Polycom 500 manual Broadcasting Messages Using Push-to-Talk and Group Paging, Push-to-Talk Mode

Polycom VVX 500 Business Media Phone User Guide

Broadcasting Messages Using Push-to-Talk and Group Paging

The Group Paging feature enables you to make pages—one-way audio announcements—to users subscribed to a page group. The Push-to-Talk (PTT) feature is a collaborative tool that enables you to exchange broadcasts to users subscribed to a PTT channel, much like a walkie-talkie. Your system administrator can set up both features on your phone.

Your system administrator can define up to 25 paging groups for Group Paging mode or Channels for PTT mode. Your system administrator may assign a label to each group or channel that easily identifies the phones in the group or channel, such as All, HR Dept, Shipping Staff, or Executives. Each group or channel will have one of the following priorities:

Normal By default, broadcasts sent to Groups/Channels 1 to 23 are considered Normal broadcasts. If two users begin a broadcast on the same group/channel at the same time, the phone with the lower serial number will continue to transmit while the other phone will enter the receiving state. By default, all phones are configured to receive broadcasts sent to Group/Channel 1.

Priority By default, broadcasts sent to Group/Channel 24 are considered Priority broadcasts. A Priority broadcast will interrupt Normal broadcasts or active calls. All phones receive Priority broadcasts unless Do Not Disturb is enabled. Phones play Priority broadcasts at the phone’s current audio level.

Emergency By default, broadcasts sent to Group/Channel 25 are considered Emergency broadcasts. An Emergency broadcast will interrupt Normal broadcasts, Priority broadcasts, and active calls and plays out at near maximum volume even if Do Not Disturb is turned on.

Push-to-Talk Mode

Your system administrator can enable your phone to operate in a broadcast mode called Push-to-Talk (PTT). In order to send and receive PTT broadcasts, you have to subscribe to PTT channels.

PTT broadcasts are collaborative: you can transmit messages and listen to replies.

Sending and Receiving PTT Broadcasts

By default, you’re subscribed to Channels 1, 24, and 25. This means that you can send and receive PTT broadcasts on Channels 1, 24, and 25.

When you end a PTT broadcast, the channel remains open and enters a waiting period. This waiting period gives people who received the broadcast a chance to respond. If no one responds within the waiting period, the channel closes.

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