Automated Phone System

[jsnetman]

I have been asked by the Business Manager to look into an automated phone system for the school reception area. Don't really know where to start. Our phone ssytem is on Featurnet. Business Manager has already got a quote from BT for £7,725, does this seem about right for such an automated answering system.

Any comments appreciated.

[Ric_]

£7k sounds like a lot of money to add auto attendant functionality to your phone system (a feature that is usually bundled with modern systems).

[sdc]

I've had experiences with the Bravo II system - it's a voicemail and autoattendant solution which will tie in to virtually any phone system as it simply needs 2 (or 4, depending on your requirements) analogue extensions. At my previous school I set one up to answer one incoming line continually, and all lines out of hours. It's totally programmable, but for example, I had it set up to allow callers to enter the extension number if they knew it, or get a menu of "frequently-called" departments, or simply leave a message at reception. Also, staff could access the voicemail from outside by dialling in, and it would even illuminate the message waiting lamps on any of the dazzlingly wide array of cheap handsets that we had connected around the site.

Very clever system, easy to use, and very reasonably priced too if I remember rightly. Somewhere I have some programming guides and my own notes; if they would be of any use, let me know!

Edit: just found one on the web for £100.

[ozzy]

We recently user a company called Russell Telecome for our new system (NEC XN120 using our cat5)with what your looking for, awnser machine, "if you know the extention dial it now", voice mail ect for 8 extentions it was £1500.00 with a £151.00 a year maintenance agreement.
that also included Digital hand sets.

[john]

Featurenet is a fancy exchange based linking up tool I thought so are you part of multiple sites or all linked to the LEA systems?? That price that you have from BT I think is probably a whole new system, probably something like a BT BCMS - Business Communication Manager System (Nortel Norstar but modern and badged BT but uses the same handsets).

[jsnetman]

Featurenet is a fancy exchange based linking up tool I thought so are you part of multiple sites or all linked to the LEA systems??

Yes Featurenet is tied to the whole LEA and yes the quote was for a complete new BCMS system. I have logged a call with the LEA for someone to speak to me about the LEA Featurenet system. Im sure there must be a cheaper solution as mentioned in this thread by other posters.

[jsnetman]

Hi sdc

Is the Bravo system capable of this sort of feature:


Please select from the following options:

Press:

1 To report an absence --To an answering machine whoever checks voicemail regularly

2 To contact a department--Press 1 for English Press 2 for Humanities.............

3 To contact adult ed

4 To contact reception

[sdc]

Yes, this would be very straightforward. If you want to PM me, I'll give you a phone number you can call to hear it in use in a school.

Stephen

Hi sdc

Is the Bravo system capable of this sort of feature:


Please select from the following options:

Press:

1 To report an absence --To an answering machine whoever checks voicemail regularly

2 To contact a department--Press 1 for English Press 2 for Humanities.............

3 To contact adult ed

4 To contact reception

[fastsc]

Hi,

Please could I get a copy of the Bravo II programming guide/codes.

I would be very grateful.

Thanks - Jerry