sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems VoiceMail Systems and Programming SOHO vmail suggestions?

Hi All,

I'm a networking guy, who's been drafted to help a friend set-up his vmail system. Boy, someone was right when they said its a totally different world.


My friend has some peculiar needs for this system.
This is basically a virtual office, wherein people will call the main number, hear audiotex with someone's extension, dial the extension and be call forwarded out to that persons cell phone.
Most extensions will probably not have vmail enabled.

He would like at least 40+ extensions, must grow to 100+.
Probably needs <10 actual vmail capable extensions.
Basic audiotex is required.

He bought a DatalabsUSA DL-EVM-2xv+, which seems to offer quite a bit for the price. Unfortunately, there is no way to program it via serial or gui.
Gotta be some of the worst instructions I've ever seen, for anything.
I have gotten him up in a rough fashion, however am trying to find out what other system would be out there that would be a good upgrade for the future.
The Nortel CallPilot 150 seems like a good choice, however not sure what the expansion cost to go above the initial 30 extensions is, nor if its CCR will do actual Call Forwarding out?
People will primarily be calling in to a main number, and then being transferred out to someone's cell. Its odd, but thats how he wants it.

Any suggestions really would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Fred

You might want to look at Asterisk. It isn't just for VoIP, you can also use it as a traditional voicemail. On the plus side you don't need to worry about any licensing issues if you want to upgrade.

Clinton,

Thanks, that is a possibility I'm looking in to. Also, there is an OSS called VOCP that looks interesting. However, since this might end up being free for life service calls for my friend, I would like to get him too get actual hardward w/support. I'd have to learn a more Linux to support Asterix or VOCP than I can afford to spend time on.

Are there no other SOHO hardware, or maybe Telephony type apps that might work? I've found a few, like Bigmouth and CallCorder, just not sure if they are worth the effort since some seem geared for tele-spamming.

Thanks for your time!

What type of phone system is it going to be behind?

You may want to look at the Amanda Voicemail systems.

panasonic will do those things.
OVER 1000 transfer boxes.

Hi Rich and brokeda, sorry, should have made it more clear. The vmail system will just be sitting on a single SBC POTS line to start with.
Basically, a large number of people will have business cards with the company phone #. They can call that number and then through an audiotext menu reach a specific employee. When they dial that employee's extension from within the audiotext menu, it should transfer them (Call Forward) to the individual employee's cell phone.
With the DataLabs unit, this is called Phantoming.

This seems to be a little less common, unless I am not looking for the right acronym/description.

Will look at the Amanda and Panasonic vmail boxes. Seems like its hard to find this on a SOHO box unless one looks at one of the much more expensive units.
For this application, do I need to look at an actual PBX?

I'm thinking an Aleen or Bravo will do the trick. Of course you know you must have some type of CO transfer capability i.e. centrex etal.

The Amanda based systems would also be a good choice for their token programming flexibily.

I did not know the callpilot could work on pots but thats good to know.

TVM telkol 2002 would be my choice.

Z-Man may want to chime in and verify, but I am not sure the Call Pilot will work with POTS lines. Even if did it would only have 4 ports instead of 8 since it breaks the ports into two channels. It takes 4 ports and makes 8 channels.

If you only have a single POTS going into the voicemail you would only be able to use a one port voicemail system anyway. Only one caller at the time could be in the system . Other callers would get a busy. These are some things to consider.

If this business is going to have any traffic to amount to much, you are going to have to have a multi-line system with an integrated voicemail system attached.

You are looking for a commercial voicemail system from what you have descibed so far, not a SOHO. The number of user's and the features you want are typical of a PBX/VM pair.

Goodluck :thumb:

Hmm, I guess I screwed up. DataLabsUSA is calling the feature needed Remote Extension, wherein the vmail will dial a phone number, xfer the call and hang up, thus freeing the vmail for the next call.
So I take it I should be looking for Remote Extension capability, and not Call Forwarding?