Private Phone Number Settings

The phone number settings instruct the Virtual Assistant what to do when you call from this number or when a call is forwarded to you on this phone number.

Private Phone Settings include the following sections:

• Phone Information: Contains basic information about the phone number.
• Call Management: Determines (a) how the Virtual Assistant greets you and interacts with you when you call from this number, and (b) what you want the Virtual Assistant to do when a call is forwarded to you on this number (call screening allows you to know who's calling before taking a call).

Phone Information Section

• Type of Phone: Use the dropdown list to specify the type of phone (main office, mobile, home or other). This is used to set your predefined call forwarding schedules.
• Extension Name: Enter a descriptive name for the new telephone number or extension.
• Country / Region: Specify the country where the phone number is used.
• Local Number: Enter the phone number in the TAPI format.

Call Management Section

Login Authentication

Specify how you want to be authenticated when you call from this phone number:

• Recognize me and log me in automatically: This option is called Auto-PIN. The Virtual Assistant will not ask you to enter your User ID or PIN when you call from an Auto-PIN phone number. This option is to accelerate and facilitate access to your Virtual Assistant, however be aware that any caller using this phone number will be given access to your account and can listen to your messages, modify your personal settings, etc. For security reasons and to protect your account from the risks of wrongful access, a private phone number can only be set as Auto-PIN for one user on the system.
• Recognize me but ask for my PIN: This option is called Auto-ID. The Virtual Assistant will not ask you to enter your User ID when you call from an Auto-ID phone number but will ask you to only enter your PIN each time you call the Virtual Assistant from that phone.
• Don't answer. Call me back: This option is referred to as Call Back and is especially useful to save on long distance charges when you call while traveling abroad or from a long-distance location. When you dial the Virtual Assistant from a Call Back phone, you simply hang up when hearing a fast busy tone and the Virtual Assistant will call you back immediately. You must have the required permissions to receive call backs on the selected phone number. This option provides many benefits:
  • More secure access: It prevents malicious use of your access codes from another device.
  • Long Distance Savings: Any long distance call charges will be based on the low rates of your company or service provider
  • More cost effective: No air time charges if your wireless provider charges only for outbound calls.
• Ask for my User ID and PIN: This is the default setting for phone numbers that have not been configured. The Virtual Assistant will ask you to enter your User ID or PIN.

Phone Session Startup

Select how you want the Virtual Assistant to start your phone sessions when you call from this phone number:

• Play my personal greeting: The Virtual Assistant will greet you by name each time you call from this phone number.
• Tell me what's new: The Virtual Assistant will immediately tell you how many new messages and appointments you have when you call. Appointments can be read only if your account is connected to a mail server that supports remote access to a calendar (Microsoft Exchange, Google G Suite or Google Gmail). See Mail Access for details.
• Tell me my phone status: The Virtual Assistant will remind you of your current status if it is not Available (in-meeting, out-of-office or unavailable). See Current Status for details.

You can also set some advanced options such as:

• Telephone Profile: Select how you want the Virtual Assistant to handle calls from this phone numbers:
  • Office Extension - Speech: This profile enables you to call contacts and colleagues and access voice messages using speech commands.
  • Office Extension - Touchtone: This profile enables you to dial internal extensions, access your voice messages and voice mail settings using touchtone commands.
  • External Phone: This profile enables you to access the Virtual Assistant's main menu to access and manage emails, voice messages, calendar events, call contacts, change your status and call forwarding, check your call logs, etc. using speech and touchtone commands.
• Start my phone session with: Determine how you want to start using the Virtual Assistant service:
  • Main Menu: Your session will begin at the top level menu from which you can access any feature: emails, appointments, contacts, call logs, etc.
  • Voice Mail: Your session will immediately accept commands related to your voice messages.
  • Speech Mail: Your session will immediately accept commands related to your emails.
  • Speech Calendar: Your session will immediately accept commands related to appointments.

Incoming Call Handling - Call Screening (announce callers)

Call Screening allows you to know who's calling before taking a call. When you receive a call, the Virtual Assistant will announce the caller and ask you to choose what you want to do: take the call, forward it to a colleague (if you have a company account) or send it to voice mail. You can turn call screening ON or OFF for each private number separately.

Check the box Tell me who's calling (Call screening) to activate call screening on this number or uncheck the box to deactivate it.