OT: voicemail message board?

[Mr Sandman]

I'm trying to solve a communication problem with some of my staff that are on-call and need to leave each other messages when their on-call period comes to an end.

We have tried email, text messages, note books, and phone calls but there are problems with each of them.

I came up with the idea that a kind of voicemail message board where staff could retrieve message left by others, delete ones no longer needed and leave messages...but with out a phone linked to it. Maybe they call a phone number that only accesses a voicemail system...I'm sure such a thing exists, but what is it called?

What could also be useful is that messages even though they are no longer needed, could be automatically archived for future reference. Possibly with a web based control page?

Any suggestions?

Steve

[Owain]

A voice mailbox or if you want to host it yourself, an answering machine :-)

Try

- a heavyweight answering machine might do what you want. The 540 includes:

- 10 switching times to switch on or off or to change the outgoing message. Very flexible as each time can be on any combination of days, so that one switching time could switch on the machine with OGM 2 at 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5pm, and another switching time could switch on the machine with OGM 4 at 6 pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays

- Can dial your mobile or send you an SMS message (requires CLI and SMS activation on your telephone line) to tell you that it has received a message

- Time and/or date stamp

- 10 outgoing messages (1 pre-recorded OGM, 5 individual OGMs, 4 mailbox) with no maximum length (upto the capacity of the machine To reach a mail box, the initial message would say "For John press 1, for Jane press 2 etc." Then the caller would hear John's own personalised OGM

- Use the 4 mailboxes to give information e.g. "press 1 for opening times, press 2 for special offers etc."

- Individual remote access to each mail box

- Holds a maximum of 100 messages

- Code locking to prevent unauthorised use of answering machine

- Audio input (3.5mm stereo jack) for recording OGMs

- Ability to download your messages to PC or audio cassette for backup purposes

the 953 will store up to 300,000 messages...

Various voicemail-to-email systems available hosted on 0845 / 0870 etc numbers. I would suggest heading over to news:uk.telecom ...

Owain

[Graham.]

Yes sure. How about zero cost, simple, does everything you've specified and more and capable of being up and running in a few minutes?

Go to

and create yourself an account on the registration tab. Choose an appropriate STD area code, you are going to get a free geographic telephone number. Confirm you want the geo number my selecting the 2nd radio button. Highlight the number and complete the registration form.

Log into your account click the voicemail tab and choose voicemail settings. Fill in a 4 digit PIN and save.

Click "configure call forwarding" and create a rule to immediately forward to voicemail.

Now dial 020 7043 7777 when prompted dial the last 7 digits of your new phone number and when you here "password" dial the 4 digit PIN you created.

0 then 1 will allow you to record an outgoing message ("unavailable" message) please do this as the default message sounds horrable.

So there you go, callers call the local number, hear the OGM and leave a message.

Calling the London 020 number allows you to listen to the messages and manage the mailbox. You can listen to the messages directly from the website, and you can have new messages emailed to you.

Ping Ivor Jones on uk.telecom.voip if you have any problems with Sipgate.

[Mr Sandman]

wow looks good, got half way through the registration, had chosen my number, but then I got moofed, and the only number is not available now.

will try again tomorrow!

cheers all!

at eve

[Dave Liquorice]

It was going so well until that point. A caller to the local number can't listen to messages? That was part of the spec, any one of the group needs to be able to leave and listen to messages from any other member of the group.

From the OPs comments there have been problems with almost all other methods of communication(*). Having to call different numbers for different actions I don't think is going to work.

Those two features are nice though, assuming that the OPs group have email/net access when they need to communicate.

(*) Was a email list server tried? Send an email to a common address all subscribers get sent a copy.

[Mr Sandman]

ive just signed up, seeing if its suitable shortly. The problems with email is that it is not as handy as a mobile. And you have to type!

steve

>

[Mr Sandman]

Actually it looks good!...some of the system voice overs are a bit primitive...but over all its good.

My on call staff leave messages on a local number, these are logged like normal voicemail and are reviewable by calling an 0207 number and also the .wav is emailed to a email of your choice and it is also manageable on the website for review and deletion etc. Over all it seems free...I cant see the catch...?

Steve

[Graham.]

Catch, would I sell you a catch? I see you have discovered the odd mix of audio levels, distortion, and even genders of the voice menu system. Oh and it has been known to lapse into German!

[Man at B&Q]

How much do you pay for the calls? How long does it take to navigate the system to do anything?

MBQ

[Graham.]

How much do you pay for the calls? How long does it take to navigate the system to do anything?

MBQ

The same as for dialling any other "normal" UK telephone numbers. With many call packages calls to these numbers will be effectively free.

[Mr Sandman]

I have unlimited call package so its free for me, for my staff, it just costs them what ever their phone company charges to call an 0207 or our local area number.

its just like calling your voicemail, only difference is you just have to type in the account number and pass code, but this can be pre entered into your phone with pauses so no problem!

Steve