Mitel 3300 Questions about functionality/product

[brenttrucks]

1. Avaya system seems to have a robust call routing tool in the Voicemail Pro software that can do database lookups for values and route based on that.
What is Mitel's product for integrating auto attendant into a database? (Mitel said their Auto Attendant would not do this) Is it Intelligent Routing? How well does it integrate into the Auto Attendant software or is it the same software with an addon module for Intelligent Routing.

2. We have been told the following features will work but they couldn't really show them to us as their system wasn't setup this way. Can anyone confirm these statements that the Mitel 3300 has the ability to do this? Again we don't like being told something only to find out it doesn't work quite this way. I was very specific when I asked this question and got an affirmative answer but sometimes people hear only the call parking part and go "yeah we can do that"

a) I can place a call on hold (On Hold Key) and go to any other phone and press a Pickup Key + Ext# of the phone I put it on hold (or BLF) and get the on hold call. This SAME pickup button can pickup a ringing phone on another extension as well by pressing Pickup Key + Ext# (or BLF)

b) I can park a call on any extension by pressing a Park button + Ext# (or BLF) and it parks the call on the destination phone. If that person hangs up, the phone rings again with the parked call and they just pick up the parked call. If they stay on the phone long enough it rings back the extension that Parked the Call.

I know I have been told I'm to picky about the ease of doing these things but we use them all the time as we are in a fast paced environment and gives us quite a bit of flexibility. Plus we were told they would work but it wasn't demonstrated. It would be one thing if we were told it doesn't work but we were told it does this way exactly but just wanted some assurance from the user community. Talking with salesman is not the same as this community of phone techs.

3. What are the weak points of the 3300 specifically in comparison to IP Office. What is that thing that just drives you crazy, almost every product has that.

We have been trying to get a demo system we could play around with that might answer some of these questions. Thanks in advance. Brent

 

[slapin]

I will answer to the first part only since we don't use fancy forwardings and just use cordless handsets and headsets for people who need to roam.

6160 IQ server can do database lookups and route calls based on results. It also can use date/time conditional routing schedules, ANI/DNIS conditional routing, create menus and work as just a stub player of info messages.

 

[Mitel100]

Hi Brent, Welcome to the Mitel forum.

Taking your 1st question, The Mitel Sales guys that came round were more than likely talking about the embedded voicemail. which they are right cannot intelligent routing. However, the Mitel Nupoint, which can be compared to the Avaya Voicemail Pro. I looked at the fact sheet for the Avaya Voicemail Pro and the Mitel Nupoint can do all of the functions they listed. The one advantage I see the Mitel has is the speech server add-on which is a speech auto attendant which asks 'who would like like to speak to?' and you respond with the name of the person and the system will transfer you to their extension. It can do all that slapin mention above apart from external database lookups, but can look at it own programming to see if and where the call should be routed.


2A & B - Yes I am sure this can be done, but the Mitel may do it in a different way. I will get back to you tomorrow about this.

3 - Whenever you conpare systems I always say that if one company has a certain product then so does the other company, but does it slightly differently. I have to say I always find it hard to think of any weak points on any product.

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[kwbMitel]

I consider #1 answered

#2 a/b might need more detail to answer completely. I am thinking 1 key for all is unlikely. All of the fuctionality is there but not with 1 key.

#3 See this thread thread1329-1582833

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

 

[brenttrucks]

Nupoint was included in the quote. I wish it included the external database feature like Voicemail Pro as we probably don't need the additional functionality of Intelligent Routing.

Example: 150 drivers calling in from predictable phone numbers. We could give one phone number. They call the one phone number and when it comes in we could hit a database table and lookup the driver manager and route to the appropiate extension. Then if a driver manager changed, we could go to our Driver maintenance software and just change the name of the driver manager. This would automatically dynamically route the driver to the right place. This would work for sales, customers, etc.

I look forward to hearing back from you on the park/hold/pickup functionality! They said it worked just like I described it (above).

Brent

 

[kwbMitel]

for the park/hold/pickup please go thru the exact steps and keys required on your existing system. Then we can discuss mitel specifics.

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

 

[brenttrucks]

This is from my first post. I'm not sure how to be more detailed??

a) I can place a call on hold (On Hold Key) and go to any other phone and press a Pickup Key + Ext# of the phone I put it on hold (or BLF) and get the on hold call. This SAME pickup button can pickup a ringing phone on another extension as well by pressing Pickup Key + Ext# (or BLF)

b) I can park a call on any extension by pressing a Park button + Ext# (or BLF) and it parks the call on the destination phone. If that person hangs up, the phone rings again with the parked call and they just pick up the parked call. If they stay on the phone long enough it rings back the extension that Parked the Call.

 

[kwbMitel]

OK, lets try a different tack. Without understanding why you use the pickups and parks the way you do it is hard to make recommendations.

For my customers that need to place calls on hold and pick them up elsewhere quickly and easily I use a functionality called Group Park on the Mitel.

A group park key can be allocated to multiple phones in a group or all phones. Up to 99 calls can be placed on any 1 key but I design for only 1 in 1 out. For my customers, I design enough keys for simultaneous use. 2 or 3 seems to suffice. A call is placed into park by pressing the button. the button lamps on all sets to show a call has been placed on it. Retrieving the call only requires a single press of the lit key on another set that has the key assigned. For small groups a single key might do, large groups = more keys. The focus is on how many might be parked at any 1 time.

A system park key could be used but each call placed in queue is addressed with a 2 digit number from 01-99. The call is retrieved by pressing a Park retreive button and dialing the 2 digit code. This method is more applicable to park and page.

Ringing pickup can be resolved so many ways I don't want to list them all.

Remote hold pickup I would never use and group or system park is easier.

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

 

[Mitel100]

I agree with KwbMitel, on his comments A and B can be done but just using different methods on the Mitel.

Also what I would also say is that never trust what people say about other systems, always see for yourself. I have come across many comments and peaople in my time which say that Mitel/Cisco/Avaya can't or doesn't have this function or feature, when they do.

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