Mailbox Screen Field Descriptions

Be advised that due to differences in the screen design between DOS-based and NT-based VP systems, the placement of fields on several system screens vary slightly. To locate the information on a particular

Is call transfer type “NONE”?

Go on to next box (or hang up) Finished

Record a message

Play personal greeting Play default greeting Is personal greeting recorded? Call is routed to Mailbox Dial the TRANSFER TO number

Play music to caller, and re-try at regular

intervals Does caller want to

hold? Announce call to

called party, and complete the transfer

No answer Busy Answered No Yes No Yes Yes No

field most easily, consult the Index to find the page number of this document that contains the field description.

Fields used in DOS-based VP systems are prefaced below with VP, and fields used in NT-based VP systems are prefaced with NTVP. If the NTVP field resides on a certain tab on the screen or if the VP field resides on a certain screen page, the tab or page is identified next to the field name.

Several field descriptions discuss setting fields to YES or NO settings. In NT-based VP systems, this equates to checking or un-checking the field’s checkbox, which you do by clicking on it.

VP: Box Number (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Box Number

Every box has its own unique box number, which can range from 1 to 9899. You cannot change this field on the screen. To view a different box, press <F4> (select a box number), <F5> (previous mailbox), or <F6> (next mailbox). If you want to add a new mailbox, press <F2> (add). (NT-based VP system users can also select from icons at the top of the screen.)

The box number is the number an outside caller dials to reach the mailbox owner. The VP system looks inside the mailbox specified for the owner’s extension number and transfers the call to that number. The mailbox number can be the same as its owner’s extension number, or it can be different. For example, an arbitrary range of mailbox numbers 5100 through 5109 can transfer calls to extensions 20 through 29. If the telephone system provides voice mail integration and the mailbox numbers and extension numbers do not match, you must specify translation rules in the file TRANS.TXT to identify the conversion between extension numbers and box numbers. See section 7.13.

Hint: For setup and system maintenance ease, create mailboxes with numbers that match the extensions to which they transfer calls.

VP: First Name (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Name (first)

The first name of the individual to which the mailbox is assigned is used for record-keeping, and it appears on the database listing.

Prior to initiating a transfer, in standard operation the VP system plays the system prompt “Please hold while I transfer your call to [name],” inserting the called party’s name.

If you insert the @ symbol before the name in this field, (for example, “Mary” becomes “@Mary”), the recorded name is substituted with the system prompt “that extension.”

If you insert the & symbol before the first name, no system prompt or recorded name plays.

VP: Last Name (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Name (last)

The last name of the individual to which the mailbox is assigned is used in conjunction with the Directory box feature. It also appears on the database listing.

The mailbox is not included in the system directory voiced to callers requesting it if the @ symbol is inserted before the first letter of the last name (for example, “Jones” becomes “@Jones”). (The mailbox is also not included in the system directory if no Name prompt has been recorded for the mailbox.)

VP: Transfer Type (Page 1 screen)

NTVP: Transfer Type area (Call Transfer tab)

When a call is routed to the mailbox, the first action taken is to transfer the call to the number specified in the TO: field. The VP system offers several options as to how the call is transferred.

The TRANSFER TYPE options are:

• NO TRANSFER

The VP system does not transfer the call. Instead, it plays the mailbox owner’s personal greeting (if one has been recorded) or a system default greeting. The caller then has several available options before recording a message.

• BLIND

The VP system transfers the call by dialing the number, then dropping out of the call. It transfers the call without monitoring to check whether the called party is busy, answers, etc. The final outcome of the call is the total responsibility of telephone system. If the telephone system has transfer-recall capabilities, when the telephone system transfer-recall timer expires, the call is returned to the VP system. If the telephone system provides voice mail integration, unanswered calls then go to the mailbox’s personal greeting via the VP system’s TRANS.TXT (digit translation) file. Otherwise, the VP system treats the call as a new call, and answers it with the initial

greeting. (The VP system cannot perform call queuing when the mailbox is set up to perform

BLIND transfers.)

• WAIT FOR RING

WAIT FOR RING can be thought of as a combination of the WAIT FOR ANSWER and BLIND transfer types. If the called party is busy, the calling party is offered the same options as with the WAIT FOR ANSWER transfer type. If ringing is detected on the line, the VP system executes a BLIND

transfer and drops out of the call. (The VP system can perform call queuing when the mailbox is set up to perform WAIT FOR RING transfers.)

• WAIT FOR ANSWER

The VP system dials the number and monitors the line. If the called party is busy, the VP system offers the caller the options to hold, leave a message, call another extension, etc. If the called party is not busy, the VP system monitors the line, waiting for the called party to answer. If the called party does not answer within a specified number of rings, the VP system abandons the transfer and plays the personal greeting, takes a message, etc. If the called party does answer, the system announces the call with the prompt, “I have a call for you, [mailbox owner’s name],” and completes the transfer. (The VP system can perform call queuing when the mailbox is set up to perform WAIT FOR ANSWER transfers.)

• SCREEN

The SCREEN transfer type works exactly the same way as WAIT FOR ANSWER until the called party answers. Once the called party answers, the VP system plays a system prompt offering the called party several options:

* Press1 to accept the call. The parties are connected.

* Press 2 to have the system voice the mailbox owner’s currently active greeting to the called party.

* Press 3 to send the calling party to the destination selected in the IF CALLER CHOOSES OTHER OPTIONS field on the MAILBOX screen.

* Press 4 plus a greeting number (0-9) to play the selected greeting to the caller, provided the greeting has been recorded.

* Press 5 plus any valid box number to send the calling party to that box, where the call is treated as would any other call to that box.

* Press 6 to accept the call. The parties are connected, but the VP system remains connected to the call and records the conversation. The recording is stored as a message in the called party’s mailbox (provided the host telephone system allows conferencing on voice mail ports).

(The VP system can perform call queuing when the mailbox is set up to perform SCREEN

transfers.)

VP: To (Page 1 screen)

NTVP: Transfer to (Call Transfer tab)

This field contains the number to which the VP system transfers the calls that route to this mailbox. Valid digits are 0 through 9, characters * and #, and the following special characters:

Character Action Indicated

P Use pulse (also known as “rotary”) dialing. T Use tone dialing (the default).

, Short pause (duration can be changed on the TECHNICAL INFORMATION screen (VP systems) / PBX INFORMATION screen (NTVP systems). The default is 1 second).

% Medium pause (length equal to 4 commas). L Long pause (length equal to 8 commas).

! Hook-flash (duration can be changed on the TECHNICAL INFORMATION screen (VP systems) / PBX INFORMATION screen (NTVP systems). The default is 1 second). [ ] Enclosing the number inside these brackets prevents the mailbox owner from being

able to call in from outside and change the number. \F Long hook-flash (4 seconds, Rhetorex systems only). Any other Can be used for punctuation and is ignored.

The owner of the mailbox can call in and remotely change the number in the TO: field (unless the number is enclosed in brackets). After logging into a mailbox and selecting the Options menu, he/she is

prompted, “To change your call transfer feature, press 4.”

The contents of this field work in conjunction with those entered on the CALL TRANSFER screen (VP systems) / PBX INFORMATION screen (NTVP systems). Calls will not be transferred correctly unless the setup information has been entered to correspond to your telephone system.

When the VP system is about to transfer a call, it first consults the SYSTEM INFORMATION / CALL

TRANSFER setup screen. If the number to which the call is being transferred is external (outside the PBX), the VP system dials the digits in the field SEQUENCE TO INITIATE A TRANSFER - EXTERNAL. Otherwise, it dials the digits in the field SEQUENCE TO INITIATE A TRANSFER - INTERNAL. After dialing these digits, it then dials the actual number of the extension to which the call is being transferred.

VP: Rings to Answer (Page 1 screen)

NTVP: Assume no-answer after X rings (Call Transfer tab)

If the transfer type is WAIT FOR ANSWER or SCREEN, this field indicates how long the VP system waits for the called party to answer before abandoning the transfer. Note that units indicated are rings, except in certain integrations when the units are in seconds.

If you turn off call-progress tone detection (see section 7.3), the number in this field represents the number of times the VP system plays the screening prompt, “I have a call for you. Press 1 to take the call, press 2 if you would like me to take a message...”

If the transfer type is WAIT FOR RING or BLIND, any entry in this field is ignored.

VP: Use Three-Way Calling (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Use 3-Way Calling (Call Transfer tab)

In general, three-way calling is simply a conference call involving three parties. One of the parties is a VP system mailbox. This mailbox should be part of the call only as long as needed to perform its call- processing functions. During normal call transfer functions, a three-way call may exist for just a few seconds, when the VP system performs the action indicated in the field SEQUENCE TO COMPLETE A TRANSFER on the CALL TRANSFER screen (VP systems) / PBX INFORMATION screen (NTVP) systems. There are some cases, however, when limitations of the telephone system demand that the VP system remain a part of the call for its entire duration.

If the system is connected directly to a residential (R1), single business (B1) line, or multiple business lines assigned to a multi-line hunt group, it is likely that the call transfer service is not available. (This limitation does not apply to Centrex service.)

Many key systems and PBXs allow the VP system to set up a three-way conference that consists of two outside parties connected to C.O. lines (trunks) with the VP system as the third, internal station party, They do not, however, allow the VP system to drop out of the call leaving the two outside parties connected (a trunk-to-trunk connection). If the telephone system does not provide trunk-to-trunk

connections, use the three-way calling feature. Note that some telephone systems do not allow voice mail ports to originate a conference call.

If the VP system is to use three-way calling, it begins the call transfer sequence exactly the same way as with a normal call transfer (it places the calling party on hold, and dials the transfer to number). Once the called party answers, the VP system performs an action (usually a hook-flash) to conference all three parties. This action is defined in the field SEQUENCE TO TRANSFER A THREE-WAY CALL on the CALL

TRANSFER screen / PBX INFORMATION screen (NTVP systems). At this time, the VP system remains a party in the three-way conference.

During the three-way call, the VP system continually monitors the line for an indication that the call has ended. To ensure the call has not ended without being detected, the VP system periodically interrupts the conversation with the prompt, “Excuse me, please press 1 if you wish to continue your conversation.” If neither party presses 1,the VP system assumes the parties have hung up and frees the lines for additional calls.

You can specify how often the VP system is to interrupt the conversation by adjusting the field MAX TIME FOR A THREE-WAY CALL on the CALL TRANSFER screen / MAX DURATION FOR A 3-WAY CALL on the

GENERAL INFORMATION screen (NTVP systems). Enter in the field the interval (in minutes) between interruptions.

Note: Do not use three-way calling if the call transfer feature is available on the phone system. If in doubt, contact the telephone system manufacturer or local telephone company.

VP: Get Caller’s Name (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Get Caller’s Name (Call Transfer tab)

If you select YES in this field, the VP system prompts the caller for his/her name before transferring the call (if the caller does not speak a name, the VP system transfers the call anyway). If the transfer type is set to SCREEN, when the called party answers, the VP system prompts:

“I have a call from [caller’s name] for [mailbox owner’s name]. Press 1 to take the call, press 2 if you would like me to take a message...”

If the transfer type is set to WAIT FOR ANSWER, when the called party answers, the VP system simply

announces the caller’s name and connects the call.

By default, the VP system allows the caller 4 seconds to say his/her name. To adjust this time, modify the

XFER NAME TIME parameter in the VM.CFG file. See section 12 for more information.

VP: Record All Calls (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Record Every Call (Call Transfer tab)

If you select YES in this field, the VP system remains on the line after completing the transfer and records the conversation. The recorded conversation is stored as a message in the mailbox.

VP: Currently Enabled (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Currently Enabled (Call Transfer tab)

Use this field to turn the call transfer service on or off from the keyboard. The owner of a mailbox also can call in and remotely change his/her call transfer setup. If this field is set to YES, the VP system transfers calls to the specified number. If the field is set to NO, the VP system does not transfer calls, but takes messages instead.

VP: Transfer Schedule (Page 1 screen) NTVP: During This Schedule (Call Transfer tab)

If the mailbox transfer type is any value other than NO TRANSFER, this field indicates when calls to this box are transferred. The options are:

Schedule Result

ALWAYS Calls to this mailbox are transferred at all times.

DAY SERVICE Calls are transferred only during Day Service, as defined in the

BUSINESS HOURS screen.

NIGHT SERVICE Calls are transferred only during Night Service, as defined in the

BUSINESS HOURS screen.

SCHEDULE A, B, C, or D Calls are transferred only during the schedule, as defined on the

MAILBOX PAGE 3 screen (VP systems) / by pressing the View Schedules button (NTVP systems).

Setting the CURRENTLY ENABLED? field to NO overrides the transfer schedule feature. The VP system does not attempt transfers, but does play the greeting and takes a message.

NT-based VP system users can view and modify the schedules defined for the mailbox by clicking on the View Schedules button.

VP: Password (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Password (General tab)

When an owner tries to open his/her mailbox to retrieve messages, the VP system asks for a password. The password can be up to 10 digits long and can consist of the digits 0 through 9 and the character *. For security reasons, it is recommended that box owners use passwords at least 4 characters long and that they change them regularly.

If the password is set to 0000 (four zeros), the VP system allows access to the mailbox without asking for a password. Use this feature with caution.

If the password is enclosed in brackets [ ], it cannot be changed remotely by the mailbox owner.

The maximum password length can be set for the system by adjusting the configuration file option MAX PASSWORD LENGTH (see section 12). The initial setting is 4 digits.

You can choose whether or not the mailbox password is displayed in this field. To hide the password, access the OTHER CUSTOMIZATION screen (VP systems) / GENERAL INFORMATION screen (NTVP

systems), and select NO in the field DISPLAY MAILBOX PASSWORDS ON SCREEN. If you choose to hide passwords, this field is displayed with stars. You can still access the PASSWORD field, and change the password, but you cannot view the current password.

If the password begins with two question marks (for example, ??1234), the VP system ignores the question marks when checking the password (the user enters 1234 when asked for the password). The question marks do, however, instruct the VP system to allow access to the mailbox via the digit

translation file TRANS.TXT and the database lookup feature, if either of these features use the ‘wild-card’ password. See section 7.13 and section 7.15.

VP: Name Recorded (Page 1 screen) NTVP: Name button

This field indicates whether the mailbox owner has recorded his/her own name. On NT-based VP systems, an existing recording is signified by a red light displaying on the button.

On DOS-based VP systems, when you bring the cursor into this field, a menu appears, offering the option to play, delete, copy, or record the name. By selecting RECORD you can record the name via a telephone

line connected to the voice processing board. To record the name, select RECORD, press <Enter>, and call into voice mail line 1. When voice mail answers, select RECORD and speak the name. To end the

recording, press <Enter> again. To hear the recording, select PLAY.

On NT-based VP systems, you can record the name by clicking on the Record Name button, then using the controls on the Sound Recorder dialog box. At the lower right of the dialog, click on the circle button to begin recording. Click on the rectangle button (to the left of the circle button) to end the recording. See section 15 for more information on using the Sound Recorder dialog box.

Note: If there is no name recorded for the mailbox, the mailbox is not included in the system directory and the system prompt “that extension” is used instead of the name in various phrases.

The name is used:

• When the VP system initiates a transfer:

“Please hold while I transfer your call to [name].”

• When the called party is busy:

“[Name] is busy. You are number [number] in line.”

• When the called party does not answer and there is no personal greeting recorded: “[Name] is not available right now. If you would like to leave a message press 1.”

• When the VP system calls the owner to deliver his/her new messages (message notification):

In document Key Voice Voice Processing (Page 80-101)