CME and Maximum Number of Calls on an Extension

[dolah]

Is it possible to set the "Maximum Number of Calls" on an Extension to 8?

I have an office that would like to have an extension for their Sales calls. They would like this extension to show up on 3 or 4 different devices and when one person is busy (on their line or on the Sales extension line), it would ring on the other devices. They would need to be able to pick it up and possibly transfer the caller to another person.

I know I could set this up in CallManager quite easily, but the configuration options that I'm looking for are not inside the extension in CME, like they are in CCM.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thank you.

The devices are a 7921 we're running the following:

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express

OS Description Cisco Internetwork Operating System

Cisco IOS (tm) C3825

Cisco IOS Software C3825-SPSERVICESK9-M

Software Version 12.4(11)XW6 / CME 4.2(0)

Feature Package IP|FIREWALL|VOICE|PLUS|SSH|3DES

GUI Version 4.2.0.2 (Compatible with IOS 12.4(11)XW1)

[thisisshanky]

Do you want the same number to be shared across 4 phones ?

[dolah]

Yes.

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Debbie,

Just thought I would throw in this interesting new CME 4.3 feature;

Octo-Line Directory Numbers

Adds octo-line directory numbers that support up to eight active calls, both incoming and outgoing, on a single phone button. Unlike a dual-line directory number, an octo-line directory number can split its channels among other phones that share the directory number.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucme/admin/configuration/guide/cmeroad.html

Hope this helps! I'm sure Sankar will guide you through the CME 4.2 setup.

Rob

[dolah]

Although interesting, I'd rather not have to plan and work through an upgrade just to get this to work. Is there any way to get the same extension on multiple devices that will allow multiple simultaneous calls on our current version.

[thisisshanky]

You could also setup Dns with different numbers and then forward them from one DN to another on busy.

[dolah]

What does CME consider busy.. 1 call? 2 calls? is it per device or per extension?

So if the employee 1 is on her personal line, x 5611 and the sales line rings x5670, does the system think the device is busy and forwards it according to the "Call Forward Busy" setting? Or since x5670 is not busy, is it ringing on employee 1's phone?

Wouldn't "Call Waiting" hold the call on the first device?

Also, how would I be able to get it to go to a specific voice mailbox, if the first and last extension are different?

[thisisshanky]

busy state is defined by the DN and not the phone. So if 5611 is busy, and 5670 is idel with no call, 5670 is not considered busy.

Again it depends on whether u define the number as single line or dual line (or even octo-line). with dual lines, the same dn has two channels, so having one call does not mean the line is busy. if there is a call on line 1, you can have a 2nd call ring on the dn via call waiting. To prevent a dual line from ringing on 2nd channel, you can disable this by using command "huntstop channel"

[dolah]

Hopefully, one last question...

If I set up the Sales extension as follows

Sales 1: x5675 Call fwd busy to 5676

Call fwd no ans to ??

Sales 2: x5676 Call fwd busy to 5677

Call fwd no ans to ??

Sales 3: x5677 Call fwd busy to ??

Call fwd no ans to ??

Huntstop Channel: On (for all dn's)

How would I determine or configure the voice mail box of 5675 to get unanswered calls from 3 different extensions into one vm box?

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Debbie,

Just an additional note to the great info from Sankar. Most VM Systems including CUE, Unity and Unity Connection look only at the Originally Dialed DN (5676 in your example) so all calls should route to this VM Account by default.

Hope this helps!

Rob

[dolah]

This did help, but...

if I can't get 5675 (second dn on device) to forward when the employe is active on x5611 (first dn on the device), then I'm not so sure that this will work.

Do you agree or did I miss something?

[dolah]

Rob, I just read in the Cisco doc you referenced above, that Octo-line directory numbers are not supported by the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7902, 7920, or 7931,

or by analog phones connected to the Cisco VG224 or Cisco ATA.

Can I assume that 7921, which is the Japanese equivalent to a 7920, is also not supported?

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Debbie,

Great question :) I think the Octo-Line would be supported on the 7921 as it is actually the much newer upgraded version of the 7920. The problem that I see for the un-supported models is the inability to scroll between calls on the line/display.

Hope this helps!

Rob

[dolah]

Can you explain the Overlay? I'm reading the doc and it's a bit confusing.

[dolah]

Just wanted to let you know that after a bit of review, I think the Octo line is the way we are going to go.

Thanks again for the suggestion.