Partner ACS R7 - Extension coverage / simultaneous ring 2

[MerlinRob]

Hi -

I’m setting up an ACS R7 at home. I’m using Partner Mail and will use an auto attendant to screen calls. When someone selects my home office extension, I’d like for it to ring a button on multiple phones and be able to answer it from any of these phones full-time. This seems to be different than call coverage or call answer so far as I can tell.

The goal is to be able to hear this extension ring at multiple other extensions and see a flashing light associated with the extension at multiple places.

Apologies if this is a basic question or covered elsewhere. I feel like this is a basic feature I should be able to figure out, but I’m at a loss.

Thanks for your advice and good humor with me!

 

[Dexman]

I would assign the telephone line to each of the desired extensions and set it to Immediate Ring.
Side question: Is the voicemail the

. Partner Mail (an actual wall mounted PC)
. Partner Voice Messaging (a PCMI card that slides into an open slot in the front of the processor)
. Partner Mail VS (a module that slides into a multi-module holder).
. Avaya Partner Messaging (the updated and final module voicemail for the Partner platform).

 

[TouchToneTommy]

If you want calls answered by the Auto Attendant, and then the caller transfers to ring a group of extensions, add the extensions to one of the 4 calling groups, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The group extension numbers are 71, 72, 73, and 74. Group 1 is usually used for paging, so I recommend Group 2, 3, or 4.

Then either have the caller dial the Group extension number directly, or use a selector code to do an Extension Transfer to the Group extension number.

Depending on the version of voicemail, you may need to create a Transfer Only mailbox for the Group extension number.

It also complicates voicemail coverage in case the call is not answered, there are options depending on which voicemail you are using.

 

[MerlinRob]

Thanks, Tommy and Dexman.

I'm using Avaya Partner Messaging. It's the standalone module (not the VS card that slides into the PCMCIA slot on the processor).

Reading the lit today, I had come to that conclusion re: calling group. I was hoping there was a better way, but you've confirmed that that is the way.

I'm curious about the potential voicemail complications @TouchToneTommy, as that will be a real consideration. I'd want to assign a mailbox to answer the calling group. Ideally, I'd love to use the same mailbox as my extension. Or maybe I don't assign my extension a mailbox at all and just use the Transfer Only mailbox... hopefully able to still map it to my extension in terms of MWI?

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I just had the chance to test this and didn't achieve the results I was hoping for. I assigned a calling group 2 button to the extensions I wanted to ring when this group was called. I also assigned those extensions to calling group 2. When dialing group 2 (72) the intercom buttons on the assigned extensions rang and there was no activity on the calling group buttons. I then un-assigned the extensions from group 2, hoping that might make the buttons come into play, and instead I got a busy signal.

I'm doing the programming via the Partner Admin software package and RS-232.

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I'd imagine the most frequent use for such a feature would be for an executive assistant who covered multiple people. You'd want that person to have their own extension (ICM), and also have buttons that would illuminate when the executives they supported would receive calls. This would enable the assistant to answer the executives' extensions sometimes or always, and to see which one had an incoming call, without the executive needing to activate some kind of forwarding or call coverage feature.

Does Partner not work in this way?

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Appreciate any creative tips you might have! Thank you.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Partner Messaging is GOOD, features available depend on the Release (R1, R6, or R7 - they skipped R2 through R5 to keep the Messaging release current with ACS Release availability). Log into the System Administrator's mailbox, but then press 7 instead of 9, and you will hear the release announced.

If you don't have any extensions assigned to a group, calling the group extension number will result in a busy signal (cause there's nothing to ring) - normal operation.

Voicemail coverage for groups is weird. The Partner Messaging manual will tell you to go into the ACS programming, and set the Transfer Return Extension for each Voice Mail Port to Ext. 10. This is so that a call transferred from the Automated Attendant to an extension that does not have Voice Mail Coverage will first ring the extension that is transferred to, and when the Transfer Return Rings expires, the call will then transfer to Ext. 10, the typical Operator in the system. BUT, this makes calls transferred from the Automated Attendant to a Group ring forever, they never time out, they never go to Ext. 10 as a last resort.

Most installers I run into DON'T set those Transfer Return Extension settings for the Voice Mail Ports - guess they missed that step in the instructions. But if you don't do that, either by accident or on purpose, a call transferred from the Automated Attendant to a Group will ring the number of times in the Transfer Return Rings setting, and then return to the Voice Mail Port that did the transfer originally. Now the Voice Mail Port answers the transfer, but there aren't any "Mode Codes" generated by the ACS to tell the Voice Mail Port what to do with the call, so the Voice Mail says "Transferring to Operator" and sends the call to the Call Answer Service Operator, typically ext. 10.

So, you want a selector code to transfer to Calling Group 2, which is Ext. 72. Partner Messaging has Transfer Restrictions turned on by default, so you have to make a "mailbox" for Ext. 72, but give it Transfer Only permissions. If you create an actual Mailbox for 72, and set it WITH a phone, the Auto Attendant will make the transfer, the call will ring the group, when it doesn't get answered it comes back to the Voice Mail Port that did the transfer, but this time it is able to recognize that there is a Mailbox that takes messages associated with Ext. 72, and that is what answers.

Now you have messages in Mailbox 72, how do you know to check them? 2 ways. Go into Mailbox 72 and set the "Phantom Extension" to Mailbox 10. The greeting in Mailbox 72 plays to the caller, but the message is left in Mailbox 10 just as if the caller reached Mailbox 10. OR, if you want to keep the incoming messages separate from Mailbox 10, make 72's Phantom Destination be Mailbox 9992, or 9993, or 9994. Make Ext. 10 the General Mailbox Owner for Automated Attendant 2, or 3, or 4. This will light up the light on Ext. 10 for both messages in Mailbox 10 AND Mailbox 9992/3/4, and the user can check both mailboxes until the light goes off, and they know which messages are for them personally, and which are from the group.

Finally, you might be able top ignore everything I've just said. On the Executive's phone, enable Call Coverage to the Assistant's extenison. Set the Call Coverage Rings as needed. A call rings at the Executive's phone for X number of rings, then rings at the Assistant's phone. If it is not answered, it goes to the Executive's mailbox. It doesn't have to be programmed on a button at the Executive's phone, although the light next to the button reminds you that the feature is enabled, and you can toggle it on and off. You can just go to the Executive's phone, press Feature-20-Executive's Extension Number-Assistant's Extension Number to enable. Feature 20-Executive's Extension Number TWICE to cancel.