Chapter 1: Introduction and System Requirements

Congratulations! You are about to enter the exciting and profitable world of voicemail and voice system processing. This technical reference manual will explain in detail the many features of your voicemail software. It will also explain all you need to know to install and set up your system. For specific application examples and suggestions, consult the Sample Application Guide section.

We recommend that, before using your voicemail system, you first read chapters 1 through 3 of this manual, which serve as an introduction to your system hardware and software. They are especially helpful if you have never worked with a voicemail system before.

Chapter 4, The Quick Start Guide will walk you through some set up and recordings.

Welcome!

Welcome to an easy, effective way to make money with voicemail! Your voicemail software works with Microsoft Windows NT™, and you should be able to learn the software quickly if you apply a reasonable amount of time and effort. This technical reference manual, along with the Application Guides for various applications, has been provided to help you get your system up and running right away.

This manual will walk you through basic system setup and operation, but keep in mind that your VAR is available to provide support should you need additional guidance. Please see your support agreement for more details regarding technical support hours and other contact information. Your technical support code and phone number is provided in the front of the hard copy of your manual. The on-screen help has the most up to date information on the program.

An Overview

The hardware and software you have just purchased are designed to be a powerful computer-based voicemail system which allows you to create phone call routing trees to process phone calls. In addition, the system can send requested faxes out to callers (if you purchased the add-on Fax Talker module), notify Mail Box holders of new messages, etc. After dialing into your system, callers will press keys on their touch-tone phone to be routed to Mail Boxes, receive faxes, hear informative messages, respond to surveys, or be transferred to an operator.

Best of all, up to 96 telephone lines can be can be processed simultaneously from a single IBM-compatible computer (depending upon your hardware setup and the number of phone lines you have dedicated to your system). You, as the system supervisor, can make changes to your voicemail system from the computer itself, or remotely from any touch-tone phone. Mail Box holders can retrieve messages, modify their greetings, and perform other Mail Box functions remotely.

Even though the prompts that came with your software have been customized for a particular application, the voicemail software is extremely flexible and can be used for a wide variety of applications. For example, you could use it to provide a voice Mail Box rental service, paging service, information hotline, or a matchmaking service. You could even combine elements of all of these services if you like. Your system could be set up to route all incoming calls to the same greeting, or each line could be sent to a different greeting which would present different options to callers.

The system consists of different types of boxes that perform different functions. You can connect them pretty much any way you would like to. Think of the boxes as the old Lincoln Logs - you get to 'put together' the house (voice system ) that works best for you.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

Before installing the voicemail software, you need to make sure that your system meets the hardware requirements for your voicemail software to run properly. The software is designed to run on a

100% IBM-compatible computer with Microsoft Windows NT™ installed with AT LEAST SERVICE PACK 4 AND THE NTFS (NT FILE SYSTEM) FORMAT. It is critical that you use the NTFS file format. You may also use Windows 2000 Professional.

The minimum computer hardware and software requirements are as follows:

* IBM PC or 100% IBM-compatible computer with at least a 586 processor (Pentium)

* 128 Megabytes of Random Access Memory (RAM) (256+ mb if using over 16 phone lines) also - be sure you have your paging file set for at least the Windows NT recommendation of at least 1.5 times your RAM (Control Panel, System, Performance, Virtual Memory)

* 4 gigabyte hard drive or larger

* Microsoft Windows NT™  (at least service pack 4)

* 3 1/2" floppy disk drive

* CD ROM drive

* Color VGA monitor

* Mouse (must be compatible with Microsoft Windows NT™)

* Tape drive, zip drive, or re-write cd drive (recommended for making   backups)

* Dot-matrix, ink-jet, or laser printer for invoices and reports

In addition, you'll need the following items to operate your voicemail system:

* A minimum of one compatible voice processing board with at least two telephone ports (supplied with your system)

* SoundSet audio coupler

* A software package for editing voice greetings and prompts (VFEdit or equivalent- optional)

A Note About Windows NT™: Due to the complexity of this voice processing software, we do not recommend background operations. This means that your computer hardware should be dedicated to the voice processing software. Running other software programs simultaneously (word processors, spreadsheets, etc.) may likely degrade overall system performance and should be avoided.

Voice Hardware

To run your voicemail software you need a voice processing board (the terms "card" and "board" in this manual refer to the same thing, and are used interchangeably). This is a hardware device which must be placed inside your computer. To install a voice board your computer case must be opened and the voice board must be inserted into the correct slot. The voice board is the device which actually connects your computer to your phone lines. It has telephone ports (or phone jacks), and the number of ports on the voice board determines the number of phone lines your computer can process. Voice boards come in many sizes, and are typically 2 ports, 4 ports, 8 ports, 12 ports, 16 ports, 24 ports, or 48 ports. The number of ports will not necessarily be one to one with the actual jacks on the voice board. For example, some 4 port voice cards only have 2 jacks - but each one is capable of handling 2 lines.

Note: To use the fax options, you will need at least one fax card installed in your computer. To use the FoneBar, Conference, or Bridge options, you will need a special voice board that allows for phone lines to be joined together. For all wiring information, including if you are using T-1 or E-1, please see Appendix E.

Accessories

We recommend that you purchase an external audio coupler such as the SoundSet, which is available from your software VAR. An audio coupler is a sound device which plugs into your voice card and simplifies sound recording and playback. A microphone is also available from your software VAR which plugs directly into the SoundSet and provides optimum sound fidelity. If you choose not to use the SoundSet you'll need to call in on a phone to record and listen to greetings. You will use the SoundSet constantly for local message review, system supervisor call interception, and recording prompts. It also aids greatly in troubleshooting the operation of your system.

Another option you should consider is voice editing software such as VFEdit, which is also available from your software VAR. This software allows you to edit voice prompts and add special sound effects, fades, and echoes to your prompts. In addition, it allows you to mix voice, sound effects, and music from multiple sources. With VFEdit you will be able to professionally customize your voice prompt recordings.

Backup Hardware and Software

Your voice processing software is capable of creating many thousands of directories and files. Each box that you create has its own directory, and within each directory there can be a large number of supporting data files. For this reason it is important that you select backup hardware and software carefully. You need to confirm that the hardware and software you purchase is not limited in the number of files and directories that it can back up. Some backup systems are limited to a maximum of 2048 directories, which would be a problem if you plan on having 5000+ boxes, as each box has its own directory.  See Appendix h for more specific information on program file/directory structures.

Note: It is possible to set up your system to perform an automated backup at the time you specify using the ExitThe Program setting in the STPLUS.INI file. Keep in mind that the following instructions are general in nature and you may need to modify the information given here to fit your particular situation. For additional settings in the stplus.ini file, please see Appendix d.

Phone Compatibility

Before using your voice system, you need to make sure that your existing phone system is compatible with your new voicemail system. The following information should help you to determine this. If you wish to transfer inbound telephone calls within an office (or anywhere else), you will need a private business switch (PBX), hybrid key system, or Centrex-Plexar-Essex (provided by your phone company). This type of transfer is called an "automated attendant", and in order to verify that your phone system will allow your voicemail software to perform call transferring functions there are several pieces of information you need to know about your current phone hardware.

IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PHONE SYSTEM, BUT YOU ARE   JUST GOING TO PLUG IN REGULAR TELEPHONE COMPANY WIRES FROM THE WALL, OR ARE GOING TO USE FEATURES DIRECT FROM THE PHONE COMPANY, SUCH AS CALL TRANSFER AND/OR 3 WAY CALLING (CENTREX, PLEXAR, ETC), YOU MAY SKIP THIS SECTION.  You should read, however, the section marked 'Transfer Overview'.

Four Questions

Below are four technical questions to help you evaluate your current PBX system. The vendor who sold and/or installed your telephone equipment should be able to provide you with answers to the following questions:

1. Can my telephone system operate in analog mode?

Some telephone systems can operate in either analog or digital modes. Your voicemail software requires the use of the analog mode, which is the same as a standard home telephone. To determine if this is available, connect a standard telephone set and listen for a conventional dial tone. Some newer PBX's now utilize digital technology and require the addition of a special interface card to support conventional analog phones.

2. Does my analog port offer flash-hook call transfer?

To transfer a call within a PBX you will need an analog flash. It works the same as if you had call-waiting or three-way calling. With flash-hook call transfer you can disconnect, or hang up the receiver, to move a call from one telephone to another. This is usually a standard feature with analog phone systems, but you will need to confirm this as there are always exceptions to the rule. Some systems offer a call transfer feature, but require a complex series of touchtones rather than a simple flash.

3. Does my system allow touch-tone signals (DTMF) while on internal intercom?

Many phone systems intentionally defeat third-party voicemail systems by disabling touch-tone keys, thus making it impossible for you to retrieve your voice messages. Other inexpensive or older phone systems do not generate touchtones within the phone itself. Instead, the master box or CPU generates the tones. You can determine if your system allows touch-tone signals by dialing any internal telephone extension from a standard analog desk phone and pressing a touch-tone key. If you can hear a tone, the PBX system is most likely compatible with your voicemail software.

4. Does the PBX system allow a disconnect signal?

When you hang up a typical home phone, the telephone sends an indicator signal to reset the telephone line. However, in some PBX systems the signals are blocked, and as a result the line cannot be reset. With this in mind, your voicemail software is designed to respond to four different types of phone disconnects (1. DTMF, 2. Line Reversal & Current Loop Break, 3. Line Non-Silence, or 4. Reorder Tone or "Fast Busy"). Your phone system must allow at least one of the above disconnect methods to function properly with your voicemail software. You can determine if your system accepts disconnect signals by hanging up the receiver, then picking up the handset and listening for a dial tone. If you hear a dial tone this means that your system recognizes at least one of the above disconnect signals.

If you can answer "yes" to all four of the above questions then you can most likely use this or any other third-party voicemail software. As a general rule, most newer PBX's and all Centrex systems have these basic features. However, you cannot assume that this is always the case as there are many different manufacturers, model numbers, and system software releases. (See Appendix c - PBX Integration for more information about connecting to a PBX system.)

Whenever possible ask the reseller who sold you the phone system - but don't be surprised if your reseller is hesitant about answering these questions. After all, you are saving thousands of dollars on a system that is equivalent to one your phone technician would like to sell you!

If you cannot answer "yes" to at least the first three of the preceding questions you might consider upgrading your telephone equipment.

What You Need to Know About PC's

The individual responsible for overseeing the operation of this voice product should have a good working knowledge of the Windows NT™ environments. It is beyond the scope of this manual to go into the basic operation of your computer. If you need help with MS-DOS or Windows NT™. There are many books available at your local bookstore or library that can help you learn the basics.

Technical Support

Should you require technical support for your voice software, please call the VAR who sold you this product. Included in your voice package is information regarding technical support.

 

NEXT>  Chapter 2: Installation - software, hardware, sound-set