See also:
Advanced Call Routers (ACRs) route calls that match configured rules. When a call matches a rule, actions associated with the rule (such as dialing extensions, playing sound files, or sending the caller to a dial-by-name directory) are executed on the call. Configure ACRs on the Extensions > Advanced Call Routers page.
Step 1. Add an Advanced Call Router
To create an ACR:
- Navigate to the Extensions > Advanced Call Routers page, and click Create New Advanced Call Router.
- In the Basic Information section, enter a name and specify the primary Extension Type:
- Next Free Extension – Allow the system automatically selects the next available lowest extension number.
- Single Extension – Enter an extension within the Valid Extension Ranges.
- Understanding Extension Blocks – Assign an entire block of extension numbers.
- External Number – Select an available external direct inward dialing (DID) number from the drop-down list.
- In the Default Action Set section, select either an existing action set or select New Action Set from the Default Action Set drop-down menu.
- If this is new action set, specify a name.
- Click Create.
Step 2. Configure an Advanced Call Router
Follow these steps to set up a rule and action set after creating an ACR. Enter the new ACR details:
- Under Rules and Actions, click Add a Rule.
- In the Time/Number Rule column, select a Mode, Days, Time, or Caller to indicate when this rule applies. For example, a rule could apply only on Sunday, or when a particular mode is enabled, or for an entire day, or every weekday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, or only when a specified number calls the ACR. Combine these restrictions to create complex rules.
- Mode – Select a system mode for which this rule will apply. By default, each rule applies to all modes. If the system mode does not match one of the modes specified, the rule will be rejected, and no other scheduling rules will be evaluated, except for the Default Action.
- Days – Select each day of the week when this rule applies. The rule is not applied to calls received on unselected days.
- Time – Specify the time of day when this rule applies. All Day is 24 hours. To specify a smaller time range (such as business hours) select a start time and an end time. The rule is not applied to calls received outside the specified time range.
- Caller – Select Any Callers to apply the rule regardless of caller ID value. To limit the rule application to specific caller ID values, select Caller's Number Starts With, Caller's Number Ends With, Caller's Number Is, or Caller's Number Matches Regular Expression.
- Match – Specify the Caller ID value or regular expression to match.
- In the Action Set column, select an action set. Choose Default Action, or choose New Action Set to create a new action set, or choose any other listed action set available for this ACR. If you select New Action Set, enter a name for the new action set. Click Add.
- In the Rules and Actions table, select the newly created rule to expand it.
- Select Edit next to the Action Set to open the detail page for the new action set.
- Click Create an Action in the Action List table.
- In the Action column, select the action to perform.
- Call Phone Numbers – Call one or more external phone numbers. Numbers are dialed simultaneously. The Ring Time value specifies how long to let the target phone numbers ring before assuming that they are not answered. If the target is unanswered, then the next action in the action set is performed. Use the Confirmation Prompt and Prompt Sound to make sure that a human rather than an answering machine or voicemail has answered the call. If there is no press 1 in response before the Ring Time timeout, the call is considered unanswered and the router performs the next action.
- Play A Sound File – Play the specified sound prompt.
- Go to the Dial-by-Name Directory – Transfer the caller to the Dial-by-Name Directory.
- Go to the Direct Inward System Access (DISA) – Send the caller to the DISA prompt. See Direct Inward System Access (DISA) for details on how DISA works.
- Try Calling an Extension – Call an extension on the system, selected from the list. If unanswered, the router performs the next action.
- The Destination/Options column displays options for the action you have selected. Options differ depending on the selected action.
- By default, the Final Action is Disconnect the Call. The selected final action executes after all other actions have completed.
- Disconnect the Call – Hangs up on the caller.
- Transfer to an Extension or Number – Blind transfers the call to the specified extension or phone number.
- Transfer to a Person's Voicemail – Sends the call to a person's voicemail box to leave a message.
- Wait for a Fax, Then Email – Waits for a fax tone from the caller, and then accepts the fax transmission. The fax will be converted to PDF and emailed to the addresses listed. (Use a comma-separated list of addresses to specify more than one.)
- Transfer to Voicemail Login Prompt – Sends the caller to the voicemail login dialog. (Useful for external users calling in to retrieve voicemail from a remote location.)
- Group Page – Performs a group page to the selected group. Select between a live page (the system broadcasts the audio in real time) or record and page, where the system records the announcement and then performs a cascading page to all the users in the target group.
- Perform an Echo Test – Sends caller to the echo test. Useful for testing newly assigned phones.
- Play Milliwatt Tone – Plays a 1004Hz tone to the caller. Useful for testing audio being sent to external endpoints.
- Send the Call to a Provider Gateway or Port – Sends the call out using the specified gateway or port. The digits sent are the extension number of the advanced call router. For example, if the call router is extension number 2491 then 2491 is sent to the provider or port number.
At this point, the new ACR has one rule defined, and one corresponding action set. You may add an unlimited number of rules, and an unlimited number of action sets; however, each rule has one and only one action set associated with it.
Default Action
The Default Action is the action set automatically executed for an ACR if no other action sets have been created, or if no rules are applicable when a call is received.
Action Set Scope
By default, created action sets are considered Local action sets, which means that they are only available for one ACR. You can change an action set to a Global action set using step 5. above to edit the detail screen for that action set, and modifying the Scope option. Global action sets are visible in other ACRs, which may save time if you find that many ACRs need similar action sets.