Unified Communications: forwarding to cell phone

[destrekor]

Because I have no idea which forum this topic actually belongs in, I'm defaulting to OT because of the larger audience.

At my new employer we have Shoretel (on premises, and no mobility router ), and I'm trying to figure something out in regards to passing on calls to my cell phone when out of the office.

Because I prefer not answering phone numbers that I don't recognize, I very much want to not see a bunch of random phone numbers ring my phone. And I don't want to resort to answering all phone calls with a business-like greeting.

Is there any way to get the calls to my phone which are forwarded from my office phone, or rang simultaneously, to appear as my office extension? That way anytime I see that phone number I know it is work related.

Any calls to the Shoretel support workgroup will display the workgroup's extension/number, so I have that set as a contact and can immediately identify it as a work call, but any calls to my direct extension that get passed on to my phone so far just display the caller's number.

 

[Mayne]

you could always just buy an iphone that does it for you.

 

[Phoenix86]

Any calls to the Shoretel support workgroup will display the workgroup's extension/number, so I have that set as a contact and can immediately identify it as a work call, but any calls to my direct extension that get passed on to my phone so far just display the caller's number.

You're SoL without your IT guys help. If it's not passing the caller info when they direct dial no external service will help. The phone system should be able to pass this though.

you could always just buy an iphone that does it for you.

You're an idiot.

 

[destrekor]

You're SoL without your IT guys help. If it's not passing the caller info when they direct dial no external service will help. The phone system should be able to pass this though.

No no no, that's what is already happening.

But I don't want that. I want it to display my desk extension number on my cell phone, so that I know it is a work related call.

If it can't be done I guess I can adapt, but I'd really like to know whenever it is a work call that is ringing on my phone, as opposed to any other call.

 

[Phoenix86]

No no no, that's what is already happening.

But I don't want that. I want it to display my desk extension number on my cell phone, so that I know it is a work related call.

If it can't be done I guess I can adapt, but I'd really like to know whenever it is a work call that is ringing on my phone, as opposed to any other call.

Then they just need to program it so it doesn't forward the info. Should be possible too, just depends on the software. IIRC they need to disable an added feature (forwarding the CID) as that's how older systems worked.

 

[destrekor]

Then they just need to program it so it doesn't forward the info. Should be possible too, just depends on the software. IIRC they need to disable an added feature (forwarding the CID) as that's how older systems worked.

Think it would be possible to do that per-line, or would it be only available as a global configuration setting?

I'll have to bring it up tomorrow and see what is possible. Not quite sure yet how I want to move forward. I am entertaining the idea of using my Google Voice number, I would instantly know that 99% of the calls to that number would be from work regardless of how it is identified.

 

[Phoenix86]

Think it would be possible to do that per-line, or would it be only available as a global configuration setting?

I'll have to bring it up tomorrow and see what is possible. Not quite sure yet how I want to move forward. I am entertaining the idea of using my Google Voice number, I would instantly know that 99% of the calls to that number would be from work regardless of how it is identified.

It should be available / line, on one systems I supported it was an * code before the call transfer, but I'm not really a phone guy. Just know enough to be dangerous.

 

[destrekor]

It should be available / line, on one systems I supported it was an * code before the call transfer, but I'm not really a phone guy. Just know enough to be dangerous.

Yeah, I've only really ever had the chance to dick around a little bit in a couple phone systems, and performed basic admin duties for a virtual platform from Verizon. I'd love to know more about my current system, but I generally learn best by poking around inside the system... alas, I don't have admin privileges at this place.

 

[Kaido]

Because I have no idea which forum this topic actually belongs in, I'm defaulting to OT because of the larger audience.

At my new employer we have Shoretel (on premises, and no mobility router ), and I'm trying to figure something out in regards to passing on calls to my cell phone when out of the office.

Because I prefer not answering phone numbers that I don't recognize, I very much want to not see a bunch of random phone numbers ring my phone. And I don't want to resort to answering all phone calls with a business-like greeting.

Is there any way to get the calls to my phone which are forwarded from my office phone, or rang simultaneously, to appear as my office extension? That way anytime I see that phone number I know it is work related.

Any calls to the Shoretel support workgroup will display the workgroup's extension/number, so I have that set as a contact and can immediately identify it as a work call, but any calls to my direct extension that get passed on to my phone so far just display the caller's number.

I haven't done this setup specifically with Shoretel (bug your IT guys to get Mobility haha), but I think this may be doable without Mobility by using Communicator & Director:

1. Setup your extension to dual-ring (to your desk phone & to your cell phone) by using the Simultaneous Ringing feature in Personal Communicator. Also read up on Call Move:

http://www.verteks.com/2011/02/using_simulring_and_call_move_in_shoretel/

2. Looks like someone else had the same issue with the extension not showing up; last post here has a solution:

https://forums.shoretel.com/viewthread.php?id=906C0000000H4tOIAS

Ok so we had an implementation engineer here setting up mobility for us and I ran this by him and he found the solution. In director I went into sites, clicked on my site name to bring up the edit site option page and the issue was the Caller's Emergency Service Identification (CESID) field was blank. We put in our main number and now when we forward a call or use find me or any way that a call hits a different line than the users extension, it will still show their extension when they answer on that different line.

So here's the route I would try:

1. Install Personal Communicator if you don't already have it on your PC
2. Setup & test Simultaneous Ringing in Personal Communicator
3. In Director, have your Shoretel support people add your main number into the CESID field & test it from a second cell phone to see if it shows your extension when it simultaneously rings your cell phone, rather than the outside caller's number

That should allow dual-ring plus caller ID masking.

 

[Kaido]

I'd love to know more about my current system, but I generally learn best by poking around inside the system... alas, I don't have admin privileges at this place.

Shoretel is the bomb dot com. I wish my primary employer had it! I do have a client who has it (along with Mobility, which is awesome), and it's just such a good system, especially if you're like me & are coming from a Cisco system background. I am definitely no Cisco guru, so I really appreciate the simplicity & features of the Shoretel system, especially for the price. The Director & Mobility software makes the system super-awesome. Just a really smart setup all around.

 

[destrekor]

Shoretel is the bomb dot com. I wish my primary employer had it! I do have a client who has it (along with Mobility, which is awesome), and it's just such a good system, especially if you're like me & are coming from a Cisco system background. I am definitely no Cisco guru, so I really appreciate the simplicity & features of the Shoretel system, especially for the price. The Director & Mobility software makes the system super-awesome. Just a really smart setup all around.

There was already a mention of Mobility, because I asked about the Shoretel app.

They don't want to pay for it.

 

[PokerGuy]

Wouldn't google voice let you achieve exactly what you want? Set up a google voice number, set your work phone to route to your google voice. Then, set up a special ring for that google voice number incoming calls, and voila -- anything coming in through that google voice number is work, anything through your regular number is not.

 

[destrekor]

Wouldn't google voice let you achieve exactly what you want? Set up a google voice number, set your work phone to route to your google voice. Then, set up a special ring for that google voice number incoming calls, and voila -- anything coming in through that google voice number is work, anything through your regular number is not.

I am very much debating this route. Bonus: I could also use Hangouts on the PC or Mac to answer or make calls as well.

The only worry I have is the true lack of cellular: the call would drop once out of 4G/3G, whereas a regular cell call would continue to function within the standard 1X coverage that Verizon has basically everywhere.

Plus I'd be worried about, on weak cell signal, what would a VoIP connection sound like due to compression, when compared to a regular call?

 

[Kaido]

There was already a mention of Mobility, because I asked about the Shoretel app.

They don't want to pay for it.

Yeah, see my post above that one - bug your IT guys for it, it's awesome!

But pretty much - have your Shoretel crew make sure your main # is in the CESID field in Director & then setup Simultaneous Ringing in Personal Communicator. Should do the trick, in theory!

 

[destrekor]

Yeah, see my post above that one - bug your IT guys for it, it's awesome!

But pretty much - have your Shoretel crew make sure your main # is in the CESID field in Director & then setup Simultaneous Ringing in Personal Communicator. Should do the trick, in theory!

When I was reading about that, it sounded like setting that number allows your extension to be seen as the CID for OTHER callers, not for you when your extension rings other phones. It sounds like what happens is that, if you pick up a different phone, when the caller looks in their call log, it shows your cell phone number as opposed to your business extension or the main line.

I could have read that wrong, but it sounded different from what I am looking into.
Either way, I'm at the office now so I'm going to do some test calls and dick around with the app.

 

[XavierMace]

If memory serves, when I set my cell phone as my phone assignment in ShoreTel Communicator, my cell shows my desk number when a call gets forwarded over.

 

[Kaido]

When I was reading about that, it sounded like setting that number allows your extension to be seen as the CID for OTHER callers, not for you when your extension rings other phones. It sounds like what happens is that, if you pick up a different phone, when the caller looks in their call log, it shows your cell phone number as opposed to your business extension or the main line.

Basically if the emergency number field is left blank in Director, then it doesn't mask the incoming call, so your cell phone will show the number of whoever is calling. If you fill in the CESID, then that will provide the mask when it forwards to your cell phone.

Supposedly

 

[destrekor]

Turns out they definitely prefer it the way it is set up now, and even argued that it will work that much better keeping track of caller locations and, if needed, directing additional support that way.

 

[PokerGuy]

The only worry I have is the true lack of cellular: the call would drop once out of 4G/3G, whereas a regular cell call would continue to function within the standard 1X coverage that Verizon has basically everywhere.

Plus I'd be worried about, on weak cell signal, what would a VoIP connection sound like due to compression, when compared to a regular call?

If I'm wrong I'm sure someone can correct me, but I'm pretty sure google voice uses the phone connection, not data. It's not voip. If you use hangouts dialer or something like that, it's voip, but google voice itself is not voip, it's regular cell phone, so you should be fine going that route.