Lucent Technologies 5 manual Issue

MERLIN LEGEND Communications System Release 5.0	Issue 1
System Manager’s Guide 555-650-118	June 1997

4Features and Applications

Features Page 4-37

■It reduces the burden on the operator.

■It allows the caller to decide whether to leave a message or speak to an operator.

■It allows the caller to leave a message without waiting for the operator to answer.

The Direct Voice Mail feature also allows a caller to leave a message in a voice mailbox without calling the person’s extension first.

There are several different configurations that can be set up, depending on the number of users who require this kind of coverage and their needs. For example, if calls must go to an operator and not directly to voice mail, you can use one of the following configurations:

■If fewer than eight users need this kind of coverage, use delayed-ring Primary Coverage or Secondary Coverage to the operator, who can then send the call to voice mail using the Direct Voice Mail feature. (The operator can cover a maximum of eight extensions.)

■In Release 4.0 and later systems, the Forward/Follow Me feature provides this type of coverage, with no system limits on the number of users who can take advantage of the feature. The system manager programs forwarding to the operator’s extension, adding a delay of zero to nine rings before the call goes to the operator (in Release 4.1 and later systems, the call is forwarded immediately when the SA or ICOM buttons at the extension are busy). This way, if an SA or ICOM button is available for the call the person at the forwarding extension can pick up the call while it is still ringing at his or her phone. If the person does not pick up, the call is forwarded to the operator, who can then send it to voice mail using the Direct Voice Mail feature.

■Alternatively, if fewer than 30 users need this kind of coverage, set up a “phantom” or special calling group for each extension. Each special calling group is covered by voice mail. When a call comes in, the operator uses the Direct Voice Mail feature to send the covered call to voice mail. (Each extension is a calling group covered by the operator; the corresponding phantom extensions are covered by voice mail.)

■If more than 30 users need this kind of coverage, set up phantom extensions, covered by voice mail, to which the operator can send the caller, or which the caller can dial directly after hours or if the operator is unavailable. (Phantom extensions use Shared System Access buttons on the real extensions so that calls ring at the real extensions.)

■If calls must be covered by a personal secretary who is not the operator, use Primary Coverage in such a way that a call rings at the user’s extension first, then at the secretary’s phone. At this point, the secretary can use Direct Voice Mail to transfer the call back to the user’s voice mail.

For more information about how you can use the Direct Voice Mail feature, see the Feature Reference.