Groups

All the subscribers in the exchange can be divided into groups. The exchange can handle up to 50 different groups of stations. There is no limitation to the number of members in each group and a station can be member of more than one group. The groups are used for several purposes:

• Voice Paging - calling all stations (All Call) or a group of stations (Group Call).
• Set-up of audio program or simplex (program) conference to a group.
• Send mail messages to a group of stations.
• Send Call Request to a group of stations.
• Group Hunt - calling one station in a group (e.g. to access on of several telephone line).
• Restrict access on calls to/from a group of stations.

Additional Information:

• Only stations can be members of a group.
• Groups in AlphaNet.

Group Membership Configuration

Group 1

All subscribers are members of group 1 after autoload. A Group Call to group 1 is then heard at all stations.

Group 49

This group is used for stations that are not allowed to use the telephone feature. The telephone network interface PNCI is normally configured to reject calls from members of this group. The group is empty after autoload.

Additional Information

Further access restrictions to the PNCI (such as access to make local calls only) are programmed in the PNCI itself.

Group 50

This group is by default used for a group hunt to external telephone lines. All the PNCIs connected to external telephone lines should be entered in this group. When you dial 0 to get access to a telephone line, group 50 is used to find a free line. The group is empty after autoload.

Assigning Stations to Groups

To assign stations to a group, each station must be specifically included. It is possible to include a station in any number of groups.

Group Call/Announcements

Groups are most frequently used to activate calls to a group of stations. If the group call includes all stations (group 1) it is usually called an All Call.

In the autoload the following directory numbers are available:

• 84 All Call to group 1 (all subscriber by default members)
• 85 - 88 Group Call to groups 2 - 5 (empty groups)
• 890 - 899 Group Call to groups 6 - 15 (empty groups)

To initiate a group call, dial the directory number of the desired group. Both you and the group members hear a ding-dong signal. Press the M-key while you speak. Your voice will be heard on all stations belonging to this group. To repeat the message, press the M-key and speak again.

Anybody in the group can answer you within a given period (default 30 seconds). If nobody answers, the call is automatically canceled when the time-out period expires. You can also cancel the answer period yourself by pressing the C-key.

The exchange is often programmed to restrict the possibility to make an All Call to certain stations, for example the one at the switchboard. You can also exclude any station from receiving an All Call /Group Call.

Answering Group Calls (Meet Me)

If someone is searching for you using a Group Call or All Call, you can dial 99 on an intercom station within the answer period (default 30 seconds). You will automatically be connected to the person who initiated the call (unless the caller cancels the answer period).

Additional Information

• If you use simultaneous group calls, you must answer from a station belonging to the group.

Simultaneous Group Calls

The exchange can send out more that one group call at the same time, keeping track of which station made which group call. There must not, however, be any overlap in members of the simultaneous groups. If there is overlap, the second group call is queued. When simultaneous group calls is used, answering a group call must always be done from a station belonging to the group.

Additional Information

• The possibility to have simultaneous group calls can be disabled. A new group call will then meat a busy signal if the ongoing call has the same or higher priority. An ongoing group call will be canceled by a new group call with higher priority.

• The gong is a common resource. If two group calls are started at the same time, the second must wait till the gong is finished, no matter what the priorities are. If the repeated gong is used, the gong may be occupied for some time, according to the programming of the repeated gong.

Voice Paging Exclusion To Prevent Acoustic Feedback

In certain situations there may be a problem with acoustic feedback between neighboring stations during Group Calls. With Voice Paging Exclusion each subscriber may exclude up to four neighboring stations from receiving the audio during a group call initiated by the subscriber.

Group Call Priority

The group calls can have 4 different levels of priority:

• Low (1)
• Medium (2)
• High (3)
• Alarm (4)

By default all groups have Low priority, but this can be changed by programming. The group call priority works in the following way:

• With simultaneous group calls: A group call is canceled by a group call with higher priority if there is overlap between members.
• Without simultaneous group calls: An ongoing group call is canceled by a group call with higher priority.
• Group Calls with Alarm priority. This priority should be used for alarm group calls only. It has the following attributes:
  • Priority over group calls with lower priority.
  • Override of volume setting on the TouchLine InterGuard stations. The alarm call is always distributed at maximum volume.
  • Override of handset off on the TouchLine InterGuard stations. The alarm call comes through the main speaker even if the handset is accidentally misplaced.
  • On-going conversations are canceled if the exchange needs the hardware resources to get the Alarm Group Call through to everybody.