Mass Deployment

This article descibes Mass Deployment in general for OpenStage and optiPoint phones in serveral environments.

Deployment
The installation of an IP phone in general requires integrating the phone into an IP infrastructure specific to the customer's or user's needs. This integration normally requires some activities on all components involved, i.e. on the IP phone and on other components like application servers and routers.

Additionally to the hardware related tasks like providing LAN cables and setting up the necessary power supply, this integration also covers adapting the IP phone to the individual customer configuration by setting various parameters to appropriate values. In this article we will use the term "deployment" for this task, including the provisioning of new software to the IP phone. Sometimes the term "provisioning" is used instead of "deployment”.

Individual phones can be easily set up using the local menue and the keypad or - more comfortable and even remotely - the phone's web administration. Larger companies or voice service providers have to install and maintain hundreds or thousands of phones, requiring mass deployment capabilities.

Requirements
IP terminals offer a range of functions and characteristics that were unknown or technically impossible in analog or early digital system environments (for example, ISDN). But increased product flexibility requires more complex technology. For this reason, it is essential that VoIP devices be optimally configured for users while at the same time expenditure (costs, time, training) must be kept to a minimum for service providers.

Different scenarios have different requirements. However the following factors are critical for all solutions:
 * Minimum network intervention or modification
 * No inflexible or costly preconfiguration at the terminal
 * No or minimum (one-off) user activities

Scenarios

 * Using the Deployment Service, see DLS Mass Deployment.
 * Using Mass Deployment XML configuration files
 * Via TFTP-Server using optiPoint 150 S Mass Deployment procedure to automate configuration parameters and firmware upload.
 * Using OpenStage WPI for mass deployment.

In addition to this further scenarios for single deployment and administration are available (administrators only):
 * Using the phone's Web Based Management.
 * Locally using dialpad and phone menu.