ShoreTel 7.5 supports account codes for external calls when you enable the Account Code Collection Service. When a user dials a number that is not included in the scope of his or her call permissions, the call is routed to the Account Code Collection Service extension, where the user is prompted to enter a valid account code. Account code collection is enabled on a per-user group basis and can be set to be one of three states: disabled, optional, or forced. The Account Code Collection Service is associated with a configurable extension and has a dedicated user group that defines ultimate call permissions and trunk group access.
A new user group is created during installation for use by the Account Code Collection Service. This user group is named “Account Codes Service.” Since it is only intended for use by the Account Code Collection Service, this group does not appear in drop- down lists for the assignment of User Groups to users and other objects such as workgroups. You can, however, change all attributes of the Account Codes Service User Group except the fields indicating whether Account Codes are disabled, optional, or required.
The Account Code Collection Service is associated with a system extension that is hosted on the SoftSwitch running on the headquarters (HQ) server only. If the HQ SoftSwitch is not reachable by the originating ShoreGear switch, the call is handled according to the setting on the caller’s user group. Specifically, during such a
connectivity outage, calls placed by users who have optional account code collection are automatically placed, and calls placed by users who have forced account code collection are automatically rejected.
Account Codes
Account Code Collection Service supports up to 50,000 account codes of a maximum of 20 characters. You can include non-numeric characters (such as hyphens and slashes) in the account codes; however, non-numeric characters are not used in account code collection or in the account code reports. An account code can be the same as a prefix for another account code. For example, the account codes 1234 and 12345 can coexist.
The following table gives example account codes and how the Account Code Collection Service interprets the code.
Account codes can also have user-friendly names of up to 50 characters.
Call Permissions
The call permissions define what dialed numbers are directed to the Account Codes Service for user groups configured with account codes. For calls that are redirected to the account codes extension, the call is completed with the trunk access and call permissions of the Account Codes Service.
Sample Account Code Recorded Code
Sales 200 200
1001-3 10013
1.234A 1234
This structure imposes two sets of permissions on outbound calls:
• The call permissions for the user group of the user who places the call are used to determine if an account code must be collected or not.
• The call permissions for the Account Codes Service determine whether calls are finally placed, or if the intercept tone is to be played.
Voice Mail
The ShoreTel 7.5 system provides voice mail for all users and workgroups on the system. The system supports up to 21 application servers—one main server and up to 20 distributed servers. Any of the servers can host the voice mail application.
You should provision a distributed server at any site with more than 100 users to effectively manage your WAN bandwidth between that site and the headquarters or main site. In addition, you must add a distributed server with the voice mail application at any site where the required number of mailboxes exceeds 1,000.
Users should be configured for the server that is located at their home or most frequent site. If that site does not have a server, the nearest server or headquarters server should be used.
NOTE When there are multiple voice mail servers, the system-wide voice mail extension automatically maps to the extension of the local voice mail server. Voice mail media streams are therefore recorded in the CDR reports by the voice mail extension that actually handles the call.
The ShoreTel 7.5 system provides each user with five call handling modes, and workgroups with four call handling modes, allowing employees and workgroups to customize how calls are routed. Employees typically use Standard call handling mode to route calls to voice mail after three or four rings, and use Out of the Office call handling mode to route calls directly to voice mail.
Users should consider:
• Forwarding calls to a cell phone
• Forwarding calls to an external answering service (for critical users or workgroups)
NOTE You must enable external call handling as part of the class of service for users who want to use these options.
The Message Notification feature of the ShoreTel 7.5 system allows users to be notified when they receive a message. Notifications can be sent upon receipt of all messages, or only upon receipt of urgent messages. Notifications can be sent to:
• An E-mail address (with or without the voice mail attached as a .wav file)
• A pager (which allows message notification)
• An extension (which allows message playback)
• An external number, such as a cell phone (which allows message playback)
• Users who address and compose voice mail through the Telephone User Interface (TUI), the Visual Voicemail application, or the Outlook Voicemail form can now mark composed messages for a “return receipt.”