Audix Phone system Call Forwarding
for new Off-site Offices
Overview:
We were asked to use out current
Digital (not-IP) Avaya Audix system to carry the numbers of a few
on-site employees to an new rented office building. The
short answer is that it could not be done for free and without having
control over the phone systems at the remote location. The
solution we were left with was to forward the calls off site using
coverage paths in Audix. This solution is not ideal but this post
describes how forwarding calls off-site is done and provides reasons
you
can use to convince executives that the solution should be scraped.
First a few definitions:
Coverage
Paths, Coverage Points, Remote Coverage & Hunt Groups
Coverage paths (cmd: list coverage
path)
The only major function is to redirect a call from
an extension to another extension, path, hunt group,
or remote number. A coverage path can have an
adjustable number of rings.
Coverage point: (Point 1:
____ within a coverage path)
Coverage points the targets of a coverage
path. All remote numbers, hunt groups, and other coverage paths
can act as coverage points. If you want coverage path 3 to
transfer its calls to Coverage path 2 then under Point 1 you type
c2. For Hunt group 71 you put h71 and for
the remote coverage number in slot 53 you put r53.
Hunt groups (cmd: list hunt-group):
Hunt groups are multi extension targets like group
sales number. They can have adjustable
behavior but in general they allow for the number to hit multiple lines
at once or they can choose an extension at random to
forward the call to. Hunt Group 99 is Audix
Voice mail.
Remote Coverage Numbers (cmd: change
coverage remote):
The Remote Coverage table contains the numbers of
off network phones that can be used as the targets
of coverage paths. The numbers in this list need to be
input the exact same way as they would be on the
phone. Thus my cell phone number looks like
6095558561 If you use a coverage path to forward a call to
a remote number that call cannot be returned to
audix voice mail.
Forwarding a Call off site.
So at this point forwarding a call to an out of system phone is
as simple as creating one new Coverage Path and having its end point be
a Remote Coverage Point.
Coporate Drawbacks
1. Calls that are forwarded to off
site numbers can not be returned to the in-house voice mail.
2. You can not mask calls from the off site
numbers.
3. Every call counts as 3. You are
charged for the incoming phone call. You are charged for making the
call that forwards it to the off-site number
and you are charged by who ever is providing your phone service at the
off-site location.
Conclusion:
This attempt to spare the off-site employees the inconvenience of
updating their contact information is so flawed it should not be
attempted. I good compromise is to set up this type of forwarding
for the 1st month after relocation to assist the employees in their
transition but a permanent solution is either an update to an IP phone
system or setting up another digital switch at the off-site office.