Emulating collective hunt group/allowing user control over call forwarding

[ianns]

Before starting, I'd like to point out that I am relatively new to both Avaya and working with telephony in general, so it would be very helpful if people could keep there responses simple for me please

I have a client who has just had a new IP Office 9.0 system installed, and has some very specific requirements. In essence this would be having one collective hunt group on one of their additional numbers, and allowing the users control from their handsets to setup forwarding on this same number on an adhoc basis.

I understand that you cannot use unconditional forwarding on a collective hunt group.

I also cannot set up time profiles for the client, as the times they want forwarding is variable, and additionally the number they forward to changes on a regular basis, so this would be something that would be much better controlled by the end user.

In essence they want the following:
* Ability to setup forwarding on an adhoc basis from a user handset for one of their additional (not main) numbers by the end users.
* Ability to change which number receives the forwarded calls from a user handset by the end users.
* All phones in the office to ring collectively when external calls are received on the same number.

I suspect there may be some creative way to achieve the above, but after attempting to figure this out myself, searching online for a solution, and banging my head against a wall a little, I've decided I probably need to ask for some help.

I don't know if this will make things any easier, but they do not mind if only one handset in the office is used to setup the forwarding, as long as they have the ability to do it for themselves.

Can anybody help?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

You could use a sequential hunt group, with a single phantom user, that is forwarded unconditionally including hunt group calls to the outside number, as the out of service fallback for the collective hunt group. Make this phantom user a hotdesk, and any user can log in as the phantom to change the destination forwarding number. Use a Set HG OOS button to turn the forwarding on and off.

 

[Ekster]

Try using mobile twinning on one of the extensions in the group with hunt group calls enabled, the phones will continue to ring but the twinned number will too. We use it a lot where customers change the destination and time of the forwarding.

+++ Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot +++

 

[Westi]

Ekster is probably suggesting the best solution for you by just using twinning on any of the handsets ringing in the group, the problem will be that as soon as this cellphone is out of reach and the voicemail picks up the call will be answered by the cell voicemail or message answering on it (should there be no vm) the "mobile answer Guard" does not seem to work for huntgroup calls (a pity as I have a customer that wants 6 cell phones in a group)
In addition to these little oopsies you also cannot do it properly with analog lines so hopefully you have SIP or ISDN lines to make this work.
Twinning is perfect for this as your customer will see the number that is twinned every time they activate it and can change it right there.


Joe W.

TeleTechs.ca
FHandw, ACSS (SME), ACIS (SME)


“This is the end of the world, make sure to buy your T-shirt before it is too late"
Original expression of my daughter

 

[ianns]

Okay well I tried the first suggestion, mainly because I read and implemented that before the twinning suggestion was posted, but will definitely think about the twinning option for future client setups. Just tested it today and all is working as required.

The only change I made to the original suggestion is that I did not use the 'phantom user' option, as they have a spare phone in a back office so I just used that user for the additional hunt group, and told them to set the forwarding number on that handset. Users there aren't very tech savvy so I didn't want to get them logging in and out, plus the setup now implemented closely resembles how they controlled the forwarding on their old phone system, so the client is happy.

Thank you very much to all who offered help