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After Hours Emergency number

jamesbruce
Level 1
Level 1

Hi,

Have CME 7.0(1) with incoming calls routed to AA.

I need to set up an after-hours option for a caller to select that rings a mobile extension until the call is answered, and if not answered, will then ring alternate mobile extension(s).

Alternatively, the after-hours option would ring an extension and get transfered to VM so they could leave a message, then when a VM is left, it would automatically ring a mobile extension(s).

My goal here is to present our clients with an after-hours emergency number they can dial using our main line, that would be answered within 15 minutes.

We currently have option 1 for the AA set for our Service extension during normal business hours and after hours it goes to VM.

I would prefer not to change the AA, have callers press "1" for Service as normal but after-hours have it ring the after hours mobile extension(s) until answered, or have it go to a VM then VM notification to mobile after hours extension(s).

I have been looking at the Night Service Bell options, but they seem limited.

Can anyone here offer some suggestions on how to accomplish this as desired above? Thanks!

13 Replies 13

Rob Huffman
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Hi James,

This sounds like an excellent candidate for Cascading Message Notification;

Cascading Message Notification

Overview

This feature is an extension of the existing message notification feature that was introduced in 2.3(1). With this feature, you can:

•Set up a series of cascading notifications to a widening circle of recipients

•Enable subscribers to define time-based rules that determine how the notification is cascaded to other local subscribers in the system

For example, User-A can set up the following cascading rules:

•If a new message in the mailbox is not listened to for 15 minutes after the arrival, a notification is sent to User-B.

•If a new message is not listened to for 30 minutes after arrival, a notification is sent to User-C.

In this scenario, if a message is sent to the User-A, on Monday at 1:00 pm and User-A has not listened to this message by 1:15 pm, a notification is sent to User B. Cisco Unity Express determines which of User B's devices are active to receive notification at 1:15 pm on Monday and a notification call is made to all of User-B's active devices. The subscriber hears a voice prompt when the notification is cascaded from User-A to User-B. If User-A has still not listened to this message by 1:30 pm, a notification is sent to all of User-C's active devices.

When a notification is cascaded to a target, the user listening to the cascaded notification is given the option to disable the cascading from that mailbox, or the option to disable the notification feature in its own profile. If in the above example, User B chooses to disable cascading from User-A's mailbox, all messages are left in User-A's mailbox for which cascading to User-B has been disabled remotely.

If User-B chooses to disable notification to User-B's own device, User-B's notification profile is changed and notification to that particular device is disabled. A message is left in User-B's mailbox that notification to the device was disabled remotely.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity_exp/rel3_0/administration/guide/voicemail/6MsgNotf.html#wp1012880

Hope this helps!

Rob

Hi Rob, thanks for the reply. Cascading messages certainly seems worth using, however, I have been unable to determine from documentation if they can be set to be used only during after hours, or if by default they will be used during all hours.

If I can set cascading notifications to be used only during an after hours scenario for this, that would be great.

Do you know if the rules for cascading can be limited to only after hours?

Hi James,

That makes good sense :)

**The schedule of the target subscriber is used for cascading the notifications.

Notification schedule-The subscriber or administrator can set a schedule that activates the notification feature for a specific device. Time slots are available 24 hours a day for any day of the week in half-hour increments.

The default schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

If new messages arrive when the device is inactive, the system does not send a notification for them even if the messages are in a "new" state when the next active time slot occurs.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity_exp/rel3_0/administration/guide/voicemail/6MsgNotf.html#wp1011633

Hope this helps!

Rob

Thanks Rob,

So, if I understand all this correctly, after 5PM (COB) an incoming caller could dial our main number and get the After Hours AA, which gives the option to leave a message for the Service Dept (Press "1).

Then, I could set up cascading notifications for the Service Dept Extension using the designated ephone-dn(s) for the mobile number that will be answering after-hours calls, and set the Notification schedules ONLY for the desgnated mobile extension dn's to be between 5:01PM to 7:59 AM?

Do I understand you correctly?

And thanks again for the quick responses!

Hey james,

No worries my friend :) Yes, I believe this setup is exactly what Cascading Notification was introduced for. The feature description in Unity uses an example exactly like your configuration (ITS Helpdesk and "Call-outs").

The trick here seems to be that the Schedules will be tied to the individual "target subscriber" mailboxes and Notification devices. This may take some tweaking for the initial setup, but once it has been configured, should work the way you desire. This is meant to provide an escalating circle of notifications until the callers message has been dealt with.

Hope this helps!

Rob

Thanks Rob. I am going to try and set it up this way I think. I also think you are correct when you state it will take some "tweaking", as we will need to be careful when setting up target subscriber schedules and so forth, but this looks like what we need.

I am going to try to set thisw up in the next few days. Will let you know if it works. Thanks Rob!.

Forgot to ask you Rob, do you have a link to that ITS Helpdesk and call outs setup description in Unity? thanks!

Forgot to ask you Rob, do you have a link to that ITS Helpdesk and call outs setup description in Unity? thanks!

dont know why this posted three times!

Hey James,

No worries! I have had some problems posting here recently (it takes the patience of a saint :)

Here is the link;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity/5x/administration/guide/ex/5xcusag220e.html#wp1048377

Hope this helps!

Rob

thanks again Rob!

Is Cascading Message Notification only a Unity Express feature?

On Unity 5 I don't see how to enable or configure this.

Hi Dan,

It is avalable on Unity 5.x as well. Here is a link;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity/5x/administration/guide/ex/5xcusag220e.html#wp1048377

Hope this helps!

Rob

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