Conferences - for Voice only
Conferences can be found under Features - Conferences.
Conferencing is integrated into the system and is beneficial if you require many people to join a voice conference. To set this up, go to Conferences and select ‘New’. Choose a conference code or leave the default one. It needs to be unique on our system. Create an administrator pin (the administrator can talk, listen & lock the conference), talk pin (talk & listen) & the listen pin (listen only). At the bottom of the page, you can add numbers and emails of people who will receive notifications when the conference starts. To access the conference room, allocate a phone Number to this or create a Feature Code pointing to the conference room if you wish to dial it internally.
Conference Settings
Conference code
This is automatically allocated but you could change it if you wish. The only time you need to use this conference code is if you enter the conference menu and are asked to enter the conference room Number. This can be bypassed by simply asking for the pin instead.
Description
If you need to add more information about the conference you can add it here.
Owner
If you set the owner here, depending on the owner's access rights, they could then manage this conference when they log in to the portal. This doesn’t affect the Administrator being able to change settings too.
Administrator PIN
This is the main admin pin and should not be shared with other users joining the conference.
Talk PIN
This will allow the person logged in to the conference to talk and listen.
Listen PIN
This will only allow the caller to listen to the other attendees.
Maximum people in conference
This is set to unlimited but you need to remember that this will use up channels so be aware of just leaving this to unlimited unless you have already placed a limit on the customer's rate plan or customer settings.
Ask callers to record name
If set to Yes, when the person enters the conference room, they will be asked to record their name. This will be played out loud when they enter and leave the conference room.
Play music to callers
Whilst the ‘talk’ users are waiting for the administrator to enter the room, if this is set to Yes, then the callers will hear hold music until the administrator has joined.
Callers are muted unless administrator present
As it states, if set to Yes, then all parties cannot speak to each other until the administrator has joined.
Play tone when new person joins
If set to Yes, a tone will be played when someone joins the conference.
Duration of conference
By default this is set to permanent. If you want all parties to be terminated at a particular time, then you can set a limit from 10 to 240 minutes.
First conference starts
This is the time and date the conference was created by default. If you want the system to ring out to participants, then you can change this start date and it will email the below parties in the notify list when the conference is live.
Repeats
If you want this to be a recurring conference, then you can select daily, weekly, 2 weekly, monthly or 2 monthly to repeat. The default is ‘does not repeat’.
Total number of conferences
This is the total number of times this conference room can be used when choosing an option in the repeat setting.
Caller ID for notification calls
This will be the display number the conference participants will see when they are being called to join the conference.
Show in Reception Console
This will allow the conference to be seen in the Reception Console that is under the option at the top of the systems menu.
Under this section you can load the details of the people you want to be notified to join the conference.
Other Options for this Conference
Make copy
This will create a new conference of the current conference you are in. It will copy all the settings like for like.
Notes
This is a free text area to allow you to make notes about the conference.
Creating a Permanent Conference
You don’t need to notify people about a conference. You could have a permanent one set up that you can point a Number to and simply ask people to enter by dialling the Number and entering the conference PIN. It’s worth remembering that if you set a Feature Code or External Number, there are a few options you can choose from.
Under the default destination, you can choose one of the following;
Conference login. If you use this option you will need to know and enter the conference room number, plus the PIN.
Conference, ask for pin. This will require you to point the Number to the correct conference room but you only need the PIN.
Conference, administrator. This will allow direct entry into the conference room as the administrator so I would only use an internal Feature Code.
Conference, talk. This will allow direct entry into the conference room as a talk user so I would only use an internal Feature Code.
Conference, listen. This will allow direct entry into the conference room as a listening user so I would only use an internal Feature Code unless you were happy for people to dial in and listen.