Group Paging

Introduction

We are excited to introduce the Group Paging feature, a powerful tool for broadcasting one-way audio messages to a group of extensions simultaneously. This feature is ideal for making announcements, alerts, or any message that needs to reach multiple team members at once. Group Paging works seamlessly with your existing Call Director (formerly known as Primary Inbound) ring groups and is supported on Yealink, Poly (formerly Polycom), and Cisco handsets.

How It Works

Group Paging utilizes a special dialling code to send a one-way audio message to all extensions within a specified Call Director ring group. When you initiate a Group Page, all the phones in the ring group will automatically answer (if supported) and play your message through their speakerphones. This allows you to communicate important information quickly and efficiently without waiting for recipients to answer the call.

Dialling Sequence

• Group Paging: Dial *60{Call Director Extension}
  • *60: The feature code to initiate Group Paging.
  • {Call Director Extension}: The extension number of the Call Director ring group you wish to page.

Steps to Use Group Paging

1. Ensure Phone Compatibility

• Supported Handsets: Group Paging works with Yealink, Poly, and Cisco phones that support auto-answer functionality.
• Auto-Answer Configuration: Ensure that auto-answer is enabled on the phones within the ring group.

2. Identify the Call Director Extension

• Call Director Ring Group: Determine the extension number assigned to the Call Director (Primary Inbound) ring group you want to page.
• Example: Let’s say the Call Director ring group has the extension 300.

3. Initiate the Group Page

• Lift the Handset or Use Speakerphone
  • Pick up your phone’s handset or press the speakerphone button.
• Dial the Group Paging Code
  • Enter *60 followed by the Call Director extension.
  • Example: Dial *60300 to page the ring group at extension 300.

4. Broadcast Your Message

• Start Speaking
  • After dialling, you will hear a brief tone indicating the paging session has started.
  • Begin speaking your message clearly and concisely.
• End the Page
  • Once you have finished your message, simply hang up the call.
  • The session will automatically terminate on all recipient phones.

Example

Scenario: You need to announce an urgent meeting to all team members in the sales department, whose extensions are part of the Call Director ring group at extension 300.

1. Dial: *60300
2. Tone Heard: A brief tone indicates the paging session has begun.
3. Broadcast Message: “Attention sales team, please meet in conference room A immediately.”
4. Hang Up: End the call to terminate the paging session.

All the phones in the sales department ring group will have auto-answered and played your message through their speakers.

Important Notes

• One-Way Audio Only:
  • Group Paging is a one-way communication feature. Recipients cannot respond during the page.
  • If you require two-way communication, consider using the Intercom Feature instead.
• Auto-Answer Must Be Enabled:
  • Recipient phones must have auto-answer enabled to participate in Group Paging.
  • Refer to your phone’s user manual for instructions on enabling auto-answer.
• Do Not Disturb (DND):
  • Phones set to Do Not Disturb will not receive the page.
  • Ensure that DND is disabled on recipient phones if they need to receive pages.
• Volume Settings:
  • The speaker volume on recipient phones affects how loudly the message is heard.
  • Users should set an appropriate volume level for paging.

Use Cases

• Company-wide Announcements:
  • Make important announcements that need to reach multiple departments simultaneously.
• Emergency Alerts:
  • Quickly inform staff of emergency situations requiring immediate attention.
• Shift Changes or Break Reminders:
  • Notify teams about schedule updates or break times.
• Event Notifications:
  • Remind employees about meetings, training sessions, or company events.

Troubleshooting

• Paging Not Received by All Phones:
  • Check Auto-Answer Settings: Ensure auto-answer is enabled on all recipient phones.
  • Verify DND Status: Make sure Do Not Disturb is not activated on recipient phones.
  • Confirm Ring Group Membership: Verify that all intended extensions are part of the Call Director ring group.
• Incorrect Dialling Sequence:
  • Double-Check the Code: Ensure you are dialling *60 followed by the correct Call Director extension.
  • Example: For extension 300, dial *60300.