How to Create a Conference Bridge

These are instructions for creating a conference bridge with a PIN code that the customer can set and change from the phone. In order to accomplish this you will need to:

1.) Create an Incoming Call Route
2.) Create 2 short codes
3.) Create 2 Modules in Voice Mail Pro
4.) Create a User Variable in Voice Mail Pro

Although technically you can use almost any numbering scheme you want, you should keep it simple and consistent so that it is easy for you, the customer and other technicians to follow. Using the incoming DID number as the Short Code and the Conference Meet Me ID is a good convention unless the customer specifically requests otherwise.

For this example weÆll use 5650 as the incoming DID. Just change 5650 to whatever you are using.

Create an Incoming Call Route for the DID you are assigning for the conference bridge and point it to the destination VM:Conf5650

In Manager create a Short Code pointing to the ConferenceMeetMe function. Since the incoming DID pointing to the conference bridge is going to be 5650, make the Short Code, and the ConfMeetMe ID 5650 too.

Short Code: 5650
Feature: ConfMeetMe
Telephone Number: 5650
Line Group: 0

This Short Code allows anyone to dial 5650 like an extension number and be connected to the conference bridge. You can also transfer calls to 5650 to add them to the conference.

Create a short code pointing to a Voice Mail Pro Module that will allow the customer to set a PIN code for the Conference Bridge. It can be anything but it should be simple enough for the customer to remember. Adding or subtracting 100 or 1000 from the ConfMeetMe Short Code or adding a ô*ö in front of it is a good convention. So in this case 5750, 6650, or *5650 could work. For one conference bridge this may not seem important, but if you have to set up 10 or 20 for the same customer it helps. In this example, weÆll use *5650

Short Code: *5650
Feature: VoiceMailCollect
Telephone Number: ôSetPIN5650ö
Line Group: 0
The Telephone Number field has to match the name of the module you create in Voice Mail Pro.

***Just make sure the Short Code does not conflict with your dialing plan. If you used 3699 as the DID for the conference bridge and the Short Code for ConfMeetMe and then tried to use *3699 as the Short Code to set the PIN bad things would happen. As soon as the customer dials *36 it will match the default Short Code for Extn Logout and they will be looking at ôNoUserö on their phone. Just be aware of your dial plan.***

In Voice Mail Pro:

From the menu bar at the top click ôAdministrationö and then ôUser Defined Variables.ö A box should appear.

Click the red plus sign icon on the right to add a new variable. Name it PIN5650 and then click update.

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Create a new module called SetPIN5650 (note this matches the Short Code Created earlier)

Connect the Start Point to a Menu Action

On the second tab of the properties of the Menu Action add the wav files:

enu\173.wav
enu\579.wav
enu\No_4.wav
enu\no_.wav

This Plays:

"Please enter new password" "Password must be" "4" "Number"
(enu\No_5.wav will play 5, enu\No_6.wav will play 6, etc)

On the third tab of the properties of the Menu Action add ???? (this assumes a 4 digit PIN, make the number of ô?ö match the number of digits in the PIN and change the third wav file ôenu\No_4.wavö to match this number)

Connect the ???? of the Menu Action to a Set User Variable Action

On the properties of the Set User Variable Action set it to $Key

Connect the Next of the Set User Variable Action to a Disconnect Action

On the second tab of the properties of the Disconnect Action set it to play enu\pin_04.wav (this plays "Your access code has now been changed")

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Create a new module called Conf5650.

Connect the Start Point to a Menu Action

On the second tab of the properties of the Menu Action add the wav file enu\svm_06.wav (this plays "Please enter your access code")

On the third tab of the properties of the Menu Action add ???? (this assumes a 4 digit PIN, make the number of ô?ö match the number of digits in the PIN)

Connect the ???? of the Menu Action to a Test User Variable Action

On the properties of the Test User Variable Action set it to True if PIN5650 matches $Key

Connect the True of the Test User Variable Action to a Transfer Action

In the properties of the Transfer Action enter 5650 as the Extension

Connect the False of the Test User Variable Action to whatever you want to take place if the person dials the wrong PIN. (I usually connect it to another Test User Variable Action to give them a second chance and then connect the false of the second Test User Variable Action to a Transfer to the Receptionist.)

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Externally when some dials the Conference Bridge DID 321-555-5650 they will hear: "Please enter your access code." If they enter the proper access code they are connected to the conference. Internally, dialing 5650 will connect you directly to the conference.

Dialing *5650 will play "Please enter new password. Password must be 4 Number." (ôNumberö should be plural but this is the best you can do with the built in wav files. If it really matters or bothers a customer just do a custom recording. This is really just to avoid phone calls asking how long the PIN for the bridge is.) Whatever digits they enter will become the new PIN code for the bridge. After entering the new code they will hear "Your access code has now been changed."

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If a customer wants a PIN code for internal callers too change the ConferenceMeetMe Short Code from:

Short Code: 5650
Feature: ConfMeetMe
Telephone Number: 5650
Line Group: 0

To:

Short Code: 5650
Feature: VoiceMailCollect
Telephone Number: ôConf5650ö
Line Group: 0

You will need to create another ConferenceMeetMe Short Code and change the Transfer Destination to this new Short Code in the ôConf5650ö Voice Mail Pro Module.