Cisco One Button Login is a smart solution to omit Extension Mobility login procedures in situations where speed and convenience are more important than security. However, when security ís important, using the one button login typically won’t be the preferred solution of choice. In that case, the Active Login Manager may be a preferable option. Let’s briefly review both options.
Extension Mobility is a service on the Cisco VoIP system which allows a user to login to another phone. That phone takes on the settings and extension number of the user’s usual desk phone. This allows him to make and receive calls as if he were at his normal desk. A perfect feature in flexible office configurations or when seats are shared. Like in call centers.
However, the flexibility comes at a price. The login procedure is rather cumbersome. Since the username can – for example – be the user’s business email address, entering the username via a simple telephone keypad is not a simple task. In a previous post, we showed an example where one needs 50 keystrokes to log into his telephone. 50 Keystrokes, every time he or she logs in.
So, what if you want your staff to be able to use different phone extensions in the office? But you don’t want to bother them with a long and cumbersome login process? Well, there are two solutions.
In call center environments, where agents use different seats and frequently have to log in on different phones, often the One Button Login solution is used. With this feature, it is possible to ‘preconfigure’ the login for specific users on specific devices. The user simply clicks the soft-button assigned to his user profile. In one click he is logged in as that particular user. Very convenient. But, unfortunately also very insecure, because anyone can click that button.
There is an alternative though for Cisco One Button Login. If you operate in a security-sensitive environment and don’t want people to log in with just a one button click, the Active Login Manager may be the perfect alternative.
This Single Sign On solution automatically activates a desktop IP telephone as soon as a user at that same desktop logs into the corporate network via his computer, laptop or tablet. So, wherever a user opens his laptop, the telephone on his desk will automatically have his extension number, his features, and his profile. As such, it is an interesting and secure alternative for the One Button Login.
