HOW TO DO AN INFO LINE

[wvjock]

Hi. My business does not need fancy auto attendants, or a lot of other cool features. What I do need is this.... about 8 extensions (mainly for internal use), ability for caller to leave messages (no need to particular extension messages), but what I need more than anything is a way for a caller to get info from any automated system. I need the callers to have the ability to get address, driving directions, entertainment for that night - that week - and upcoming, events, etc.... I do not need these callers to leave a message in this area. I was told once that this was an "info" line but I can't seem to find anyone that knows what this is or the equipment that I would need for it. I don't want to set-up a computer and software, is there a hardware system that will do this for me? It doesnt have to be new, just work. It would also be nice if the extensions I do need could use regular phones considering the environment of my business is hard on electronics. I would appreciate any and all help you can give me.

 

[kwing112000]

You can look into the Avaya partenr system with voicemail. There are plenty of them out there so you could get a used one cheap or something. THe info line you are asking about really is just an auto attendant with sub menus.

Kevin Wing
ACA- Implement IP Office
Carousel Industries

 

[avayanooby]

I agree, although your needs are basic, you should still look into a used Avaya Partner w/ messaging system with at least 1 "digital" set for programming. The partner can support basic sets for those areas that are hard on electronics. The partner system is also very "user friendly" as far as the owner / user making changes to the messages as needed. These system are very resonable to the pocket book as well. Im sure one of the experts here can point you in the right direction to obtain one.

 

[skip555]

NEC or if used Nituko VM handles announcement box's much better than the Partner

take a look at the NEC dx40 or a used DS2000

Far more announcement message options

 

[Westi]

99 anouncements should do the trick and if not use the 99 submenues you still can use after that.

Joe W.

FHandw., ACA, ACS

If you can't be good, be good at it!

 

[skip555]

your confusing announcements with a announcement mailbox

with NEC I can create a mailbox as a announcement mailbox

I can specify how many times I want that announcement to play

I can specify how I want the caller handled once they announcement is done playing

cant do that with any partner VM

new DSX40 with intra mail will price out very competitively with a used Partner

so I can say press 1 for info on this weeks sale , it will go to announcement mailbox , play the message as many times as I specify (I usually set it to three )

then I can have the caller returned to the main menu , the operator , a ext , a ring group ,etc etc (I usually have it disconnect )

Partner just doesn't give you that flexibility

no big deal for the end user to go in and change the announcement as often as needed

I'm well versed on both systems and for a info line scenario NEC would be my choice

 

[Westi]

yep the announcement mailboxes in the Partner only play once then you're toast and it hangs up on you, that is a nice feature.

Joe W.

FHandw., ACA, ACS

If you can't be good, be good at it!

 

[ronromano]

I would recommend the Avaya IP Office. It will be alot more than The partner or the NEC but The voicemail is super flexible and can do everything you ask. And by the way, by the very nature of what you are asking for, you are looking for a fancy automated attendant.

I have done installs like you require, more than a few. Every time, the client want to add complexity that they didn't realize they needed until the design started to flesh out and then they would ask, "hey, how do they get back to the main message?" or "can I give them a digit to repeat the directions?"

Now I'm not saying the Partner (I sell that) or the NEC (I don't sell that) won't do what you want, but don't cheap out and get locked into a system that is as flexible. A Partner could probably do what you want but its a pain to set up and maintain.
If I were you I would actually write out the script you want to play and pretend you are a caller and think about what they would want to do.

http://www.nu-tel.com

 

[Trotski]

have a search for third party PC based voicemail systems they are a lot more flexible in what you can do with them

 

[kwing112000]

I agree with Ron. The voicemail Pro that you get with IP Office is one of the best VM's out there. it is very flexible and easy to maintain. it is all dont thru a user friendly GUI. Its drag and drop. you can have different recordings and activate them from outside the office. there is a lot you can do. find an Avaya BP and have a demo. they dont cost anything.

Kevin Wing
ACA- Implement IP Office
Carousel Industries

 

[LkEErie]

I'll insert my favorite brand here, but the Panasonic TA-824 has DISA (poor man's AA) built in and accepts single line sets. The DISA can be expanded to 2 channels and more message time added for menus for a few hundred $$.

The NEC DSX-40 is another option, but not for a huge amount of single line sets, although the DSX-80 might fit with the single line card option. NEC's voice mail is 4 ports and 8 hours, but probably overkill for this application.

An Avaya Partner, particularly in the secondary market, would probably be about the same price as a Panasonic and have a little more Auto Attendant power than the Panasonic. Something like an R7 processor with a 4.1 VM would give you 5 lines 9 sets and the 4 ports of VM/AA.

LkEErie

 

[Trotski]

the Simplified Voice Messaging System we have on the TDA30 used in Aust (TDA50 should have it elsewhere)would work for what your after.

 

[aarenot]

The partner from Avaya can do all you want it just would use different features to accomplish it than having one box called an announcemnt box. Multiple AA's, sub menus, and annoucnements can do what you are asking.

You really are looking for a very sophisticated voicemail system, and fancy AA set up, and as Ron says you just do not know it is that until you get down to actually making a flow chart of what you are looking for in the flow of the call, and what they (caller) presses to hear what they want.

If you seriously want something which is not a sophisticated voicemail, and auto attendant set up after you draw up the flow chart I would be suprised since what you mention is an AA with options for multiple annoucements(directions, events, etc., etc.), and return to the main AA for further options.

Sounds like your looking for a no to low cost solution to provide information. If that is the case what you are looking for is what is called Music/information on hold device. You simply record all the information onto the device, and hook it up to the MOH(music on hold) input on your phone system, and put the caller on hold , and they will hear the recording which is set up to play in a looped audio file. When they are done listening they can hang up, and call back, or set the hold recall for long enough to hear the entire looped message which will make the call on hold ring again so you can answer the call once more.

With a small VM card, and ability to play MOH on transfer rather than ringing, you could have them transfer themselves to a fake ext, and fall back to VM after it times out if your message is short enough to play its entire length in that recall time. This sounds more like the budget you are looking for, even though you seem to want the features of a full blown VM with a good AA set of options, and features.

From your post, I would take a look at the IP Office with VM Pro, and see that you really do want it all. It will cost more than what you are calling simple, but what you want is more than simple, and from my experience you will want even more before you are done, and not be happy with it unless it can do everything you ask, and that is what the VMPRO is like.

If I am wrong then go with the INFO/MOH device, and use hold to communicate the info via this audio source on hold. You can have simple(low $ MOH), or you can have the impossible(IPO) the difference is length of time to implement, and price, you decide.

 

[jerryreeve]

In case you haven't figured it out when you ask for a solution on one of these boards you will be getting a recommendation that reflects what the poster is selling. not a bad thing it just is. I would recommend that you decide what you want the phone system to do and then list it all out and send a request for quote to each local vendor in your area. include a request for mean time between failure and references. then when you get all of the quotes you can look at them in a side-by-side comparison. good luck.

oh, of course my recommendation is the nortel solution but that is not unexpected is it.

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JerryReeve
Communication Systems Int'l
com-sys.com

 

[aarenot]

jerry,

I would agree to some degree, but that does not always hold true that all people only propose what they sell. I for instance work as a consultant which means I make money whether they choose a product I support, or one which I find for them which is a better fit than wha I support.

 

[aarenot]

In fact, if I think the nortel is a better solution than what I support I might call you, and subcontract the services to you marking them up, after getting an appropriate discount from you to leave me some profit. After all, if you have no sales guy in your mix, then you have some room to play since I have cut out the need for him. If I think that is the best fit for the customer it will reduce my profits to farm it out, but I feel they are better served, and that is in reality my aim.

Certain systems have their inherent strengths, like the IPO has 64 channel conference bridge built in. My friends who rep other products farm some of these customers out to me when they have a confr bridge application that is too expensive in the brand they implement. It is a win, win, win for vendor 1, vendor 2, customer.

 

[LkEErie]

The tangent that you all get into is the fact that the original poster wanted to use single line sets and just needed a single line answering machine. I mentioned the Panasonic TA-824 because it does all of those things and it prices out in the Sub 1K price range, even with 3 system phones. Sure I'm a Pana dealer, but I also know what's available in Avaya and any other small system.

Info lines are not complicated and usually only go two levels deep. The key is rapid access to the message to make changes. Directions and the like never change, the entertainment of the night, week, month does. The OP did not want a computer or second piece of gear to play the scripts. If he had, an old "Watson VIS" would do the trick, but it's only single port. An "Amanda" could be scripted out to do the changes, or, for that matter, a "Call Pilot" could probably do it well. The NEC DSX with the new software could be administered from the OP's desktop with greeting changes and the like, and the price would be just a bit more than that $1K target. Of course the drawback is the software *is* beta.

Anyway, enough of the rambling. The OP is probably long gone.

LkEErie

 

[aarenot]

Multiple line is what I read this as, not just one system line. If it is just one line get an answering machine, and retail analog phones.

 

[jerryreeve]

aarenot
OK the toung was firmly stuck in the cheek when I was writing that, Sorry about that


----------------------------
JerryReeve
Communication Systems Int'l
com-sys.com