Best Practices? Merlin Mail Remote Access

[stillusingmerlin]

I have just installed a Merlin Mail R3 in a Legend system.

Company policy states all phones must be answered by a human during business hours so this vm will be used only during night service.

However, I have some users who will be traveling and need to check vm during the day. Obviously, I can't just let vm answer since it's not nighttime. I was going to make the vm calling a DID extension but TouchToneTommy pointed out the security risk.

So, what is the best practice for this desired setup? Am I going to have to have another employee transfer the remote employee into vm?

 

[thephonelady]

If you do assign a DID to the vm make sure to change any admin passwords from the default & restrict the vm ports.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Do the employee's themselves have DID numbers? Have them call their own DID, wait for voicemail, and dial *7

 

[stillusingmerlin]

Employees do each have DID numbers. But I can't let the offsite employee during the day call in and hit *7 since:

1) VM is only on at night so the attendant won't answer
and
2) Employees phone are covered multiple ways since policy has a human answering all day so a co-worker would answer before auto attendant anyway. We have group coverage and individual coverage types out the wazoo.

Looks like I either have to make the co-worker transfer the offsite employee to the calling group or accept the security risks of having the calling group have a DID extension.

How is the risk any worse than when at night the auto attendant answers and the caller hits *7 and trys to guess my sys admin pwd?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Same difference - the Auto Attendant will answer the DID during the day - caller must know to dial the *7 -don't make that part of the recording