Shared Call Appearance (MCA)

Description

This Shared Call Appearance (SCA) with Multiple Call Appearance (MCA) service allows a user to have several phones for the same number and services shared on several phones and endpoints.

For instance, have a phone at your office, one at your home and a softphone on your laptop to simply connect while you are traveling. (Simple SCA)

Another application for Shared Call Appearance is for an administrative assistant/executive scenario. (SCA with MCA)

Incoming calls will appear at multiple locations simultaneously. All devices where call appearance is shared can be used to answer an incoming call or make a call as if it is the main user. Basic Functionality Description (Also known as Simple SCA). The Shared Call Appearance service gives an administrator the ability to provision 1 to 5 endpoints (devices) for a user. These endpoints share the same line, so they all behave as extensions of a single line or user. One of the provisioned locations is the user’s primary endpoint while the other locations are called alternate endpoint (or secondary devices.)

Users can be assigned any type of device for their primary and alternate endpoints. When a user with this service is idle, an incoming call alerts all the endpoints. The first to answer is considered active and the others are released and locked for further use by that user. If the user is already busy on a call on one of the locations associated with the line, the incoming call is presented to the active location only. A Shared Call Appearance user can originate a call from any endpoint, which locks out the other locations for the duration of the call. Any further incoming calls to that user are presented to the busy location, similar to a terminating scenario.

Advanced Functionality Description (Also known as SCA with MCA) – Calls are transferred between locations holding a call. Picking up the line key or dialing *11. Shared Call Appearance Location Control, allows the user can enable or disable an alternate location.

The group administrator configures the Shared Call Appearance service using the Group web portal. The user can view limited configuration information through the Personal web portal. The varied configuration of SIP end points allows different line appearances on the phone to be assigned to different users. This allows SCA applications such as an assistant/executive scenario and key system emulation.

This Hold/Retrieve Support capability allows for calls being put on hold on one station to be retrieved from any other station sharing that call appearance. After a call is put on hold on a station, all stations show that call as being held by flashing the corresponding lamp slowly. At this point, any of the stations can be used to retrieve the held call. After the call is retrieved by a station, all lamps go on (solid) showing the call as Active, and the station becomes the active station.

Only one instance of the Call Control Client can be running for each user. The Shared Call Appearance user can log in to the Client from anywhere, and it displays the active calls regardless of which location is used by the calls. When an idle user initiates a call from the Call Control Client, the initiated call alerts the primary location only. When a call is already active and a second call is initiated from the Call Control Client, the second call uses the same location as the first call. Selecting “Alert all appearances on Click to Dial Calls” on the web portal (under Call Control>>Shared Call Appearance) will allow you to chose which location to make calls from.

How to

The configuration of MCA with SCA service has a single on/off configuration option, and it is configurable by both administrators and users. It is configured via the SCA service profile and defaults to “On”. The SCA service allows a user’s primary locations and SCA location to be a mix of any type of devices. However, MCA is only supported with intelligent devices. Intelligent devices are devices that can provide their own call control capability including call transfer, three-way calling, and so on. Intelligent devices include Polycom SIP phones. If a user is provisioned with a non-intelligent device for any of their locations (primary or SCA), then MCA is disabled for that user. In addition, if any device assigned to a user is controlled by Masergy, such as Windows Messenger, the system overrides the MCA service and treats all incoming and outgoing calls as if the MCA service were not assigned.

The Shared Call Appearance Bridging service provides an attribute that is used to allow or disallow bridging between the SCA locations. This allows for bridging calls between shared call appearance locations to facilitate manager/administrative assistant interactions.

A user can retrieve a held call appearance by selecting the call appearance and pressing a feature key (for example, *11) on a SIP phone. Or a user can press the line key and press the softkey labeled Barge-in.

Another attribute is also added to the Shared Call Appearance service to determine whether a warning tone should be provided when a location bridges on an existing call. This warning tone is useful for privacy to notify the executive that another party is now listening on the call. If the warning tone is enabled for a user, a warning tone is provided to all parties connected to the bridge when a location barges in. While the SCA-Bridge is active, the warning tone is optionally repeated periodically every 30 seconds