How do I make landline phone calls via Outlook 2007?

[Stan Kay]

Outlook 2007 has the facility to dial the phone number of an Outlook Contact
but I presume that this requires some hardware ( a phone modem?). Can
anyone please explain, or point me to a URL that explains, how I can make
the facility work?

I sense that I will need to know:-

1. What hardware I will need.
2. Where I can buy that hardware.
3. Whether I will need software additional to Outlook 2007

Any help would be gratefully received.

 

[Russ Valentine]

Outlook has no such facility. You must provide a voice modem and the
software to support it to dial and talk from your PC. Whether that third
party software can integrate with your Outlook Contacts Folder can only be
answered by those manufacturers. We'd have no way of knowing that.

 

[Stan Kay]

Many thanks for your response Russ.

Outlook 2007 provides the facility to "dial" the phone number of entries in
Outlook Contacts. I have tested this by selecting an Outlook Contact and
pressing the "Call" icon. I am then informed "Call status: On hook" and a
presented with a button to "Start Call". Pressing the "Start call" button
results in the message "An internal error occurred in the automatic phone
dialer..." I now know that this error is caused by the absence of phone
modem. If I knew what type of phone modem was needed I could then connect
it up and use Outlook to dial the number and then, with my landline phone
connected to the modem, lift my phone and conduct a conversation.

My problem is simply that the help in Outlook offers no advice about the
type of modem needed to make this facility work nor can I identify any help
on the web. Possibly because I am not using the correct technical
terminology - this is probably why I have mislead too for which I apologise.

I will continue my search for a solution and shall report back here if I
find a solution.

 

[Russ Valentine]

I'll repeat my answer. Outlook provides no such facility. If you attempt to
dial a number from Outlook it will invoke the Windows dialer which of course
has no support for voice modems. It is a simple dialer.

 

[Stan Kay]

I thought that I had said that I was looking for a modem to "Dial" a number
and so I am not concerned whether Outlook hands over the task of dialing to
Windows as long as the number gets dialed. I am sorry if I have mislead
you.

I have now found something that looks like it will dial a number from
Outlook contacts and it is a Hayes Accura V.92 USB Model H08-15356. The
fact sheet for this device states that the standard RJ-11 phone lead is
plugged into the device and the built in USB lead is connected to the PC.
It is powered via USB and, in addition to dialing from numbers held in
Outlook Contacts, it will also permit faxing using Windows software (not
that I need this). I need to read up further to gain a better
understanding.

Many thanks for you help.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Outlook 2007 provides the facility to "dial" the phone number of entries in
Outlook Contacts. I have tested this by selecting an Outlook Contact and
pressing the "Call" icon. I am then informed "Call status: On hook" and a
presented with a button to "Start Call". Pressing the "Start call" button
results in the message "An internal error occurred in the automatic phone
dialer..." I now know that this error is caused by the absence of phone
modem. If I knew what type of phone modem was needed I could then connect
it up and use Outlook to dial the number and then, with my landline phone
connected to the modem, lift my phone and conduct a conversation.

You'll need a voice modem (V.92-conformant) and likely a dialer that replaces
the Windows dialer. Some voice modems include such software in the package.

 

[Stan Kay]

Many thanks for your very helpful reply Brian.

I have been told that the Hayes Accura V.92 USB Model H08-15356 capable of
solving my problem. Do you have a view on this device?

Can you recommend a dialer?

Kind regards,

Stan

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I have been told that the Hayes Accura V.92 USB Model H08-15356 capable of
solving my problem. Do you have a view on this device?

I have no experience with that device

Can you recommend a dialer?

Perhaps one comes with it. I have a V.92 modem in my home PC (which I've
never used as a voice modem, only data and then only a long time ago), but it
came with software still loaded on my PC that purports to manage it. I've
never used that software, however.

 

[Stan Kay]

Since these devices are not expensive then I shall buy one and try it out.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Since these devices are not expensive then I shall buy one and try it out.

If the cost is low enough that it becomes worth the trial, why not?

 

[brianh4321]

Stan,

Have you had a chance to try this out? I've seen several voice modems but,
as you say, nothing is out there on using them.

PS. I really want to push the technology and use my bluetooth headset as well.

 

[Stan Kay]

I bought the modem but regret to report that the instructions are poor and I
cannot get it to work.

Stan,

Have you had a chance to try this out? I've seen several voice modems but,
as you say, nothing is out there on using them.

PS. I really want to push the technology and use my bluetooth headset as
well.



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