Yealink T58W/VP59 – Conference Calling (Local, Hybrid UC Meeting, Network)

• Types of Conference Calls 
• Local Conference ---
  
  • Initiating a Conference by Dialing Multiple Contacts
  • Merge Multiple Calls into a Conference Call
  • Creating a Conference with a DSS Conference Key
• Managing the Conference ---
  
  • Managing a Conference Participant
• Network Conference
• Hybrid UC Meeting  ---
  
  • Connecting and Preparing a Mobile Phone/Device
  • Creating a Hybrid UC Meeting

Types of Conference Calls

The Yealink T58W/VP59 phones can handle a local conference, a Hybrid UC conference (involving a participant from a paired mobile phone), or a network conference. The latter lets you exceed the ten participants limit (a video conference call is limited to three participants.)

Local Conference

You can set up a local conference by dialing the other participants, merging existing held and active calls, or with a configured DSS key. 

To set up a local conference by dialing the other participants:

• Place a call to the first party.
  
  
• Select Conference to place a new call. The active call is placed on hold.
  
  
• Dial the second party’s number.
  
  
• When the second party answers the call, select Conference to add the second party to the conference.
  
  
• Repeat the above steps to add more parties to the conference.
  

To Merge two calls into a conference:

• Place two calls on the phone.
  
  
• Depending on your phone's configuration, do one of the following:
  
  
• Tap the desired call you want to use in a conference to make it active.
  
  Tap Conference.
  
  Tap the held call to join the calls in the conference.
  
  
  
  
• Drag the active call window over a held call.
  
  Tap Conference from the pop-up box.
  
  

Creating a DSS Conference Key

You can also create a multi-party conference by configuring a DSS key to function as a conference soft key. This lets you call all the conference participants at the same time instead of one at a time.

To set up a DSS conference key:

• Swipe left/right to go to the second idle screen or swipe down from the top to access the Quick Settings menu.
  
  
• Select Settings  (  ) and navigate to Features>Dsskey.
  
  
• Select the desired line key.
  
  
• Select Key Event from the Type field.
  
  
• Select Conference from the Key Type field.
  
  
• (optional) Enter the string that will appear for the key in the Label field.
  
  
• Select   .

To initiate a Multi-party Conference using a DSS key:

• Select the DSS conference key you configured above on the idle screen.
  
  
• Do one of the following:
  
  
  • Enter all contact numbers you want to add to the conference.
    
    
  • Select History or Directory to select desired contacts.
    
    
    
    
• Select   or Call.

Managing the Conference

While on a conference call you can perform the following actions:

• Holding or resuming – when you place a conference call on hold, other participants cannot hear each other until you resume the held conference call.
  
  Press    or tap Hold to place the conference on hold. Press    again or tap Resume to resume the held conference call.
  
  
• Muting or unmuting – when you mute the local microphone during a conference call, other participants can hear each but cannot hear you.
  
  Press    to mute the conference. Press    again to unmute the conference.
  
  
• Splitting a conference call – you can split the conference call into individual calls by selecting Split. After the split, the conference call ends, and other parties are placed on held calls.
  
  
• Select End Call to end the conference call.
  
  When you end the conference call, the other parties drop the call. However, the system administrator can set up your phone so that the other parties remain connected when you end the conference call.
  
  
• Managing conference participants – tap the desired party you want to manage, select More>Manage, and select one of the following options:
  
  
  • Far Mute () – the muted party can hear everyone, but no one can hear the muted party.
    
    
  • Far Hold () – the held party cannot hear anyone, and no one can hear the held party.
    
    
  • Remove () – to remove the party from the conference call.

Network Conference

A network conference, if enabled by your system administrator, allows you to initiate a conference with multiple contacts.

A Network conference URL needs to be set up in advance using the web user interface. Speak to your phone system administrator about this and about using a network conference if the local conference is not sufficient for you.

To set up a network conference:

• Place a call to the first party.
  
  
• Select Conference to place a new call.
  
  The active call is placed on hold.
  
  
• Dial the number of the second party.
  
  
• Repeat the previous two steps until you add all parties.
  
  
• The call is resumed when each party answers and the conference is ready after you have invited the last intended party.

Hybrid UC Meeting

You can merge calls on a T58W/VP59 phone and a call from a connected mobile phone/device to create a Hybrid UC Meeting (conference). 

Connecting and preparing a mobile phone/device:

If you have a mobile phone available, connect it to the T58W/VP59 by activating Bluetooth and pairing the device.

Enable the phone-audio feature on the T58W/VP59 so it can control calls from the mobile phone.

Note that controlling calls work for cellular calls, but may or may not work for calls made or received with VoIP communication apps such as Google Voice, Skype, a softphone app, Telebroad's own mobile Teleconsole app, etc. You can try to open the dialer screen of the relevant app on your mobile phone and see if your T58W/VP59 can control it. 

Speaker and microphone functionality will work for any type of call – cellular or VoIP.

To create the Hybrid UC Meeting:

• Call the first participant or create a local conference on the T58W/VP59 by dialing multiple contacts, inviting participants, or merging calls (see more details in Local Conference above.)
  
  If you have a mobile phone already paired, you will be prompted to select an account to dial from – either from the T58W/VP59 or from a paired Bluetooth phone/device. Select the T58W/VP59 for any contact that is relevant to it.
  
  
• Tap Conference and call a participant from a mobile phone by entering the desired number and taping Invite.
  
  When prompted to select where to dial from, select the paired mobile phone. (see more about handling mobile phone calls here.)
  
  
• The Hybrid UC Meeting is created with participants from your T58W/VP59 and the paired mobile phone.
  
  
• Tap Conference and repeat the above steps to invite additional participants to the conference.