hoolahoous
join:2004-08-25
Red Valley, AZ
| Real reason why Grandcentral has 'press 1 to accept the call
They claim that otherwise their service will not be able to use Grandcentral voicemail effectively (basically leaving voicemail on your home phone or cellphone instead of their website)..
but what if people DO NOT want their voicemail ? I for one find is more convenient to get voicemail on my answering machine rather then starting my computer and checking my email. They could easily give the option TO USER to either have 'press 1' or not ?? right ?? so why not ?
So here is the conspiracy theory..
1) Their business model could be to play advt. before voicemails once membership reaches critical masses.
2) since people are forced to use GC voicemail they will have to listen to ads
3) this defeats IVR. they can prevent people terminating calls on pbxes (terminating calls cost bucks) and pbxes are shared by several extensions. so they can reduce the incoming minutes |
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redshift
Premium
join:2004-03-23
Beverly Hills, CA | I think it's to save on incoming calls going to answering machines or other such waste of minutes. Even if it's only 1 or 2 seconds if you multiply it by even 10 000 it ads up. |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
 ·VoicePulse for Bus..
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
·Future Nine Corpor..
·VoiceStick
·Packet8
| reply to hoolahoous
I think it's a great feature. I recently had a problem period with bad cell reception at home. At the same time, SunRocket had a problem where I couldn't turn sim-ring off or change numbers. My cell voicemail would answer on the first ring before I could answer from a home phone. Around the same time I discovered a similar press 1 option in Asterisk which I think is great.
»Nice addition to simultaneous ring!
I don't know why it is not an option you can control. Try Asterisk, you could have it automatically send the 1. |
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maxpower
join:2006-10-09
Providence, RI
| reply to hoolahoous
quote:
I don't know why it is not an option you can control. Try Asterisk, you could have it automatically send the 1.
You wouldn't happen to know how to do that would you? I've done tons of searching and couldn't get a definitive answer.Thanks. |
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mazilo
From Mazilo
Premium
join:2002-05-30
Lilburn, GA
| reply to cbrain
said by cbrain  :Try Asterisk, you could have it automatically send the 1. Why not tell us how to do this on asterisk? |
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bellhater
Premium
join:2003-10-08
canada
| I have done it.. Basicly in your inbound context here is an example of how I have done it in the past:
The following is an example of how to allow asterisk to take the call and voicemail.
exten => s,1,answer
exten => s,2,wait(2)
exten => s,3,SendDTMF(1)
exten => s,4,voicemail(U200)
exten => s,5,hangup
Now another example would be the same, however directed to your voip device, ring for 20 seconds and then go to voicemail if no answer from device1:
exten => s,1,answer
exten => s,2,wait(2)
exten => s,3,SendDTMF(1)
exten => s,4,dial(sip/device1,20)
exten => s,5,voicemail(u200)
exten => s,6,hangup
And lastly if you wanted to use asterisk to transfer the call to your home phone or any other phone number with the ability to allow voicemail on that phone number, if the line is busy, the line is busy in the context and will ring busy.. sometimes this confuses the caller, cause they will hear the gc ring, then a busy signal:
exten => s,1,answer
exten => s,2,wait(2)
exten => s,3,SendDTMF(1)
exten => s,4,dial(sip/17018255555@provider)
exten => s,5,busy
The information provided is for advanced users. If your a beginner I would offer my services to help for a very small fee as there are several interlinks to make this work as follows:
1:DID number from a provider
2:Asterisk server, virtual or physical (free open source ver)
3:Outbound provider (if allowing your calls to ring to a landline or cell phone)
You can use the gizmo project account to make the interconnect if you wanted to save some money and go virtually free from gc to voip device with asterisk passing the call.
Good luck! |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
·VoicePulse for Bus..
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
·Future Nine Corpor..
·VoiceStick
·Packet8
| reply to mazilo
said by mazilo :said by cbrain :Try Asterisk, you could have it automatically send the 1. Why not tell us how to do this on asterisk? Because I've never done it. 
Sounds like you are using Trixbox. The above post looks like a good start. This would go in - extensions_custom.conf. If you use FreePBX to do your incoming config, you could start with "inbound routes" but send to "custom app" in "extensions_custom.conf" then from there send to an extension or ring group. If you use the fax handling remember your call is already answered. Below are a few commands you might play with. Let us know how you make out.
[extensions_custom.conf]
exten => s,n,Playtones(ring) ;play ringtone to caller if needed
exten => s,n,Goto(ext-group,1,1) ;go to ring group 1
exten => s,n,Goto(ext-local,1000,1) ; go to extension 1000 |
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hoolahoous
join:2004-08-25
Red Valley, AZ
| reply to bellhater
said by bellhater :here is an example of how I have done it in the past: thanks.. i will work on this and post freepbx/trixbox instructions if successful.. |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
·VoicePulse for Bus..
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
·Future Nine Corpor..
·VoiceStick
·Packet8
| reply to hoolahoous
I just gave it a try and it works.
First go to "config edit" and add the following to -extensions_custom.conf-
[custom-gc-did]
exten => 1,1,answer
exten => 1,n,wait(2)
exten => 1,n,SendDTMF(1)
exten => 1,n,Goto(ext-group,2,1) ;use a setup ring group or extension
Then go to FreePBX - setup - Inbound Routes - and set up or edit your Gizmo Project DID. In the - set destination - section set - Custom App: - to - custom-gc-did,1,1 -.
Then setup your ring group or extension.
If you need to have access to incoming from GrandCentral from your cell or other, change your inbound route from FreePBX directly to the same ring group or extension and toggle between press 1 and direct ring. |
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maxpower
join:2006-10-09
Providence, RI
1 edit | reply to hoolahoous
please delete |
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maxpower
join:2006-10-09
Providence, RI
1 edit | reply to hoolahoous
edited |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
·VoicePulse for Bus..
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
·Future Nine Corpor..
·VoiceStick
·Packet8
| said by maxpower :I followed the instructions and my calls ring, go to Grand Central voicemail, but my softphone shows that there is a call incoming. If I answer the call I just get dead air. If you have trouble posting to BBR, this is probably not a project you should be playing with.
The purpose of GrandCentral is to make sim ring easy. My above work bypasses this and answers the line even though it appears to the caller it is still ringing. Don't use both at the same time. If you use Asterisk, turn off ringing other lines. If you need to ask these questions, don't play with this! |
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maxpower
join:2006-10-09
Providence, RI | reply to hoolahoous
Yeah your right. I have so many problems with my Trixbox setup. Back to the lab I go. |
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meb
join:2002-12-12
Potomac, MD
| reply to cbrain
said by cbrain :said by maxpower :I followed the instructions and my calls ring, go to Grand Central voicemail, but my softphone shows that there is a call incoming. If I answer the call I just get dead air. If you have trouble posting to BBR, this is probably not a project you should be playing with. The purpose of GrandCentral is to make sim ring easy. My above work bypasses this and answers the line even though it appears to the caller it is still ringing. Don't use both at the same time. If you use Asterisk, turn off ringing other lines. If you need to ask these questions, don't play with this! There are enough providers negative towards Asterisk. This is great information but if people misuse it, Google might make it more difficult. |
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Rembrand
@ap.net
| reply to hoolahoous
There is a little problem with your theory. Simultaneous ring would be useless if one of the phones that the call is being sent to, is your cellphone. If the phone is off or outside the calling area then none of the other phones would ring and instead the call would go right away to your cellphone's voicemail.
You can still force it to leave a voicemail on your asterisk.(as others have shown) You might even be able to record the DTMF of the number one on your answering machine and see if it picks up the call.
All I'm saying is that grandcentral can't take off the option of pressing 1 for their service to work as it does.
said by hoolahoous :They claim that otherwise their service will not be able to use Grandcentral voicemail effectively (basically leaving voicemail on your home phone or cellphone instead of their website).. but what if people DO NOT want their voicemail ? I for one find is more convenient to get voicemail on my answering machine rather then starting my computer and checking my email. They could easily give the option TO USER to either have 'press 1' or not ?? right ?? so why not ? So here is the conspiracy theory.. 1) Their business model could be to play advt. before voice-mails once membership reaches critical masses. 2) since people are forced to use GC voicemail they will have to listen to ads 3) this defeats IVR. they can prevent people terminating calls on pbxes (terminating calls cost bucks) and pbxes are shared by several extensions. so they can reduce the incoming minutes |
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mazilo
From Mazilo
Premium
join:2002-05-30
Lilburn, GA
| said by Rembrand :
All I'm saying is that grandcentral can't take off the option of pressing 1 for their service to work as it does. I believe it is more appropriate to say GC just doesn't want to take off such option. |
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tommy13v
Premium
join:2002-02-15
Glenville NY
1 edit | reply to bellhater
Very nice dialplan addition. Gotta love Asterisk and open source in general. |
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Rembrand
@ap.net
| reply to mazilo
said by mazilo :I believe it is more appropriate to say GC just doesn't want to take off such option. Ok there is another scenario, let's imagine that they removed the option of pressing 1 and I have simultaneous ring at home and at my cellphone. Say I'm driving around and get an important call (International) but when I tried to get the cellphone "I couldn't get it out of my pants" and by the time I finally get it out it's 500ms too late because my home answering machine has already answered the call. If the option of dialing 1 was there then my home answering machine wouldn't have been able to pick up the call and I would have been able to pick it up. |
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hoolahoous
join:2004-08-25
Red Valley, AZ
1 edit | said by Rembrand :said by mazilo :I believe it is more appropriate to say GC just doesn't want to take off such option. Ok there is another scenario, let's imagine that they removed the option of pressing 1 and I have simultaneous ring at home and at my cellphone. Say I'm driving around and get an important call (International) but when I tried to get the cellphone "I couldn't get it out of my pants" and by the time I finally get it out it's 500ms too late because my home answering machine has already answered the call. If the option of dialing 1 was there then my home answering machine wouldn't have been able to pick up the call and I would have been able to pick it up. you are explaining why they should provide 'dial 1'. Now what if I want the voice mail to be left on home machine ??
so it could be argued both ways. Frankly speaking I do not use sim ring at all. I just use it as a plain vanilla incoming number. so 'press 1' is a pain-in-youknowwhere ..
IMHO if they let user decide how they want it that would be great.
edit: in your specific scenario you won't be able to take the call anyway since the call would go to GC voicemail.. |
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zackwheat
join:2006-05-03
Blue Springs, MO | reply to hoolahoous
I saw this suggestion somewhere. Start your voicemail greeting by pressing "1", then leave the rest of your greeting. |
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