Programmable Buttons

As well as the usual dialing keys, Avaya digital and IP phones have dedicated function buttons like Mute, Volume, Hold, Conference and Transfer. In addition to these, on many Avaya digital and IP phones there are keys that can be programmed with a range of selected special functions. These keys can be used for calling other extensions on the system (Direct Station Select or DSS keys), or can be used for options from speed dialing numbers to controlling features such as Do Not Disturb. Many features use an indicator to show whether a feature is enabled. Button programming is done through the IP Office Manager application as part of the system configuration, although some phones allow the user to program buttons and functions where given administration rights.

Computer Telephony Integration

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) is about bridging the gap between the telephone system and business applications. On IP Office, this is achieved by use of the IP Office CTI Link, a CTI middleware product and Software Developers Kit.

On IP Office, CTI is delivered through adherence to open standards. This gives businesses access to a wide range of third-party solutions, addressing vertical markets, and designed to meet their requirements. For developers, migrating their offering from other platforms to IP Office is quick and easy, and the advanced CTI features IP Office offers makes it easy to demonstrate full integration, and more business benefits.

IP Office provides two levels of CTI interoperability: CTI Link Lite, which is free of charge, provides all the functionality required to support the vast majority of applications, including screen-popping, and many third-party products.

CTI Link Pro provides enhanced functionality, including the ability to control multiple telephones and gives access to advanced call center operation.

Because IP networking is integrated into the IP Office system, all CTI is done through the LAN. On many other systems, CTI is delivered by a physical connection between each handset and computer (first party CTI). This introduces additional points of failure, as well as relying on non-standard interfaces and handsets. On IP Office, all devices can be used with CTI.

E-mail Reading

In addition to providing a unified mailbox for voicemail messages, emails and fax message, VoiceMail Pro can also provide the ability to retrieve email messages through the telephone.

When operating in INTUITY mode, using a Microsof Exchange server and with the system licensed for Text-To-Speech (TTS) facilities the user will be presented with a list of both voicemail messages and email messages. The emails can be read out over the telephone in any of the supported 14 languages, based upon the system or user localization settings. The benefit to the user is that their messages are now accessible while in and out of the office through any telephone.

When accessing messages through the telephone all new voicemail messages will be presented to the mailbox owner before any new email messages. When accessing an email message the system refers to the message as “New message with text”.

Configuring the reading of emails to users is a simple exercise:

1. TTS services will be loaded onto the VoiceMail Pro server (the Avaya TTS media pack will install the Avaya TTS engine)
2. A TTS license key will need to be purchased and entered into IP Office manager
3. For each user who is wishes to utilize email reading, the user’s email address will need to be entered into the user profile details in IP Office Manager and the facility enabled through the email reading checkbox.

Where the user has email reading in their voicemail box, they will be able to record a voice reply to the email, and send it as a .WAV attachment to a reply email to the person who sent the email.

Voicemail Pro

IP Office VoiceMail Pro offers all the features and facilities of VoiceMail Lite and can be tailored to meet the individual needs of a business. It has higher call capacity by scaling up from 4 to 30 simultaneous calls. All options are available in a choice of languages; both spoken voice prompts and graphical programming interfaces and have the choice of IP Office TUI and INTUITY emulation TUI.

At the heart of VoiceMail Pro is the ability to construct call flows from a series of different building blocks. These building blocks allow automation over tasks like answer a call, listen for tone-dialed digits, make a call etc. VoiceMail Pro call flows allow far more than just guiding a user to the group or extension they require. Call flows allow VoiceMail Pro to dial back users as soon as a voicemail message is left for them, it provides remote access to phone forwarding settings should a user wish to change their Forwarding or Follow Me number from an external telephone.  VoiceMail Pro provides message handling for individuals or groups, audio information to callers so assisting the operator during periods of heavy call activity and links to business applications through services such as Text-to-Speech. VoiceMail Pro provides a full telephony applications environment where call flows can be set up and interact in real time with business workflow – callers can interact via menus and data entry and VoiceMail Pro applications can speak back results. For example, users can listen to their email messages through the telephone

A single PC based VoiceMail Pro server can provide voicemail services to multiple IP Office systems in a Small Community Network over the LAN, WAN or a Frame Relay network. This is referred to as ‘Centralized Voicemail’ and can reduce costs, while facilitating communication between IP Office sites.

SoftConsole

ITC Would like to Introduce SoftConsole. SoftConsole is the PC based Windows Operator Console for IP Office. SoftConsole has been designed to improve operator service by providing the operator with call information and available call actions to simplify call handling and give the appropriate response to the caller. With this easy to use software tool the operator can maintain visibility of the number and type of calls waiting and so ensure that clients are greeted in a professional manner. SoftConsole has a similar look and feel to the Phone Manger application and can be minimized in the Windows system tray when not in use, but will pop up on the screen when a call is received.

DID (Direct Inward Dial)

Direct-Inward-Dialing relies on the local telephone exchange passing all or part of the dialed number to the IP Office. This number can then be used by IP Office call routing software to route the call to an individual phone, or groups of phones. This service is typically used to reduce the workload on a reception position by giving members of staff or departments individual numbers so they can be called directly. For convenience it is common to have the extension or group number the same as the digits supplied from the network, but IP Office can convert the number to what ever number is needed by the business, within limits. In North America, T1 circuits are required for DID.

Park

As an alternative to placing a call on hold, a call can be parked on the system to be picked by another user.

The call park facility is available through the user’s telephone, Phone Manager or SoftConsole. Calls are Parked against a ‘park slot number’ which can be announced over a paging system so the person the call is for can go to any phone and collect the call by dialling the park slot number.

For convenience Phone Manager has 4 pre-defined park buttons. On digital phones with DSS/BLF keys it is possible to program Park keys that will indicate when there is a call in a particular park slot and allow calls to be parked or retrieved.

There is a system configurable timeout that determines how long a call may remain parked before it is re-presented to the extension that originally parked the call.

Music On Hold

The IP Office system supports up to 4 sources of music on hold – one system source which may be external, internal (WAV) or tone, plus up to 3 additional internal sources. Small Office Edition supports either one internal or one external music on hold source at a time. The internal sources are .WAV files saved either in volatile memory, or on the optional memory card in an IP500, IP406 V2 or Small Office Edition. The .WAV file must be 16bit PCM mono and sampled at 8Khz with a maximum duration of 30 seconds.

From release 4.2, the alternate sources for music on hold are selectable for use by Incoming Call Routes or Hunt Groups (not available on the Small Office Edition). On IP500 systems, each source can be up to 90 seconds long (30 seconds on IP406 V2 and IP412).

External music on hold sources connect to the 3.5mm Audio socket on all IP Office control units.

VPN Telephones

Does your company have remote workers? If so then ITC Communications may have a solution for you. With the use of an Avaya IP Office and an IP telephone with VPN software your employees can have a telephone in their house, remote office, or any other location with internet access. The phone functions exactly as it would if the person was located in the office. Voicemail, hold music, parking, paging, and transferring work exactly the same. The phone just becomes another extension on the phone system. Please ask us today about adding VPN telephones to your IP Office.