VoIP - SIP Client - HELP Plz!

[Erxor]

Hello!

I'm in need of some assistance and I really hope someone can help me out here.

I can start with saying that I have a small company and do some small jobs here and there to get some extra money. My latest job was to replace a traditional phone system in a small local grocery store with a VoIP system and due to the type of store it is the HQ of the chain has only approved one provider (Swedish, since I'm in Sweden) if you want to have it connected to their network and internet. Since the store did not want to get a separate connection and separate equipment this is what they had to choose from. 

Here is my problem, when they were using POTS they had a button underneath each register that they could push if they felt like they were threatened or had some other issues that required the action of all the staff members in the store. If they pushed this button they rang all the numbers in store at the same time. We currently have a group setup on the server that does the same and for the moment we have a speed dial button on the phones in each register that dial this group. The problem here is that there is no way to hide that this button has been pushed, plus you hear it ringing from the speaker. 

What I was thinking of doing, if someone can guide me in the right direction or even help me out completely is to install a SIP client on a raspberry pi and with a small pyton script (or something along those lines) dial that group that we have setup on the server if two of the pins on the pi gets shorted. It doesn't have to be a raspberry pi it can be anything that can do what I explained without hearing a dial tone when it's connecting to all the phones. I am totally open to a solution that is pre built to dial one number or one group with the push of a button. I was thinking of something along the lines of an SIP capable intercom if you can disable the speaker in it, but haven't found something that I like. To be clear, any idea is a good idea so please help me out!

Just to make it clear, this setup is separate from the alarm setup we have that goes to the security provider and 112 (911).

[Windows7ge]

If this store is a chain big enough to have a corporate office where they've only approved one ISP a DIY Pi or micro controller solution to discretely call for help on a new VoIP phone system I think would be inappropriate. You can't guarantee the reliability of a DIY solution in a panic situation. If it fails during an incident you're liable.

 

I take it this was not something they thought about when upgrading their phone system. A discrete panic button isn't a modern desirable feature with IP phones.

[Erxor]

I know it seems F*****G stupid but what can I say.

Basically anyone can open a store like this, but you have to follow certain rules and be a certain size to be either what is called a "Supermarket", "Kvantum" or "Maxi". And those rules have to do with the cash registers and using computers and items on the network that they supply. The corporate office never install anything at any store, they send out the equipment pre-configured and it's up to the store to find someone to install everything for them.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post the store could have chosen a different VoIP vendor but in doing so they would have had to pay for their own network and internet connection and that is something they didn't want to do. 

So back to the problem at hand, yes it is something that can't be guaranteed at 5 nines, and say that this solution doesn't work for some reason they will still have the ability to push the speed dial button on the phone that does the same thing and the solution from the security company, which is a standard solution that they guarantee is always available, if the situation is really bad. So I am looking for something that I can use as a SIP client, that I can hook a button up to and that can do what I explained in the previous post. If someone knows of a preexisting solution that I can use instead of making my own I'm absolutely open to that as well, which is something I didn't say in my first post (will edit the post now since I thought of it).

So unfortunately I can't control the stupidity of the coorperation and the person who has decided that I can't even use a Cisco solution (just an example) when everything else they use is Cisco, and I do mean everything. As a side note, I was considering asking the CTO or whoever made this decision, how much he got paid to say that the VoIP solution that we are now using is the only one that "is good enough" to use on their networks

I really hope someone can help me with this.

Thanks!

[beersykins]

That sounds hacky, I'd offload that to the security company.  You effectively shed any liability moving forward.

[schizznick]

Does the VOIP solution have any sort of API, if it does a simplified version of your idea would be more stable. Using an Pi or Arduino when the button is pushed it calls the API instead of having to worry about SIP. However I have to agree with other posts and recommend letting someone else find a solution and take the liability.

[Erxor]

Thanks for the replies!

I appreciate the concerns, but they are not warranted. We have a solution from our security company that will be used if we want to contact them and 112 (911, 999), this solution is there to be used in a situation were they don't need to be contacted. There is no liability concerns for me since I have already made it clear in writing to the owner (even though that is probably overkill since I know him so well) that I cannot guarantee a solution like this.

So there is an API... since I know nothing about programming could I please get some assistance in how to proceed? I would really appreciate it.

[schizznick]

A Pi with a simple Python Script should easily handle it... usually an API guide from the manufacturer of the VOIP solution would give details. If you don't feel comfortable doing it you could hirer a coder. It's simple enough it may be a good idea to learn as a little bit of coding is never a bad thing.

[Erxor]

Yeah I'm trying to find a guide from manufactuer, and I'll take it from there.

Thanks