or safety. In education, emergency call buttons can be installed in hallways or classrooms and used to inform teachers and students of a lockdown or evacuation. In a classroom, a call button can initiate two-way talkback with the admin staff through the microphone of an IP speaker.

In a retail environment, call buttons may be used to alert staff that customer service is needed in a dedicated section of a store. A pre-recording can play to call a staff member to a specific location.

When heavy equipment and machinery are used, such as in a warehouse setting, call buttons can be pressed to activate IP visual alerters (strobe lights) to alert that a machine is in use and to stay clear of the area.

Choosing an Algo Call Button

Algo call buttons can be configured via a compatible Algo IP endpoint for button press activation to initiate one of the following actions:

• Multicast an alert or announcement.
• Make a SIP call to a configured extension to play a discreet notification when the call is answered.
• Make a SIP call to a configured extension and permit hands-free two-way communication (e.g., via the embedded mic within an Algo IP speaker).

Algo 1203 Call Switch

With a sleek and slim design that can easily blend into any environment, the Algo 1203 Call Switch is a single-gang illuminated LED button for alerting. This Algo accessory can be placed on any flat surface, such as a desk or a wall.

Algo 1202 Call Button

The Algo 1202 Call Button on the other hand has a design that’s a little bolder and brighter. This is ideal for when it needs to be easily seen and recognized. The written direction on the Algo 1202 can be customized to suit the necessary circumstances. In a retail environment, the Algo 1202 could display the text “customer service” or “press for assistance”. In a school environment, the text could read “lockdown”, “emergency assistance”, or “evacuation alert”.

Enhancing your IP System with Algo Call Buttons

Call buttons activate actions over IP endpoints. They act as an extension to an IP network and provide additional reach and functionality to an Algo system. Each call button can be programmed to perform a single action over one or any number of endpoints. Algo call buttons are easy to install and come with the necessary parts to fit into any system.