IP Office Multi Campus PA broadcast

[phillip.bcs]

Background:
We have four campuses each running the Avaya IP Office 500v2 with 9.0.700... Each campus runs on its own network and the communication between the systems works perfectly. At each campus, I have a Rauland Telecenter connected to the IPO using an analog trunk that provides dial tone. I have a shortcode configured at each location that when dialed sends a code through the line number (the analog trunk) to the Telecenter. This all works perfectly also. Any person knowing the shortcode in each building can pick up a phone, dial it and make a PA announcement in that building.

My question:
Our Superintendent would like the ability to do this same thing, but hit all four campuses simultaneously. If each PA port were an extension, I could easily setup a group to accomplish this, however they are not. Each campus uses an analog trunk and to make matters worse, the code that is sent to the PA is different in one of the locations. I cannot change that each PA connects in this way.

Is there a way in programming to simultaneously dial out four trunks, each on a different IPO?
If not exactly, is there a way to initiate a conference call that will connect all four systems plus the initiator?
I appreciate any insight.

 

[IPGuru]

I think you are going to have to "Cheat" a little.

My best guess (& this is untested & may not work) would be to create a group with 4 dummy users each set up with mobile twinning to call the paging systems.

Good luck


Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear

 

[TouchToneTommy]

The Rauland Telecenter should have an override input for a microphone with a push to talk switch.

Use analog station ports at each side programmed as a Loudspeaker Paging port. Interface to a Bogen UTI-1 configured for paging port and VOX, (you will need a matching transformer between the IPO and the UTI). The UTI will provide an audio output and contact closure (the push to talk switch), and you may need another matching transformer to get from the UTI output to the microphone input.

Put all 4 analog stations into one hunt group and a short code to dial page to the group.

But first, confirm that you can have a remote site's analog paging port included in a non-local hunt group

 

[phillip.bcs]

Thank you for the replies so far.

IPGuru
Your solution makes the most practical sense, however I overlooked something in my thought process. I can easily setup "dummy" extensions and have done so in my tests. Each "dummy" extension is configured for twinning and to dial the local short code for the PA. I can dial these "dummy" extensions for each campus and they connect me to the PA perfectly. I have each extension added to a hunt group, but here's the problem: I don't see a way to configure a hunt group to dial each number and connect simultaneously. A hunt group works by ringing all the member extensions and connecting to the first one that picks up. The remaining extensions are dropped from the call. Is there a way around this? How do I get the system to connect me to all four members of the group regardless of one picking up?

TouchToneTommy
Thank you for your response, but this would require me changing the way the systems already work. Additionally, I know for a fact that one of our Telecenter units does not have the capability you mention which is why we went the direction we did the in the first place.

I appreciate the help. It seems like there should be a way to do this through some type of conferencing.

 

[mforrence]

In order to keep it simple and robust I'd use a separate audio input on each Telecenter and use a Valcom audio distribution solution to get audio to each site. That allows you to leave current connections alone.

Mike Forrence

http://www.goteamvox.com

 

[budbyrd]

Telecenter is a wide statement. There is the IV, V, 21, 1100, IP and they may have a few newer versions. Just about all of them have an 'off bus'. This is a connection that will send audio to all non activeted speakers.

Dermis and feline can be divorced by manifold methods.*
*(Disclaimer for all advise given)--'Version Dependent'

 

[phillip.bcs]

Greetings,

I feel I need to clarify a few things. Firstly, we already have a working solution for connecting the phone system to the PA in each building individually. It works well and we have no issues there. Secondly, the point of this project is to see if we can accomplish the end goal without having to purchase additional equipment or change how the equipment we have currently works (programming excluded).

The question is: Is it possible through the Avaya IPO to dial a number or shortcode and have it routed through four different lines/extensions/etc simultaneously? The method IPGuru suggested does work to connect all the extensions in a group, however once one of the extensions picks up, the other three are dropped because the call was connected. That is the nature of hunt groups as I understand it. Is there a different options? Is there a way to conference them all in?

Here's a thought on conferencing them all in...
Is there a way through programming to create a conference with all four extensions?
Example: Super dials shortcode -> a conference is created -> building one connects to PA and is linked into conference -> building two connects to PA and is linked into conference -> and so on until all four buildings are now in the conference. Anything said by Super is sent across the conference and thus out each PA.

 

[rdoubrava]

Have you tried a ring all hunt group with all four extension as members ?

 

[phillip.bcs]

Hello, rdoubrava.
I'm guessing you mean "Collective" as the ring mode because there is not "ring all" option.
My choices are Collective, Collective Call Waiting, Sequential, Rotary and Longest Waiting
From the help file and my experimentation, once a call is picked up, the system stops trying. If two members pickup, the system awards the call to the first (fastest) to connect. Unless someone can tell me differently, this is what I've experienced.

 

[budbyrd]

Just for clarity. Analog ringing station ports and analog trunk ports will never work for what you are attempting to do. Forcing connections to these ports doesn't look possable. All I have with me at work is the schematics for the Telecenter 21, which on further review would need to use the mic input which will require a contact closure. I have the schematics at home for the TC IV, V, and 1100, but I would guess the mic option would be all you would have.
With that said, if you don't want to add equipment, not going to happen.
My suggestion would be a Bogen WMT1-A to have a 600 ohm connection to the IPO analog page port and a mic level output. The mic out of the WMT1A to a Bogen VAR-1 to provide the contact closure. And use as earlier suggested the mic input of the intercom. Make the IPO ports page ports in a hunt group and the short code a Dial Page.

Dermis and feline can be divorced by manifold methods.*
*(Disclaimer for all advise given)--'Version Dependent'

 

[phillip.bcs]

We seem to have conflicting information.
Three of my Telecenter units have a phone connection that act as an analog trunk port or phone line. I have this connected to my IPO as an analog trunk and have it assigned a line number. Because it has a line number, I can direct any call through that trunk using a short code. This is what we're doing now. The conflict comes in (and maybe I'm just misunderstanding you) where you are saying we cannot do exactly what we are already doing. That is, directing a connection out the analog port of the IPO to the Telecenter.

Analog port is line number 88.
Shortcode is set to action "Dial"
Number is "#00"
Line Group ID is 88

Any handset is used to dial the shortcode. IPO opens analog port on line 88 and dials the #00 digits. The Telecenter then answers (picks up) and the connection to the PA system is complete. This is working perfectly and has been for some time on all the units. It obviously works so a limitation of utilizing this method does not exist on the Telecenter but rather the IPO.
I hope that makes sense.

Will having the extensions set as page ports and placed in a Hunt group resolve the issue I stated earlier?

 

[budbyrd]

What you can't do is access or 'connect together' multipule trunks or 'ringing' analog stations. Analog 'Page Extension' are going to be the only connections that you will be able to page as a group. Those are going to be a pure audio signal. The IPO requires a 600 ohm load to recognise that there is a paging system attached. The Telecenter doesn't have that sort of connection in it's design.

Dermis and feline can be divorced by manifold methods.*
*(Disclaimer for all advise given)--'Version Dependent'

 

[TouchToneTommy]

You can't dial a short code and access multiple TRUNK (line) ports simultaneously

You can do a dial page to a hunt group that contains multiple single line extension ports PROGRAMMED AS PAGING PORTS

On the Telecenters, don't you also have to dial a zone code once connected? I'll admit my experience with Telecenter is small, but that's the obstacle we had to overcome, page IP telephones and ALL of the loudspeakers simultaneously. This does not allow us to dial a page zone code into the Telecenter while the IP phones are opened up for the page. So we used a single line station port programmed as a page port, into a UTI-1 to create a VOX controlled contact closure, and fed that into the microphone override input, which pages all zones at the push of the switch

 

[budbyrd]

Telecenters do require DTMF to do any sort of paging off the CO (aka Master) ports. The UTI will work for simultaneous page in a page group on the mic input. The WMT1A to a VAR-1 to the mic port is another way to do it. I have in the past made short codes as phillip is doing for a strictly overhead page.
One thing to keep in mind, the 'group page' uses the conference function of the IPO and is limited to 64 stations at once. Got caught with my pants down on that one once. For larger schools we recommend overhead paging. Most of them anymore don't use 'intercoms' because they have phones. Just be aware when replacing intercom systems with overhead paging the speakers are a 25V system versus 70V and wire the amp accordingly.

Dermis and feline can be divorced by manifold methods.*
*(Disclaimer for all advise given)--'Version Dependent'