Dynamic telephone configuration

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of telephones including at least one dynamically configurable telephone having at least one of an input for toggling on and off dynamic configuration of the telephone by a user or an indicator for indicating whether dynamic configuration is on or off;
• a switch that couples telephones and at least one trunk, said switch including physical extensions, wherein each physical extension corresponds to a link to a respective telephone;
• and
• a dynamic configuration module that associates a physical extension of the at least one dynamically configurable telephone with a physical extension input by a user at the at least one dynamically configurable telephone when the user initiates a dynamic configuration of the telephone and wherein the dynamic configuration module further sends a signal to the at least one dynamically configurable telephone indicating the dynamic configuration of the telephone is complete, whereby features associated with the physical extension input by the user are delivered to the at least one dynamically configurable telephone.

In a telephone system having a switch that couples telephones and at least one trunk, the switch including physical and virtual extensions, wherein each physical extension corresponds to a link to a respective telephone and each virtual extension corresponds to a respective user, a method for dynamically configuring a first telephone for use by a first user comprising:

• receiving a virtual extension input by the first user through the first telephone;
• associating a physical extension of the first telephone with the input virtual extension, whereby features associated with the input virtual extension are delivered to the first telephone;
• sending a signal to the first telephone indicating the dynamic configuration of the first telephone is complete;
• and
• providing an indication on the first telephone when the signal is received at the first telephone.

In a telephone system having a switch that couples telephones and at least one trunk, the switch including physical and virtual extensions, wherein each physical extension corresponds to a link to a respective telephone, a method for dynamically configuring a first telephone for use by a first user comprising:

• receiving a physical extension input by the first user through the first telephone;
• associating a physical extension of the first telephone with the input physical extension, whereby features associated with the input physical extension are delivered to the first telephone;
• sending a signal to the first telephone indicating the dynamic configuration of the first telephone is complete;
• and
• providing an indication on the first telephone when the signal is received at the first telephone.