Automated Attendant

Embedded Voicemail

These settings are used for embedded voicemail provided by the IP Office control unit. This is setup by adding an Avaya Embedded Voicemail memory card to the control unit and then selecting Embedded Voicemail as the Voicemail Type.

This tab and its settings are hidden unless the system has been configured to use Embedded Voicemail on the System | Voicemail tab.

For full details on configuration and operation of Embedded Voicemail auto-attendants refer to the IP Office Embedded Voicemail Installation Manual.

Up to 40 auto-attendant services can be configured.

Embedded voicemail services include auto-attendant, callers accessing mailboxes to leave or collect messages and announcements to callers waiting to be answered.

The IP500 V2 supports 2 simultaneous Embedded Voicemail calls by default but can be licensed for up to 6. The licensed limit applies to total number of callers leaving messages, collecting messages and or using an auto attendant.

In addition to basic mailbox functionality, Embedded Voicemail can also provide auto-attendant operation. Each auto attendant can use existing time profiles to select the greeting given to callers and then provide follow on actions relating to the key presses 0 to 9, * and #.

Time Profiles:

Each auto attendant can use up to three existing time profiles, on each for Morning, Afternoon and Evening. These are used to decide which greeting is played to callers. They do not change the actions selectable by callers within the auto attendant. If the time profiles overlap or create gaps, then the order of precedence used is morning, afternoon, evening.

Greetings:

Four different greetings are used for each auto attendant. One for each time profile period. This is then always followed by the greeting for the auto-attendant actions. By default a number of system short codes are automatically created to allow the recording of these greetings from a system extension. See below.

Actions:

Separate actions can be defined for the DTMF keys 0 to 9, * and #. Actions include transfer to a specified destination, transfer to another auto-attendant transfer to a user extension specified by the caller (dial by number) and replaying the greetings.

  • The Fax action can be used to reroute fax calls when fax tone is detected by the auto-attendant.

  • The Dial by Name action can be used to let callers specify the transfer destination.

Short Codes

Adding an auto attendant automatically adds a number of system short codes. These use the Auto Attendant short code feature. These short codes are used to provide dialing access to record the auto attendant greetings.

Four system short codes (*81XX*82XX*83XX and *84XX) are automatically added for use with all auto attendants, for the morning, afternoon, evening and menu options greetings respectively. These use a telephone number of the form “AA:” N” Y  where N is the replaced with the auto attendant number dialed and Y is 1, 2, 3 or 4 for the morning, afternoon, evening or menu option greeting.

  • An additional short code of the form (for example) *80XX/Auto Attendant/”AA:”N can be added manual if internal dialed access to auto attendants is required.

  • To add a short code to access a specific auto attendant, the name method should be used.

  • For IP Office deployed in a Enterprise Branch environment, the short codes *800XX, *801XX…*809XX, *850XX, and *851XX are automatically created for recording a Page prompt.

Routing Calls to the Auto Attendant

The telephone number format AA:Name can be used to route callers to an auto attendant. It can be used in the destination field of incoming call routes and telephone number field of short codes set to the Auto Attend feature.

 

 

 

Voicemail Pro

In addition to its advanced voicemail facilities, Voicemail Pro provides an easy-to-use, multi-level configuration tool ‘the Voicemail Pro Manager’ which allows network managers and system administrators to construct an interactive system, based upon DTMF telephone key entry.

At its most basic, this allows an Auto-Attendant system to be built and configured to suit the way the company operates in the best interests of staff efficiency and customer service, be that on its own, or as a back-up for the regular operator when call volumes are high. Voicemail Pro also offers the ability to enter the name of the person via DTMF key entry, after which the auto-attendant offers the caller a possible name that matches or if there is more than one, a selection list is provided and allows the caller to select which one they wish to call.

As an example, Voicemail Pro can be used to build an Auto-Attendant that prompts callers to “enter 1 for sales, 2 for support, 3 for admin, or 0 for the operator” allowing them to be transferred to the appropriate department without operator intervention. Alternatively, a list of personnel and their extension numbers could be listed, allowing the caller to directly access the person they want. For larger companies it could be department number listed first, followed by the list of employee extensions within the department.

The latter two examples are ideal where company telephone operation has changed from a central operator only based system to Direct Dialing In (DDI/DID), allowing callers to “learn” the required extension number from the prompting of Voicemail Pro, and then in future dial the extension number directly. Auto-Attendant operation is also ideal where multiple languages are required, for example “Dial 1 for English, 2 for German, 3 for French, …”.