Thank you. I am going to setup a test system with the EPM and see what the differences are between using it and the DPMA. I have worked with the .xml file enough now that I think I have a handle on it. Now my questions are how does the blf_items= file interact with the rest of the files? What I mean is, most of the documentation seems to refer to a single config file. The FreePBX system uses several separate files that are #included into the main file. When I manually add the blf_items= line in the res_digium_phone_devices.conf file, the one or two buttons I am testing show up on the phone but the rest of them are blank. This appears to override the contacts-1.xml file created by the DPMA. It is an either/or situation not an additive one.
In summary, if I want to use the smart blf feature, I must program all buttons with it. I had hoped I could simply change the color of the led on say the first button and the rest of the buttons would stay as they where defined by the DPMA. For this particular install I have 70 phones. Hand coding 70 phones in the "mybuttons.xml" file is not how I wanted to spend my time! Yes, the EPM will take that drudgery away but then I won't be able to edit them as I wish. Looking at the docs you referred to, the only item I would not like is the button being lit up green when the remote phone is idle. Simply my opinion, nothing more, but I would prefer the led to be off if the remote phone isn't doing anything.
Phone System 