The ParagonVoIP WebCentrex system does not have built-in integration with MS Outlook. However, it is possible to make this feature available to your customers using 3rd party software (freeware) called SIP TAPI.


Part of the Microsoft Windows operating system, TAPI is an abstraction layer that allows ‘applications’ to initiate telephone calls to ‘service providers’ using a standard programming interface. It is used by Microsoft Outlook and other contact management or CRM software to enable users to initiate a telephone call from inside of the program. TAPI freed the application developer from the necessity of learning details about different types of modems or other communication devices, and allowed multiple applications share a single communication device. In the old days, ‘service providers’ were drivers for modem cards in a PC, and applications (like a dial-up connection manager) would use TAPI to make calls using a hard phone line.


Today, phone lines are being replaced by SIP trunks, and applications can use TAPI to connect to ‘service providers’ that bridge the call to a SIP trunk. SIP TAPI is one such ‘service provider’ implementation, and it can be used with SkySwitch (or any SIP compliant PBX and SIP device).



How to Enable SIP TAPI


Download SIP TAPI from Sourceforge


Unzip the downloaded package


On 32bit Windows

  1. Copy siptapi.tsp from the download folder into your Windows system32 directory (usually C:WindowsSystem32)
  2. Install SIP TAPI as a new provider by clicking “ADD” from the telephony options in your control panel (see left side of Image 1, below)
  3. Once SIP TAPI is installed, click the “Configure” button to enter the account details for your SIP desk phone. (see right side of Image 1, below). Keep in mind that SIP TAPI will cause the PBX to dial your phone, and then connect the party you are calling once you pick up.

On 64bit Windows

  1. Copy siptapi.tsp from the download folder into your Windows system32 directory (usually C:WindowsSystem32). This gives you full TAPI support with 32bit TAPI applications
  2. If you want to configure SIPTAPI not only from the telephony control panel and from 64bit applications, but also from 32bit applications, copy the 32bit siptapi.tsp from x86 folder into your WoW64 directory (usually C:WindowsSysWow64)
  3. Restart your PC for SIPTAPI to show up in your list of TAPI providers.
  4. Install SIP TAPI as a new provider by clicking “ADD” from the telephony options in your control panel (see left side of Image 1, below)
  5. Once SIP TAPI is installed, click the “Configure” button to enter the account details for your SIP desk phone. (see right side of Image 1, below). Keep in mind that SIP TAPI will cause the PBX to dial your phone, and then connect the party you are calling once you pick up.


When entering you SIP credentials, the following parameters refer to the SIP phone that you want to use (SIP TAPI is not a SIP Phone or a softphone; Its purpose is to let you initiate a call from inside a Microsoft TAPI program using your existing SIP device).:


- SIP domain: the domain (eg. yourdomain.20843.service)
– Outbound Proxy: [yourdomain].hpbx.outboundproxy.com
– Username: the SIP username of your desk phone
– Password: the SIP password of your desk phone


SIP Password:

The SIP password can be retrieved from the Dashboard > Users > Phones. Setting the extensions phone type to Manual or Softphone will reveal the SIP password.



Test your SIP TAPI installation by using the Windows dialer program (simply enter dialer.exe into the Start button command line – Image 2 below). When you enter a number in the dialer application, your SIP desk phone should ring. Once you answer the call, the PBX will use a SIP REFER message to connect your session with the number that you dialed following the diagram in Image 3.


Image2


Image 3




Once you have confirmed that SIP TAPI is working with Windows dialer, fire up Microsoft Outlook (or restart it if it’s already running). Right click on any contact and select the “Call” option. In the dialog window, click “Dialing Options” and select SIP TAPI from the available choices. Next, click “Start Call” and you should hear your phone ring.




Troubleshooting: If you run into problems, be sure to check the developer’s README file that is packaged with the download. It covers common problems and basic phone setup for several different brands. If you are using Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010 make sure to read the comments in the file Outlook2007 and Outlook2010 Problems.