Mitel 3300 CX - Auto attendant question for licenses of voicemail box 2

[TrentGreenawalt]

So i "assumed" this was "included" but now come to find out it is not. My experience with phone systems over the years lead me to assume that a std. VM system (embedded or not) would have a simple auto-attendant built in right? Well yes of course it comes with it. After reading the fine print on Mitel.com: (embedded voicemail is what I am referring to)

http://www.mitel.com/resources/3300_emb_data_D.pdf

It clearly states:
Multi-level auto-attendant allows system administrators
to set up a hierarchical DTMF-based menu structure that
provides callers with individuals, departments, prerecorded
information or allows them to leave messages directly.

So I "assumed" that having a standard greeting of:
Hi thank you for calling ABC widget supply,
Please
press 1: For new orders
press 2: For existing orders
press 3: For shipping inquiries
press 4: For AR
press 5: For AP
Press 0: To connect to an operator

Would be a simple auto-attendant right? When you press each of these numbers, I would like it to transfer to either a direct extension or hunt group (Same thing in my eyes). Then if the person doesn't answer, I need it to go to a department VM box. (5 departments total)

So in this scenerio, on any other phone system this should only take 5+1 mailboxes right? One for each department/user and possibly one for the auto-attendant (if a mailbox does the menu options).

Well in this scenerio this will take......(11 total mailboxes, to accomplish this simple task?????) Is this right? At $50 a mailbox, I am not thinking this is a good business practice. Someone please set the record straight for me on this.

We are signing contracts tomorrow and this could be a deal breaker.

Thanks in advance for your detailed responses!
Zilla

 

[Supernova99]

If you are using MLAA just to xfer to other destinations then you do not need a mailbox for each option
However if you require other options i.e. to play an info message or indeed to leave a message then you do.
You may also need mailboxes attached to the numbers you have transferred to so that if they are busy/NA then you can route it to voicemail so the caller can leave a message.
BTW $50 per mailbox should not be a deal breaker, at least you are not having to buy another box to do your voicemail.

Share what you know - Learn what you don't

 

[TrentGreenawalt]

Thanks Super! So just to be clear, in the example above, if I did in fact want to route it to a different hunt group for each option, and then after 4 rings if no one picks up I would like it to go to a department VM box, how many actual licensed VM boxes would I need? I would think the 5 department boxes, and 1 for the MLAA, so a total of 6 correct or is it 11 (one for each prompt, one for each department = 10 + the MLAA makes 11)?

 

[kwbMitel]

Supernova - Unless something has changed recently, you DO need a mailbox for each choice in the example above.

Zilla, 11 mailboxes? No, not if you are using MLAA. If you are using single digit mailboxes for the options and they terminate to non-single digit mailboxes that each require message taking then I would get 10. (Zero does not require a license)

With MLAA you would need 6 licenses.
1 for the MLAA mailbox
5 at 1 for each of the 5 non-zero choices

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[kwbMitel]

Re: your question in another thread. about transfering to external numbers.

In this scenerio, did you have an associated MB for those extensions or speed dials? I just started another post about this and can't imagine that we need MB for ever Press #1 for this, and Press #2 for that. If the above worked and you used a speed dial, and an extension without having additional mailboxes setup then perhaps this may answer my question. Please comment either back here, or in my other "more detailed" post.Thanks,Zilla

A valid mailbox is required for each choice of the MLAA. In the instance of transfering to a speedcall for external dialing the mailbox extension would match a speedcall.

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[TrentGreenawalt]

I have experience with Nortel and Avaya unfortunately, so with both systems this was a non-issues. Can one of you please explain the example that KwbMitel just suggested. I would definitly want to go with "option b" using 6 mailboxes.

So would my key selection options not be 1,2,3,4,5 it would be dialing the actual extension of the hunt group or personal extension?

For example:
Option A
Hi thank you for calling ABC widget supply,
Please press
1: For new orderspress
2: For existing orderspress
3: For shipping inquiriespress
4: For ARpress
5: For APPress
0: To connect to an operator
ResultThis takes 11 VM boxes - (1) VM Box for each translation from the Press 1 to the actual hunt group number (say hunt group 1234), then (1) VM Box for each departmental VM box, and lastly (1) VM box for the MLAA = Total of 11)


However if I did this:
Option B
Hi thank you for calling ABC widget supply,
Please press
1234: For new orderspress
1235: For existing orderspress
1236: For shipping inquiriespress
1237: For ARpress
1238: For APPress
0: To connect to an operator

Result: (This takes 6 VM boxes, since there is no translation, and the user must dial the whole extension we only need the (1) VM Box for each departmental VM box, and lastly (1) VM Box for the MLAA = Total of 6)

We would like to get Option A results, but only using the license count of Option B. Am I wrong here in thinking this is a racket for licensing? LIke they can't code this to work without the use of a VM box to transfer (translate) a number?

Thanks again for your continued comments. I hope others diving into Mitel and read this and make a better decision than I did. GO WITH THE NUPOINT vm.

Regardless, please clarify that the above is true and I will work around it. My problem with it all is that I would have to buy 20 more mailboxes (on top of the 50 I just bought) to make it work as the owners want (not relavant to my example) which is over $1200 with licensing/labor costs.

Thanks,
Zilla

 

[TrentGreenawalt]

Quote: " Supernova - Unless something has changed recently, you DO need a mailbox for each choice in the example above.Zilla, 11 mailboxes? No, not if you are using MLAA. If you are using single digit mailboxes for the options and they terminate to non-single digit mailboxes that each require message taking then I would get 10. (Zero does not require a license)

With MLAA you would need 6 licenses.1 for the MLAA mailbox 5 at 1 for each of the 5 non-zero choices "

So when is my example in the previous post accurate then, or would i need the 10 for either instance. I would rather have the 1,2,3 then the 4 digit extensions.

Explain to me why in the world this would be programmed like this. It really doesn't make an ounce of sense that I would need to use 10 VM boxes to accomplish this simple task???

Thanks for this information, it is all starting to make sense now.

 

[kwbMitel]

For this example
[tt]1001 = Option 1
1002 = Option 2
1003 = Option 3
1004 = Option 4
1005 = Option 5
0 = Operator[/tt]

Required:
Mailbox 1000 = MLAA Menu Node
Mailbox 1001
Mailbox 1002
Mailbox 1003
Mailbox 1004
Mailbox 1005
Mailbox zero (does not require license)

Caller Dials in and hears greeting from MLAA Menu MB 1000
Caller dials 1 of 6 options
Call is directed to extension programmed against associated MB.

6 Mailbox Licenses required
Caller only dials 1 digit

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[Supernova99]

Guys, sorry I did not read it correctly
Each 1,2,3,4 option consumes a mailbox licence as it is in here that you configure your destination number (5)

Each department (if required) will need a mailbox to be routed to if Busy/NA (5)

Mailbox 0 is not licenced as this is part of the base voicemail system along with 9999

So total 10


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[kwbMitel]

Supernova - Your example as far as I can tell is using single digit mailboxes and not a Menu Node (MLAA)

The department Mailbox and the destination mailbox can be the same number when using MLAA. Thus only 6 mailboxes are required.

Zilla - The exception being if you want to ring an extension / Hunt group and then proceed to some other numbered mailbox if unanswered but this would not meet the "Simple Auto-Att"

Additionally, MLAA mailboxes do not allow dial by name or dial an extension so you are limited to defined choices.

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[fissure]

I noticed the other day there is a part:
EMEM VM Upgrade Package (34 User)
part number: 54005093
which works out cheaper than buying say 34 x voicemail

might be relevant if buying lots of voicemail licenses...

 

[Supernova99]

MRP for 54005093 is $780 which is $22 per mailbox
There is no discount applied to this so try and negotiate a discount with your VAR and you might get them for less than $20 per box

I have converted the MRP in the UK (£500) for 54005093




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[TrentGreenawalt]

You guys are awesome!

Quote:
*************************
The department Mailbox and the destination mailbox can be the same number when using MLAA. Thus only 6 mailboxes are required.

Zilla - The exception being if you want to ring an extension / Hunt group and then proceed to some other numbered mailbox if unanswered but this would not meet the "Simple Auto-Att"

Additionally, MLAA mailboxes do not allow dial by name or dial an extension so you are limited to defined choices.
**************************

So in the example provided by you, if I setup VM Box 1-5 as the departmental mailboxes, transfer to a hunt group of (say 10 phones) for option 1, then if no one picks up after X rings the VM Box will pull the call back into it to leave a message? Thus only needing 1 VM box per selection, not two.

What about if there is no department mailbox, I would like to transfer to "engineering dept" (ring a total of 4 phones), but if no one answers, I need it to bounce back to the operator. Does this scenerio only require the one mailbox as well or does this take two?

 

[kwbMitel]

What about if there is no department mailbox, I would like to transfer to "engineering dept" (ring a total of 4 phones), but if no one answers, I need it to bounce back to the operator. Does this scenerio only require the one mailbox as well or does this take two?

Still 1 mailbox, I would use transfer only type and then route the hunt group to the operator on no answer. You may encounter some weirdness if the operator is routed to VM. Theoretically the call to engineering should not follow the operators routing but you never know. Make sure you use routing and not forwarding.

*******************************************************
Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[TrentGreenawalt]

Thanks guys for all of your help, we got it all figured out. Once I get administrator training, I am sure I will have to hit you guys up for some more insight into this system. I gave both of you stars for your help.

Thanks again,

Trent Greenawalt
IT Manager
Milwaukee, WI

Best Regards,

Trent Greenawalt
IT Manager
Milwaukee, WI

 

[TrentGreenawalt]

Sorry for the double sig post.

Best Regards,

Trent Greenawalt
IT Manager
Milwaukee, WI