.7 Parameter "MSNS/Messages"

You have the possibility to record 9 announcements and determine a time for every announcement text. These time dependent announcements are called "First Level Messages" by us. The adjustment of data and association is done in the dialogue box preferences "MSNS/Messages".

Another feature of CoMa is interesting for owners of ISDN. If you have got an ISDN modem you can associate up to 10 MSN a special time dependent answering text. The modem gives CoMa the number called and enables a telephone number specific announcement. Personalised announcements accessible by PIN are not affected by this (Second Level Messages). Regardless on which telephone line a PIN is sent, if it is valid the stored text will be played.

CoMa Professional has another nice feature: Every entry in the number list which has a download folder can get a very personal message if the calling MSN is delivered to CoMa from the modem (Zyxel and Elsa).

The ZyXEL Elite ISDN sends the receiver recognition only after the first ring tone.  If you switch on your computer with hardware extension (i.e. WAKE_UP by our company) automatically this function will not work anymore. The computer has to stay switched on for this modem at all times to be able to process a MSN specific announcement.

MSN and time dependent announcements 

Open the dialogue box "MSNs/Messages" in the pull-down-menu "Preferences".

  

The first pop-up-menue is available for the ISDN. You choose the MSN and allocate the telephone number to the MSNs. If you use a normal analog telephone line, leave it to "if no other MSN"!

     Rings

Here you set the number of rings you want CoMa to go off hook.

     Kind

With this pop-up-menue you choose what kind of service CoMa offers to this MSN. If you use a simple fax-modem set "fax" or "fax and data". The kind of service can differ for each MSN!

A bit further down you find the adjustment possibilities for the MSN and time dependent messages. You can associate nine announcement texts to specific times. The text in the slot "else" is always used if no other slot is provided for the actual time.

   Messages

To select a new file press the button right next to the time input. If you want to select a folder with a couple of voice-files, make shure the button "folder" is "on"! You will receive the file selection box and be able to mark a file or folder. 

   Record-button

The button right to this opens the dialoque-box "Voice Message" where you can start  to record a new message.

     redirect

You can activate the redirect recorded messages for each time seperatly. To set the telephone number for this function open the dialoque-box "preferences voice".

It may happen that you want to get away from the timed announcements. In this case enter a text in the slot "always" and activate it by a click on the button. Only this text will then be used. Time-dependent announcements are sometimes not sensible, for instance during permanent absence due to holiday, sickness etc. and then this function is very useful.

Voice-On-Demand (PIN accessed announcements) 

As already mentioned, CoMa contains a small voice-mailbox as well. CoMa Voice allows only 7 second level messages. You can use only single voice-files, no folders like in the professional version!

Messages for friends

Personal messages for friends can be recorded which can be accessed via a PIN.

Professional Use

The PIN-dependent announcements can be made available generally as well. You can use the communication manager to pass on information to callers. If the caller presses key 1 he can be given an overview about all the information available. Via key 2 he could be given all the actual prices of your products etc. CoMa allows only 7 announcement texts of this type, using keys 1 to 7 for access.

This option has been greatly extended in CoMa Professional. Here you can create any amount of folders with announcements. The announcements in the folders can be mixed from 100 recorded files. This way you are able to change your announcements slightly without having to record the whole message again.

Furthermore, CoMa Professional offers the possibility to make fax pages available in these folders (for First and Second Level). This is called fax-on-demand.

The Personal Identification Number (PIN)

You can use single or multiple digit numbers for a PIN.

The single digit number PIN

Access with just on number is very easy. But this means also that you only have got a maximum of 8 PINs. The number 9 is already reserved for manual access to the mailbox, so it is out of bounds. A single number is not sensible for remote calling because it does not offer any security against misuse. But as access to Second Level Messages it would be sensible because there are only 7 Second Level folders avaialble in CoMa anyway. For CoMa Professional and use with many Second Level folders it will not be suitable.

The multiple digit number PIN

There are some rules to follow if you want to use multiple digit PIN. Every PIN has to start with number 8. You must not use the same number consecutively (i.e. 811). CoMa would ignore the second number because the programme assumes that one key was held too long.

Installation of Voice-On-demand

You record as before and open the folder provided for Voicce-On-Demand in the dialogue box (see parameter "Voice"). 

Create a folder here, the name of the folder must start with the number you have allocated as a PIN. EXAMPLE: You have allocated PIN 8172 for your best friend. The folder name must start 8172 followed by anything you like. The voice file/s for your friend must be stored in this folder, the first file to be played must start at 01 and then be numbered consecutively. The file name can be what you like after this numbering, the extension will be placed in automatically.  Once activated  via PIN the files will be played in numerical sequence. Second Level folders can contain up to 100 announcement texts.

The file with the ending .CNT in this folder indicates the number of times the folder has been activated remotely.

List of Voice-On-Demand

You can open a window with the list of all Voice-On-Demand folders in the pull-down-menu "Windows".

This overview is important in CoMa Professional because any number of messages and folders are possible and it enables you to keep things organised. You see at once how often the messages have been recalled!

Extensions of CoMa Professional

About the Voice-Mail-System

The Voice-Mail-System of CoMa Professional extends the functions of the answering machine greatly. Any amount of Second Level Messages can be defined now. Every announcement can be made up of up to 100 voice files. First Level Messages can also be created from up to 100 parts.

It is possible to change certain parts of the messages by using different voice files without having to record the whole announcement again!

Fax-On-Demand-System

You can create folders for First- and Second-Level-Messages which contain fax files or PICTs polled by the caller.

It is possible to have a message in these folders which will be played to the caller first. At the end of the message the fax transmission starts. This message can be a help announcement which explains how to proceed further.

For example the following announcement could be made:

Please prepare your fax machine for reception. Press the start key when you here the tone.

In short, CoMa eases the work with long texts in the voice part and makes fax-on-demand available.

Structure of Second Level Messages

The principle of the 100 announcement texts is as follows:

The name of the folder for these texts must start with the PIN which has been allocated or as a poll number for the fax. The voice files are then stored within this folder. The file name must start at 01, the remainder of the name is up to you. Subsequent files within the same folder must be numbered consecutively.

You can use any number as a PIN. An announcement folder can be polled with a  single number for instance, but you have to make sure that no other folder starts with the same number. CoMa would start to play the messages as soon as a folder is found! If you have called a folder 812 and another folder is given the name 8123 it would never be played because CoMa would find the folder 812 first.

The PIN for remote access must not have the same route as any other PIN. 

In English, this means keep all PIN numbers different, as CoMa cannot differentiate for different modes.

The following is an example for a small voice-on-demand system: (it is what we have installed into our office system, try calling us and listen to the result).

All Second Level announcement files have to be located in the correct folder. Adjustment is made in the dialogue box preferences "Voice". The following folders can be found there:

"81 Info about operation" 
short information about the operation and contents of the voice-mailbox (2 files in folder 1..)

"82  Prices" 
price information about our products (11 files in folder 2...)

"83 First Million Info" 
informationa about FIRST_MILLION (5 files in folder 3...)

"84 CoMa Info" 
Information about CoMa (4 files in folder 4...)

It takes less effort to recognise the relevant DTMF tone if you use only one number but it means that you can only define 8 announcement folders, 0 to 7 (the figure 9 cannot be used because it is needed for manual access to the mailbox). If you need more folders you have to use multiple digit numbers. You have to take care that every PIN starts with 8 if you use multiple digit PIN, just like we did in the shown example.

Structure of announcement files in the folders

All First Level Messages had to be recorded as a complete file in CoMa Voice. This was tiresome if one had to make large announcements and ammendments due to a price change (for example) were needed. The whole announcement had to be recorded again. We have solved this problem by making it possible to mix announcements from various voice files. The caller will  hardly notice this if the hard disk is reasonably fast. Within a folder you can save up to 100 separate announcement texts in separate files. 

The first part of the file name must be 2 digits followed by name of your choice. The two digits, starting at 01, must be numbered consecutively, and correctly, as this is the order they will be played in. The file extension is applied automatically and there is no need for you to do this.

We want to create a voice folder which informs the caller about our prices. To keep the input short we want this folder to be accessed by the key 2. This means that no other folder should have the same number in "Second Level".

The following example shows you how such a folder with announcement fragments should look: As a friendly dealer we would like to greet our customers, the first text should therefore be: 

"Hello, this is Softbear UK, the following is our price list..."

We call this file 01 greetings.R04  (the extension of Rockwell chipset in high quality)) The 01 in the file name tells CoMa that this text should be played first.

In a further text we inform the caller about the validity of our prices (important for special offers).

" These prices are valid till ...." 

The matching name would be 02 validity.R04

Then we have to record the date as voice-file

"24. December 1996" 

The name would be for instance 03 date.R04

In a further voice file we record the description for our office software.

"FIRST_MILLION magnum, the ultimate office software"

This file we call 04 F_M Info.R04

The price will be a separate file to be able to change the text quickly if a price changes.

"200 pounds"

So this file is now called 05 price F_M.R04

If you want to change the date of the validity you only have to exchange the file 03date.R04.

If the price changes you have to re-record the relevant price information again. The usage of the voice-mail-system is very easy and user friendly.

Here some information about the extension .R04 : First of all, it is automatically applied. It is determined by the sensitivity level at which you record. e.g. ADPCM4 gives .R04, ADPCM2 would give .R02. Simple innit?.

The file with the extension (ending) CNT shows you how many times this folder has been accessed. If you delete this file the counting starts again at 1.

Fax-On-Demand

The First Level and Second Level Messages folder can have fax pages or PICTs. In this case CoMa works only as permanent poll-sender. 
In the second case the full functionality retains enclouding the function described below!

Fax-on-demand integrated in CoMa Professional offers you the capability to provide not only one fax page but up to 99 pages or PICT-files in a folder for as many folders as you wish. The caller selects with a number code a specific folder for transmission. The caller does not have to have a fax machine with polling function. Such appliances are still not the standard today.

There are two rules to be adhered to:

1. 

The caller has to be able to send DTMF tones (he has to be able to do this for 

voice folders as well).

2. 

He has to be able to switch a fax machine to the telephone line.

The last condition will always be met if a combi fax or modem is connected to the telephone line. These appliances can always be switched via button from telephone to fax operation. Most fax machines can be persuaded via the start button to take over the connection.

The fax pages have to be located in a folder with numerical order and be located in  the folder "Second Level".

A voice file can be included as a special feature in this fax folder. Perhaps to give some helpful tips on how to use this function. A voice file will always be played first, after that CoMa switches over to fax mode automatically.

A possible text could be:

 "Please prepare your fax machine to receive. After you hear the tone of the fax machine in your telephone press the start button on your machine."

The fax files have to be available in compressed fax format and carry a consecutive numerical extension.

i.e.

XYZ.F01

XYZ.F02

...

XYZ.F99

If you prefer to use PICT-files the way these pictures have to be send has to be set in the first two digits of the file name like shown below:

     00XYZ
     01XYZ
     02XYZ   and so on.

Enter the path and name into the file selection box in which the fax page should be saved.

 The calling-MSN messages

The displaying of the telephone number of the caller is for all user of ISDN telephones a well known function. So you know befor you go off hook who is calling. A ISDN modem like the ones from Zyxel and Elsa get the calling MSN as well, so CoMa is able to welcome the caller with a very personal message. This message must be stored in the voice outgoing folder. You create this message if you go into the numberlist and activate a number entry. With the TAB button you open the dialogue "Edit number entry". There you find the button to record the message and to store it afterwards. BUT MAKE SHURE YOU STORE IT INTO THE VOICE/OUTGOING FOLDER!

If CoMa recognizes a telephone number, the download folder is scanned for a voice message, and if so, it is played. So surprise your customer or friends with a very personal message on your answering machine!
 
     calling MSN in CoMa Professional

The message can have two or more voice files. You just have to count the files in the way they have to be played. You have to use two digits in front of the filename. It´s like the way you create the second level messages in CoMa Professional! For example:

"01 message Doe "

"02 message Doe ". and so on!

The folder must be located into the Voice/Outgoing folder!