Lucent Technologies MERLIN LEGEND 6 - Manual (Page 172)

MERLIN LEGEND Communications System Release 6.0
System Manager’s Guide
555-660-118
Issue 1
February 1998
Features and Applications
Page 4-40 Features
4
Depending on the type of call and how the sender’s phone is set up, some calls
are not eligible for coverage. Furthermore, there are interactions among the
various forms of coverage. Nevertheless, coverage features are flexible enough to
ensure that a caller does receive attention, and that someone whose calls are
being covered can quickly tailor the system to his or her needs. For more
information about these topics, refer to the
Feature Reference.
Direct Voice Mail 4
When Direct Inward Dial (DID) or Automated Attendant is used, people get calls
directly, bypassing the operator. In these cases, the best call-covering solution is
to send calls directly to voice mail rather than to the operator. The caller then has
the option to leave a message or press
 for the operator. If, after talking to the
operator, the caller wants to leave a message, the operator can transfer the call
back to the called party’s voice mail using the Direct Voice Mail feature. This
feature offers several advantages:
■ It reduces the burden on the operator.
■ It allows the caller to decide whether to leave a message or speak to an
operator.
■ It allows the caller to leave a message without waiting for the operator to
answer.
The Direct Voice Mail feature also allows a caller to leave a message in a voice
mailbox without calling the person’s extension first.
There are several different configurations that can be set up, depending on the
number of users who require this kind of coverage and their needs. For example,
if calls must go to an operator and not directly to voice mail, you can use one of
the following configurations:
■ If eight or fewer extensions require coverage to the system operator, use
delayed Primary Coverage or Secondary Coverage to allow calls to be
covered by the operator. When a caller dials the user’s number, the
operator answers and then can send the call to voice mail using the Direct
Voice Mail feature.
■ In Release 4.0 and later systems, the Forward/Follow Me feature provides
this type of coverage, with no system limits on the number of users who
can take advantage of the feature. A user’s calls are forwarded to the
operator, with a delay of zero to nine rings before the call goes to the
operator (in Release 4.1 and later systems, the call is forwarded
immediately when the SA or ICOM buttons at the extension are busy). This
way, if an SA or ICOM button is available for the call, the person at the
forwarding extension can pick up the call while it is still ringing at his or her
phone. If the person does not pick up, the call is forwarded to the operator,
who can then send it to voice mail using the Direct Voice Mail feature.