With the configure layouts feature for MPP devices, Control Hub administrators can customize a user’s programmable line keys (PLK) on the phone and on any attached Key Expansion Modules (KEM) with the existing Configure Lines and the user’s Monitoring list.

On MPP devices, the layout options include setting the primary and shared line appearances (PLK only), monitoring lines (PLK and KEM), and speed dials (PLK and KEM).

Applying layouts in bulk (templates) to many MPP devices is coming soon.

Prerequisites for both the Default and Custom Layout modes

  • Only supported on Cisco 6800, 7800, and 8800 Series phones running Multiplatform (MPP) firmware

  • Only supported on Cisco Key Expansion Modules (KEM) for Cisco MPP 6800 and 8800 Series

  • Primary and shared lines for the user’s phone are configured using the Configure Lines feature.

  • Monitoring users and/or call park extensions are added to the User’s Monitoring List.

Known issues and workarounds

  • In Custom Layout mode, changing an existing Monitor or Speed Dial assignments to open or changing the layout mode back to default may not remove the current monitor or speed dial values on the phone. This results in a mismatch between the layout displayed in Control Hub and what is showing on the phone. In some cases, the old monitor entries on the phone may cause a conflict on the phone resulting in a blank line key with a blinking amber LED. To resolve the issue, use one of the workarounds listed below.

    • Admin clearing the stale monitor or speed dial line keys

      From the configure layout screen, stale monitor or speed dial line keys can remotely be cleared by temporarily changing the line key entries to the primary line option, saving the entries and then applying changes. Once the phone is updated, you can set the desired line keys to use the open option to clear the keys.

    • Phone user manually clearing stale monitor or speed dial line keys

      This workaround should be done with the assistance of a phone provisioning admin. Stale Monitor or Speed Dial entries can be cleared on the phone through a long button press of the line key and then select the None option from the menu.


       
      This workaround is not applicable to remove call park extension.
  • Monitoring list that includes Call Park Extensions

    If a user’s monitoring list includes call park extensions, it is recommended that the call park extensions be positioned at the end of the monitoring list and the layouts should only contain enough monitoring positions to accommodate the user portion of the monitoring list.

    For example, if a user’s configured monitoring list contains four user entries and four call park locations, the administrator should create a layout with only four monitoring positions and at least four open keys. This allows the user monitoring entries to fill the layout monitoring line keys and the call park locations to fill the open line keys.

  • When in Add KEM mode, switch between the 14 and 18 button KEM styles will not preserve the configuration.

Preview Layout Mode

Use this mode to see how the layout appears when you apply changes to the device. The preview uses tabs to simulate the touchscreen interface of Cisco 8875 phones and helps verify the layout based on the line keys, speed dials, and shortcuts you populate.

The following preview mode is available for phones without physical line keys, such as the Cisco 8875 Desk Phone:

  • Main screen - View the order of the first four line key assignments.
  • All - View all of the configured line keys, speed dials, and shortcuts.
  • Lines - View the configured lines.
  • Speed dials - View the configured speed dials.
  • Shortcuts - View the configured shortcuts.

    Configure layout screen for the default layout of a device in Control Hub.

If you do not perform any action in the configure layouts screen, the phone automatically uses the default layout that uses the following logic:

  • The first-line key position (upper left PLK) is always the primary owner of the phone.

  • The remaining PLKs populate in the following order starting from the second PLK (from Left side down and then right side top to bottom):

    • Any additional primary and shared lines that are specified in the configure lines section are applied.

    • Any monitoring list entries (top-down) are applied to any remaining empty PLKs.

    • If a KEM(s) is attached to the device, additional monitoring entries overflow to the first available KEM key starting on the top-left to the KEM bottom-right, and from KEM Page-1 to Page-2, and so on.


 
  • When in the default layout, the preview layout is the only available view.

  • Currently, primary and shared lines are not available in KEM keys.

  • Any keys not populated automatically by the layout are considered open PLK and KEM keys.

Preview Layout Mode

Use this mode to see how the layout appears when you apply changes to the device. The preview uses tabs to simulate the touchscreen interface of Cisco 8875 phones and helps verify the layout based on the line keys, speed dials, and shortcuts you populate.


 
  • For layouts with open PLKs, manually provisioned speed dials from the phone do not appear in preview.

  • Refer the PLK explanation to find out why a particular PLK is assigned an unexpected value.

The following preview mode is available for phones without physical line keys, such as the Cisco 8875 Desk Phone:

  • Main screen - View the order of the first four line key assignments.
  • All - View all of the configured line keys, speed dials, and shortcuts.
  • Lines - View the configured lines.
  • Speed dials - View the configured speed dials.
  • Shortcuts - View the configured shortcuts.
Custom layout screen in Control Hub for a device.

Custom Layout

Use custom layout to change the PLK layout in your device. As an administrator, you can define the following changes to the PLK layout using the drop-down list for each PLK.


 
To help you customize your phone layout, the portal alerts you if the quantities on the device’s shared line list or your monitoring list do not match your active layout. The alerts are called Advisories and appear just above the layout area. Advisories are informational messages only and do not prevent you from saving the layout that you create. You can clear advisories by either adding more PLK positions of the required type to your layout or by reducing the entries in device’s shared line list or the user’s Monitoring list.

Functional Options

  • Choose the required option from the drop-down lists and set PLK values as needed.

  • Swap PLK positions by dragging from one position to another.

  • Use the Add KEM option (if the MPP model supports KEM) and configure monitoring and speed dial entries.

  • You can save or cancel editing of the Layout.

  • Use the Apply Changes option from the Device Edit, Actions Menu to push the new Layout to the device.

PLK Configurable Options

  • Open – No value specified.

    • Primary line is the default option for all PLKs other than the first-line appearance (Dedicated Primary Line).

    • Overflow from the Monitoring list fills up the Open PLK positions.

    • You can manually provision a Speed Dial on Open PLKs in the phone.

  • Primary Line – Set the PLK as a primary line.

    • You cannot change the default value for the first PLK as it is the Primary Line.

    • You cannot drag the primary line appearance in the first PLK to any other position.

    • Setting a prime line clears all extended line key functions like Monitoring or Speed Dial values that may exist in a PLK from a previous configuration.

  • Shared Line – Designate a PLK as a Shared Line.

    • Shared Line Appearance (SLA) positions populate from the values set in configure lines.

    • SLAs populate PLK positions to the layout from top-left to bottom-right.

    • A warning displays if the number of SLA in the configure lines list exceeds the available shared line positions in the Layout.

  • Speed Dial – Designate a PLK as a Speed Dial. Required fields include Name and Destination.

    • Speed Dial entries require a name and destination extension, telephone number or SIP URI ( example@webex.com.


       
      All SIP URI destinations are not routable.
    • Speed Dials defined in layouts are not customizable on the device.

    • Speed Dials can be defined as PLKs on Phones or on KEMs.

  • Monitoring – Designate a PLK as a Monitoring line.

    • Monitoring (BLF) positions populate from the values set in the monitoring list.

    • Monitoring entries populate the defined Monitoring PLKs first followed by Open PLKs.

    • A warning displays if the number of monitoring entries in your monitoring list exceeds the available monitoring positions in the Layout.

You can use the custom layout to configure lines on a KEM. You can assign primary lines, shared lines, monitored lines, and speed dials.

 
The 18 key KEM configuration does not support primary and shared lines. Therefore, these lines are not available for use within the KEM device.

Before you begin

  • Cisco 8851, 8861, and 8865 devices support KEMs.

  • Each KEM has 28 programmable keys (two pages of 14 keys). If you have more than one KEM, then consecutive pages list the keys.

  • The total line capacity for MPP phones with KEMs is now 16 lines (primary and shared lines combined across phone and KEM).

  • A user’s Configured Lines and Monitor List overflow to the provisioned KEMs.

  • Call park extensions only flow onto line keys marked as Open
1

In the customer view in https://admin.webex.com, go to Users.

2

Locate and select the user’s line keys you want to configure.

3

Click Devices.

4

Select a device that you wish to configure.

5

Click Manage > Configure Layouts.

6

Choose Custom Layout.


 

By selecting Custom Layout, the KEM resets and displays two rows of 14 each, with three pages to navigate through. Each page is a new KEM.

7

Click Configure KEM Keys.


 

Monitored lines configure all open lines in this sequence:

  1. First fills the specified monitored line slots in the line key configuration.

  2. KEM key configuration

8

Assign primary lines, shared lines, monitored lines, or speed dials to the line key assignments.


 

Monitored lines configure all open lines in this sequence:

  1. First fills the specified monitored line slots in the line key configuration.

  2. KEM key configuration

9

(Optional) You can remove the existing KEM key configurations by clicking Remove All.

10

Click Save.