Phone Management
| Section |
Description |
| Feature Area |
Telephony Infrastructure |
| Navigation |
Admin → Telephony → Phone Management |
| Alt Navigation |
Menu → Digital and Telephony → Telephony → Phone Management |
| Primary Function |
Configure, provision, and manage the physical and software phones used by agents to make and receive calls |
Genesys Cloud supports multiple phone types. Phone Management is where administrators create phone records, assign base settings, connect phones to sites, and manage provisioning.
Study Notes
| Topic |
Explanation |
| Phone Management |
Admin area for creating and managing phone configurations — assigns phones to users and sites |
| Base Settings |
A reusable configuration profile applied to phones — defines codec, DTMF method, TLS settings, Quality of Service, and more |
| Site |
A logical grouping of telephony resources (trunks, number plans, outbound routes) — phones are assigned to a site |
| Provisioning |
The process of automatically delivering a phone's configuration from Genesys Cloud to the physical device |
| Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) |
Managed phones can self-configure by contacting the Genesys provisioning server on first boot |
| Hardware ID |
The identifier used to associate a phone record with a physical device (e.g., MAC address for hardware phones, FQDN for softphones) |
| Line Keys |
Configurable buttons on a hardware phone — can be assigned to speed dial, BLF (Busy Lamp Field), or line registrations |
| HELD |
HTTP-Enabled Location Delivery — protocol allowing Poly phones to retrieve precise location from a LIS server for E911 accuracy |
Four Phone Categories
| Category |
Description |
Configuration |
Use Case |
| Managed |
Genesys Cloud controls the full configuration — provisioned via HTTPS with TLS and redundancy |
Configured entirely in Genesys Cloud via Phone Management and Base Settings |
Hardware desk phones (Poly VVX, Poly Edge E, AudioCodes) |
| Unmanaged |
Phone registers with Genesys Cloud but is configured externally |
Only basic SIP connection info in Genesys Cloud; uses a generic SIP base settings profile |
Any SIP-compliant device; FXS analog adapters |
| WebRTC |
Browser-based softphone — no hardware or separate software required |
Enabled per-user; headset connected to computer |
Agents working in browser; remote workers |
| Remote |
An external phone number or SIP address (e.g., cell phone) |
Configured as a remote number — calls are bridged to the remote device when an interaction is accepted |
Mobile workers; home phones; non-networked devices |
Managed vs Unmanaged — Key Differences
| Attribute |
Managed |
Unmanaged |
| Configuration source |
Genesys Cloud (provisioned via HTTPS) |
External to Genesys Cloud |
| Default base settings profiles |
Yes — Genesys provides model-specific defaults |
No — uses generic SIP profile |
| TLS / SRTP |
Automatic via provisioning |
Possible but requires manual configuration |
| Redundancy (primary + secondary SIP) |
Automatic |
Possible but not automatic |
| Mutual authentication (Genesys Cloud Voice) |
Standard |
Not supported |
| ZTP support |
Yes |
No |
| Examples |
Poly Edge E, Poly VVX, AudioCodes |
Generic SIP devices, FXS adapters |
WebRTC Phones
| Attribute |
Detail |
| No hardware required |
Runs entirely in the browser |
| No software download |
Built into Genesys Cloud web app |
| Setup |
Enable WebRTC phone per user; connect a headset |
| Creates a dedicated phone line |
Provisioning a WebRTC phone creates a specific phone line for that user |
| Recommended for |
Remote workers, browser-first environments |
Remote Phones
| Attribute |
Detail |
| What it is |
An external phone number or SIP address used to connect a user to Genesys Cloud calls |
| How it works |
When a call is placed/answered in the browser, Genesys Cloud calls the remote number to bridge the connection |
| Routing |
Follows the site's numbering plans and outbound routes |
| Typical use |
Mobile workers, agents who use personal cell phones |
Navigation and Configuration
| Task |
Path |
| Open Phone Management |
Admin → Telephony → Phone Management |
| View/manage phones |
Phone Management → Phones tab |
| View/manage base settings |
Phone Management → Base Settings tab |
| Add a phone |
Phone Management → Phones → Add Phone |
| Assign base settings to a phone |
Select phone → choose Base Settings profile |
| Assign phone to a site |
Select phone → choose Site |
| Restart a phone |
Phone Management → select phone → Restart |
| Log out a phone |
Phone Management → select phone → Log Out |
| Migrate base settings |
Phone Management → select phones → Migrate Base Settings |
Base Settings
Base Settings are reusable configuration templates applied to one or more phones of the same model. They define:
| Setting Category |
Examples |
| General |
Dynamic Reload (auto-updates without manual restart) |
| Media / Quality of Service |
DSCP value for RTP packets; RTP Audio Port Start Range (default 4000; range 1024–65,535) |
| Codecs |
Preferred codec list (MIME format, priority-ordered) |
| DTMF |
RTP Events (out-of-band, RFC 4733 — default) or In-band Audio; payload type 96–127 for RTP Events |
| Security |
TLS certificate authority selection; mutual authentication |
| Provisioning |
Firmware version; firmware update settings |
| E911 / HELD |
Enable HELD; provide LIS URL and Emergency Routing Service Account ID (for Poly VVX, CCX, Edge E) |
Managed Phone Provisioning Process
Phone powers on
↓
Phone contacts Genesys Cloud provisioning server (HTTPS)
↓
Genesys Cloud delivers configuration (base settings, line keys, TLS certs, SIP credentials)
↓
Phone registers with Genesys Cloud SIP infrastructure
↓
Phone is ready — appears as Online in Phone Management
Supported Managed Phone Brands (Examples)
| Brand |
Example Models |
| Poly (formerly Polycom) |
Poly Edge E Series (E100/E220/E300/E320/E350/E400/E450/E500/E550) · VVX Series · SoundPoint IP · SoundStation |
| AudioCodes |
Various models (note: some AudioCodes models are incompatible with Genesys Cloud Voice/BYOC Cloud) |
| Spectralink |
84-Series (incompatible with Genesys Cloud Voice/BYOC Cloud) |
Compatibility note: Most managed phones are compatible with Genesys Cloud Voice and BYOC Cloud. Some AudioCodes models and certain older SoundPoint models are incompatible — refer to the Genesys Cloud Voice / BYOC Cloud compatible phones matrix before purchasing.
Phone Management Operations
| Operation |
Description |
| Add Phone |
Create a new phone record; assign name, base settings, site, and hardware ID |
| Import Phones |
Bulk import via CSV |
| Restart Phone |
Sends a restart command to the managed phone over the network |
| Log Out Phone |
Logs the user off the phone remotely |
| Migrate Base Settings |
Move phones to a different base settings profile (e.g., after a model upgrade) |
| Edit Phone |
Change name, base settings, site assignment, line key configuration |
| Check Status |
View online/offline status for each phone |
| Filter |
Filter phone list by site, base settings, status, or name |
Permissions
| Permission |
Purpose |
Telephony > Plugin > All |
Full access to telephony admin including Phone Management |
Telephony > SitesManagedPhones > View/Add/Edit/Delete |
Phone-specific permissions |
Key Takeaways
| Topic |
Summary |
| Phone categories |
Managed · Unmanaged · WebRTC · Remote |
| Managed phones |
Fully provisioned by Genesys Cloud via HTTPS — TLS, redundancy, ZTP automatic |
| Unmanaged phones |
Configured externally; only SIP registration info in Genesys Cloud; uses generic profile |
| WebRTC |
Browser-based; no hardware; headset required; per-user enablement |
| Remote |
External number (cell phone, SIP address) bridged to calls |
| Base Settings |
Reusable profile — codec, DTMF, TLS, QoS, firmware, HELD |
| Navigation |
Admin → Telephony → Phone Management |
| Phones tab |
Manage individual phone records |
| Base Settings tab |
Manage configuration templates |