Unity - Transfer directly to voicemail. Add a delay?

[mciarfello]

A client of ours is using the "transfer directly to voicemail" "feature". They hit XFER, STAR, the extension, then hit XFER again. Problem is once you hit the last digit of the extension, the user's message is playing. You have to be quick to hit the XFER again or part of the message is lost. This is especially a problem for 7920 phones since the XFER softkey may not be in view.

The client indicated that their Active Voice system did the same thing and was able to configure a delay before the message started playing. Since Unity stemed from Active Voice, is is possible with Unity to build in the same type of delay?

Thanks

[jasyoung]

Unfortunately there's no such ability right now, but there's a bug open on it (CSCea32524). Since there isn't really any workaround, you might try opening a TAC case associated with that bug. They may not be able to help you immediately, but the number of TAC cases associated with various bugs has a lot of impact on what developers work on first.

[Ginger Dillon]

Hi -

Here are a couple of other options for transferring directly to voicemail in the meantime:

1. Cisco IP Manager Assistant - assistants can transfer manager calls directly to voicemail http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/products/sw/voicesw/ps5015/products_user_guide_chapter09186a008012b4a6.html#1044527

2. We have used Option 1 described in this link http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_tech_note09186a008015b963.shtml

Regards,

Ginger

[jdiegmueller]

Here's a potential kludge: What about using an IPCCX script, which does nothing more than the following. I propose using a wildcard CTI Port number (like you do now) to catch the original "transform directly to vicemail" and get it in to IPCCX, and the do the following 7 steps:

1. Start

2. Delay 3 sec

3. Get Call Contact Info (Original Called Number), stuff in a string

4. Transform the number such that it gets picked up by the "real" transfer-to-voicemail CTIRP

5. Call Redirect (to transformed number)

6. Set Contact Info (Handled)

7. End

I mocked this up in a few minutes, and it appeared like it would be a valid workaround.

-jd

[k6lw]

Another way that works, at least in our operation is the caller presses the transfer key, dials the phone number for the voicemail (not press the messages button) then when they hear the main greeting playing, they just dial the phone number they want the caller to reach with #2. e.g. 1234#2 for subscriber 1234. Then hit transfer. There is a delay before the subscriber's message plays.

Lee

[mciarfello]

Hi,

Yea, we did that first and the client said it was too many keystrokes.

Our local Cisco office knows of the issue and is putting a feature enhancement request in (if it already isn't in.)

Thanks,

[jdiegmueller]

Ask the local Cisco office about the above approach I pitched; it technically works with Extended Services (the minimally licensed IPCCX engine than runs onbox), although I'm sure the licensing there might be a little hazy. If they're willing to file a PERS for you, maybe they'll be willing to "look the other way" with regards to licensing until the feature is hashed out.

The solution I pitched would require no user training, and would be pretty simple to implement. I'd be interested in hearing if it works out for your situation.

[jbarbee]

I have a client who had the same problem, and I believe I've found what seems to be a decent workaround for this problem, without using IPCC.

The standard method of transferring calls to voicemail is append a * to the number, ie: *XXXX and use a CTI Route point to handle it, with Forward All calls to voicemail.

Instead of Forward All to voicemail, I unchecked that and used Forward No Answer.

Unity picks up just a second or two later than if forward all was chosen. The no answer ring delay feature doesn't work (from what I can see), but just changing it to "No answer" adds just enough time to allow the user to press Transfer and the caller hears the full voicemail message.

[mciarfello]

Didn't seem to make any difference on my system (CCM 3.3.3.sr3) My fwd NA delay is set to 20 seconds, which it seems doesn't have any effect on CTI RP's.

Unity 4.0.3.

Thanks

[jbarbee]

This is on CCM 4.0 SR2.

One thing to note is that when transferring, the transferring phone user immediately hears the message, so it *seems* that it did not work from the Phone user perspective.

But after the transfer is actually made, Unity re-plays the entire message for the transferred caller. You're right, the No Answer delay does not seem to affect anything, but it does re-play the entire message again, which is exactly what is needed for this feature.

Just to re-state, I am using a standard CTI route point to answer the call, and using CallForwardNoAnswer not using ForwardAll.

It's on Unity 4.0.3. But I think that this isn't a Unity peice that we're modifying, it appears to be all related to the callmanager.

One thing to try would be to restart your CTIManager service to make sure the CTI route points get updated.

[eschulz]

Sounds like Unity picks up the call just as quick either way. In both cases the transferring phone immediately hears the greeting, right?

The trick is that you've managed to get Unity to restart the audio for you once connected to the transferee. Do you have CCM regions configured such that the audio codec might change during the transfer? Or is everything (Unity, CTI route point, transferee, transferor) in the same region?

-Eric

[jbarbee]

Yes - Unit picks up just as quick, but it restarts the audio for the external caller.

All regions talk to Unity over the same codec, G.711.

[jsanders]

You can also fix this with the edit switch utility on the unity server. Change the delay dial field on the incoming calls tab. A delay of 2 or 3 seconds is enough to complete the transfer without irritating normal users who call the unity server.

[Erick Bergquist]

I tried the edit switch method in 4.0(4) and it did not have any effect. I set it 2 seconds, then 3, then to 5 seconds and no delay, then I bumped it to 10 seconds and no delay either. I know this is longer but it was a lab system. I rebooted after changing it each time also.

Any timeframe for getting this feature added?