forward calls back into phone system from cell phone 2

[cain12]

Once a call forward to an outside cell phone through an analog line, how could the person on the cell phone route that call back to another extension or voice mail?

I have not found a way to get this work, wonder if anyone know any phone system can support this. I only know TeleVantage system support this. Does Lucent phone system or Siemens phone system support this?

 

[whender]

I do not believe there is anyway to return the call directly, but most cell phones, even though they do not advertise this, have a call forward no answer and call forward busy feature. You could set your cell phone to call back to autoattendant. You will be charged for cell minutes, at least against your plan, for the length of the forward.

 

[cain12]

If you are on the phone with your customer, in the middle of coversation, you need to forward the customer to accounting for charge credit card, but you forwarded him to autoattendent, I don't think he would buy anything from you.

In addition, even if he was happily go through all the struggle get to the right accounting person to pay by his credit card, you driving through an overpass, lost signal, hang uped on your customer. Not a pretty solution. Given many employess working from home these days, having unreliable phone handling is a killer.

On TeleVantage system, you can press "**" to invoke the phone system prompt you to transfer, either to extension or voicemail, or even park the call. If ATA can do "flash*feature", the phone system should be able to handle the call when to outside by processing the "**" in the voice stream. I am looking for a phone system to replace one of our aging TeleVantage system. We already have a new Nortel system that does not support the feature we needed.

 

[senk1s]

Why not get another Televantage system - if this feature is unique and all that important

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

if it was a featuer that is as imporatant as you are saying, then why did they buy a system that did not support this?

 

[jgideon]

televantage is a 'softswitch', and the 'take back and transfer' feature is not common with traditional phone systems (avaya/ lucent/ att/ norstar/ nortel option/ toshiba/ esi/ comdial/ tie/ samsung/ NEC/ inter-tel/ iwatsu/ macrotel/ mitel/ panasonic/ vodavi). It's not even a 'standard' feature on any of the 'big' switches, either. I don't even think Asterisk supports this feature, but I haven't looked at current releases. If you find another system that does, please tell us.

 

[cain12]

We have two TeleVantage phone systems and one Nortel phone system. We like the Nortel's station -- phone. TeleVantage uses regular analog phones, so all the features are voice prompt or flash+feature code, more like ATA. Another issue we don't like is how reliable the phone system depends on the computer.

You would think with so many employees working from home, having this feature would help customers not knowing they actually talking to someone outside office. It is not hard to implement, I think, since all the voice stream is passing through the phone system. Phone system can easily invoke the "command mode", if they can identify a call was being transferred to outside the phone system and "hearing" the special ** code.

 

[dnsincomminc]

Mitel has a solution called Mobile Extension. It works in conjunction with their IP Platform, the 200 icp and the 3300ICP. The way it works is, all calls that come to your desk phone also ring to your cell phone. If you answer the call via your cell phone you can transfer, park, or put the call on hold within the system because the PBX is controlling the call. You can also answer the call at you desk phone and transfer it to yourself, which will in turn ring your call phone and allow you to continue the call even in the event you need to leave your desk.

You can set this feature up and leave it on or turn it on and off when ever you want.



Dan Schollian

http://www.incomminc.com

 

[senk1s]

for home users IP Phone might be a solution - that should have a better QoS than mobile phone reception in SF downtown or my home

Mitel solution seems interesting - does it work with land lines as well? (why is it called mobile extension)

 

[cain12]

How could Mitel Mobile Extension know if the number a cell phone or home phone?

 

[dnsincomminc]

It will work with land lines as well, however they have another solution called Teleworker which allows you to connect a IP phone to your home network. You then create an appearance of your office extension on your teleworker set so when your desk phone rings, the extension at your house also rings. The Mobile Extension is there to cover you when you are away from your desk and your home extension. The other cool thing with Mobile extension is that if you answer a call at your cell phone as you are driving to the office. And you are still on the call when you get to your desk, you simply press a button on your desk phone and hang up your cell phone and the call gets transfered to your desk phone.



Dan Schollian

http://www.incomminc.com

 

[dnsincomminc]

It does not care whether the number is a cell number or a land line. The system simply calls what ever number you have programmed in your mobile extension when a call comes to your desk phone.

Dan Schollian

http://www.incomminc.com

 

[cain12]

What would be estimate cost for a phone system with 25 user support and Mobile Extension? Add Teleworker? Just trying to do a rough estimate comparing to Nortel's IP phone system.

Does Mitel phone has comparable features like Nortel MICS?

 

[dnsincomminc]

It has more features than the MICS, but you comparing apples to oranges. The mitel is also priced higher than the norstar because it has an embedded voice mail and applications that can be added such as Teleworker and Mobile extension. As for an estimate you would have to contact a Mitel VAR in your area. Posting pricing in this forum is frowned upon. You should go the Mitel Networks Forum and post a question about the Mitel switch or go to mitels website.

Not for nothing, but the MICS is one of the greatest key systems ever made. I have on in my home that is 15 years old and still runs like it was brand new. It may have its limitations when compared to some of the new things coming out, but for 10 to 60 user solution it is the best on the market.


Dan Schollian

http://www.incomminc.com