AT&T 518-455-317 manual Group Calling-Ring/Page I7G/I*7G

Group Calling—Ring/Page (I7G/I*7G)

Description

This feature lets users ring, page, or transfer calls simultaneously to all the extensions in any one of four Calling Groups (G is a Calling Group number from 1–4). When paging, the caller hears a beep and begins speaking; the caller’s voice is heard on the speakers of all idle system phones in the selected Calling Group. The first extension to answer the call (by picking up the handset or pressing [ Spkr ], or by pressing [ Mic ] to answer a page) is connected to the caller.

Related Features

You must use Calling Group Extensions (#502) to assign extensions to a Calling Group.

Considerations

■Extensions can be in more than one Calling Group.

■Calls can be transferred to a Calling Group manually or using a button programmed to ring the Calling Group.

■Exclude extensions that connect auxiliary equipment (PARTNER Attendants, voice messaging systems, fax machines, hotline phones, or doorphones) from Calling Groups.

■If some extensions in a Calling Group have standard or MLC-6 phones, those extensions are not signaled at all for voice-paged calls to the group.

■If a user leaves the microphone on for hands-free answer on intercom (HFAI), the microphone is turned off when that phone receives a group page; the user must lift the handset or press [ Mic ] to answer the page.

■You can program a Group Calling button on a system phone to ring or page a Calling Group or to transfer a call to a Calling Group with one touch.

Examples

Here are some useful applications for this feature:

■Group page employees for general announcements; this feature is an inexpensive alternative to a paging system. (Remember to install system phones with built-in speakers—all models except the MLC-6—where you want employees to hear announcements.)

■Put the extensions of people with similar responsibilities in a Calling Group, so when a caller needs to talk with anyone in the group, the receptionist can transfer the call to the group instead of making separate intercom calls.

For example, a car dealership puts all extensions for the sales staff into Calling Group 1. To let a prospective customer talk to any salesperson, the receptionist simply transfers the call to the group by dialing the Calling Group code for that group ([ Intercom ] [ 7 ] [ 1 ]). All the phones in the group ring, and the customer is connected to the first salesperson to answer. (Alternatively, the receptionist can page the group through the speakers of their system phones by pressing [ Intercom ] [ ✳ ] [ 7 ] [ 1 ].)

Group Calling—Ring/Page (I7G/I*7G) 5-75