With more customers working from home during this virus crisis, I need to dust off my grey matter and remember how I have addressed this issue in the past for the XTS family. Namely, how to make a direct ringing DID call forward off-net to a cell phone. Since off-net can't be done for initial ringing calls, I recall creating a new Dispatch/TalkPath "control" mailbox with a command file and using the notification field for the cell number. I then forward my user's mailbox to this new mailbox. Unless someone knows of an easier way, this is the route that I am pursuing. It is so much fun when the brain isn't as quick as it used to be.

Edit: So far, I am finding that rather than creating a "transfer" mailbox, I would forward the user's mailbox to a newly created Menu XXX with a 1 second time out to a new command file with all the required parameters. Then the call would transfer to the number entered in the user's notification "DialMailboxWhere" field. It's clunky but it is the method we came up with. Simpler methods are still welcome!

Wait... You're just off-net forwarding a station for calls to their DID number? Why won't the regular process work? I just sent the following instructions to an XTS customer yesterday and he confirmed that it worked just fine:



This procedure is a bit cumbersome to set up initially, but once it is in place, it can be turned on/off at any time. All entries are made without lifting the telephone handset:

1. Press the speed button two times;
2. Dial 9019
3. Dial the area code and number to receive calls for that extension. It is not necessary to include a 9;
4. Press the speed button again to store the number permanently.
5. Press the speaker on/of button to exit the number storage procedure.


To Turn Forwarding ON:

1. Dial 640 + * + 9019 and hear confirmation tone (three beeps);
2. Off-net forwarding is now permanently activated to the number stored above.

To Turn Forwarding OFF:

1. Dial 640 and hear confirmation tone (three beeps);
2. Off-net forwarding is now turned off and may be re-activated at will using the steps above

IMPORTANT: It is strongly suggested that you set this up for your phone or another that you can easily test prior to deployment.

I had a did number set up as a DISA for a number of my customers, and I could change call forwarding for extensions remotely using the call forward follow me code and a speed dial bin number. I also on occasion accessed remote programming and changed the forwarding for a did number directly. Program it to ring to a bin instead of an extension.

Thanks guys. Guess I like to make more work than I need to. Perhaps I am just remembering what I did way back on some software 1.x or so. Derrick, I do use the 2nd method of forwarding the DID to the spd dial when the forward is more or less a long term thing.