The invention relates to the equipping of an elevator (1, 2) with hardware in order to control the same. This hardware is provided in the form of a customary radio telephone (3) which serves as a unit for controlling the elevator. The radio telephone (3), also designated as mobile , comprises a keypad (4) provided as a data entry unit, and comprises a display element (5), also named display , which is provided as a data output unit. The mobile (3) can wirelessly communicate with a mobile radio telephone network (6), whereby speech and/or data can be transmitted. The mobile radio telephone network (6) can contact other mobiles or a terminal (7) in order to transmit speech and/or data. The terminal (7) is comprised of a computer system, designated as server (8), which has access to a memory (9) containing elevator-specific and/or general information. The server (8) is also connected to the elevator system (1, 2) via an interface (10). The mobile (3), mobile radio telephone network (6) and terminal (7) form a human-machine interface between the user and the elevator system (1, 2).