Q: I’ve been administering a BCM occasionally for a while now, but we got a new BCM-50 and I can’t seem to communicate with it. I’ve been using Element Manager so I know how to get a connection. Do I need a new version for this unit?
A: Yes, you’ll need the new version of Element Manager if this is a newer unit, but I have some good news for you. You already have it on your new BCM. Here’s how to get it.
First you need to be able to reach the unit over your network. Open a browser window (or tab) and enter the IP address for the new BCM-50 in the address field. This should bring up a screen from the BCM that says “Welcome to BCM.” On that page select “Administrator Applications.” On the next page select “Business Element Manager.” On the next page select “Download Element Manager” and point it to the directory where you want to store the program. When the program is loaded, run the installer as you are prompted, and then you’re ready to use it.
Of course you’ll need to have the login and password from the installer. They are case-sensitive, as you may already know.
Q: We have Single-Call Non-Ringing numbers on the expansion module of secretarial phones. Is there a way with a Nortel phone system to have a warning tone when a secretary picks up one of those lines if his boss is already using it? A similar problem was identified on the Definity Demystified article from the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Telecom Reseller.
In addition, because they have the SCNs they can see who is calling their bosses. Is there any way to filter just these SCNs but still allow calls to SCR to display name and phone number? Generally, because they are all on the same phone, I can't isolate such features and wondered if you knew of a workaround
.A: I’m aware that Avaya users are able to pick up their lines after they have been answered by “cover” but Nortel (by default) denies that ability. The position I’ve heard from Nortel people is that the concept of privacy is the overriding principle. There are a few ways to defeat the privacy in this situation, but not exactly in the way you are asking for.
The normal reaction in the Nortel PBX when the boss picks up his line after the secretary answers would be silence, and the line is not selected. Maybe this isn’t the way the boss wants it, but she might appreciate that it also keeps the secretary (or whoever else may be sitting at that desk) from listening in on the calls. If that isn’t convincing enough, it is possible to override the privacy setting on a phone with a single Class of Service setting: POA (Privacy Override Allowed). That setting removes Privacy entirely for all calls.
Maybe that’s a little too drastic for your situation and you’d like to have a more gracious approach. You can assign a PRS (Privacy Release) key. Any time the secretary wants to allow the boss to join the conversation (after answering the call), he can press Privacy Release and the boss can join the conversation. Privacy immediately re-engages after one party joins the call. Program PRS only on key 24 of a 3903, 3904, or 2004 set, or your choice on others.
There’s one more way to permanently remove Privacy from a particular extension on all phones where it appears. We used this many years ago before the POA Class of Service option was available. Simply program the extension on an analog port in the system. You don’t need to connect the port to a phone—simply having it programmed on an analog station will defeat privacy for that extension system-wide.
Now on to your second question. There is no way to tie the incoming display to whether a key is SCR or SCN. The only suggestion I have is to review the Class of Service setting of ADD/TDD. If you use ADD the display will show caller information on calls to key 0. If you use TDD the information will show for all lines on the phone.
Q: I have a CS1000 system with two sig servers. Sometimes, secretaries complain that the conference key or transfer key doesn't work or appear when they answered their attorney's line on a DBA module. Could it be that conference loop is maxed out? If so, is there a way to change or increase it? Or is it something else?
A: The usual problem that causes Transfer or Conference to not appear has to do with the PBXs perceived ability to control the call. Sometimes it's because the trunk does not have "supervision" from the provider. Other times it's because another phone has control of the call. If you can see that the call is on a trunk with full control (like a PRI) and no other phones are involved, I'd look for new firmware on the phones or other hardware involved. Have you done an FDLF on these phones? You don't say what model of phones. If they are IP phones, there may be more involved in updating them.
Reach the author at philruffin@hotmail.com.
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