judice@kyoa.enet.dec.com, , (L. J. Judice (DTN: 323-4103 FAX: 323-4533)) (08/16/89)
Our office has recently installed an ASPEN (Octel Communications) Voicemail
system. The mode of operation is for users to BUSY/DA FORWARD their phones
(on an AT&T DIMENSION) to the ASPEN's incoming hunt group.
o When you call from an outside telephone, you are connected
to ASPEN, and to the voicemail-box associated with the
extension you were dialing. So, for example if you call me
at 201-xxx-xxxx, you will get "hello this is lou...."
o But, when you call from an extention inside the facility,
you get the ASPEN main menu. This makes life a bit
annoying since you have to dial someone, wait for them
not to answer, wait for ASPEN to pick up and then
dial the extension AGAIN!
I am confused. I assume DIMENSION has no Calling Extension ID, so that
explains why it can't transfer to the right voicemailbox. But when
dialing from outside, is it safe to assume the CO has CLID, and that
THIS is what is used to make the association?
Thanks for any insight...
/ljjdave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Levenson) (08/18/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0301m03@vector.dallas.tx.us>, judice@kyoa.enet.dec.com (L. J. Judice (DTN: 323-4103 FAX: 323-4533)) writes: > Our office has recently installed an ASPEN (Octel Communications) Voicemail > system. The mode of operation is for users to BUSY/DA FORWARD their phones > (on an AT&T DIMENSION) to the ASPEN's incoming hunt group. > > o When you call from an outside telephone, you are connected > to ASPEN, and to the voicemail-box associated with the > extension you were dialing. So, for example if you call me > at 201-xxx-xxxx, you will get "hello this is lou...." > > o But, when you call from an extention inside the facility, > you get the ASPEN main menu. This makes life a bit > annoying since you have to dial someone, wait for them > not to answer, wait for ASPEN to pick up and then > dial the extension AGAIN! > I am confused. I assume DIMENSION has no Calling Extension ID, so that > explains why it can't transfer to the right voicemailbox. But when > dialing from outside, is it safe to assume the CO has CLID, and that > THIS is what is used to make the association? What your Dimension(tm) PBX has are DID (Direct Inward Dialing) trunks. That's what makes it possible for me to call you by dialing your 201-xxx-xxxx number and directly reaching your own extension. The central office is transmitting the last four digits of the dialed number toward the PBX. When the ASPEN system was added, they also added a device that sits between the DID trunk and the Dimension PBX. This device (most probably a DigiTrap(tm) made by a company whose name I've forgotten in Minnesota) records the digits sent by the CO toward the PBX. It stores them for the duration of the call. (It also passes them through to the PBX). When the ASPEN system answers a call, it transmits a special in-band signal toward the trunk. This signal activates the DigiTrap, which temporarily splits the trunk from the PBX, transmits the digits it stored toward the PBX (and toward the ASPEN box), and then reconnects the trunk to the PBX. The ASPEN thereby obtains the DID code of the dialed call. This doesn't work on internal calls because no DID trunk is involved. The internal caller may, instead, hear a brief spurt of touch-tone-like signaling before the ASPEN device answers, as it tries to query the DigiTrap that isn't there. To see if this is really what's happening, answer an incoming call. Transfer the call to another extension (or forward your phone to another extension) and let that extension go un-answered or be busy. The ASPEN should get the original dialed number from the DigiTrap, and take a message for the originally-dialed extension -- not the one to whom the call was actually routed! Despite these limitations of the technology, the DigiTrap makes reasonably feature-rich automated call coverage available to older PBX's that weren't designed with such capabilities in mind. -- Dave Levenson Voice: (201) 647 0900 Westmark, Inc. Internet: dave@westmark.uu.net Warren, NJ, USA UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney] AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave