Telephone Line Control

Telephone line control allows you to determine when calls are made to substitutes. Each telephone line is set up during the implementation of your system as incoming or outgoing. This setup determines which telephone lines are available for absence reporting and substitute call-in, versus the number of telephone lines dedicated to calling substitutes for jobs:

• Incoming lines receive incoming phone calls for the reporting of absences or for substitutes to search for open jobs, review assignments, or modify profiles. The telephone company configures these lines in a “hunt group" where only one telephone number is distributed to users, regardless of how many phone lines exist. When a line is busy, the incoming call rolls over to the next available phone line. A busy signal is heard only when all incoming lines are in use.

• Outgoing lines place calls to substitutes at times designated for that day of the week. Outgoing lines are not set up in a hunt group with themselves or with the incoming lines. Do not distribute telephone numbers for outgoing lines to users. While these numbers may appear on caller-ID, users cannot call the system by dialing the number for a line designated as outgoing. This activity is recorded as an error in the activity log.

• Lines can act as both incoming and outgoing, but having lines with this status increases the line usage.

Telephone Line Configuration

Add Telephone Lines

1. From Telephone, select Telephone Lines. Choose Configuration.

2. Click New.

3. Choose the line number and Status.

4. Select the Days and enter the Times for the line to operate. Select All Day for 24-hour availability on the selected days.

5. Click Save.

Modify/Delete Telephone Lines

1. From Telephone, select Telephone Lines. Choose Configuration.

2. Choose the Status, then click Search.

3. Edit the fields as needed.

4. Click Save.

5. To remove a line, select the record, then click Delete.

Daily Callout

This page controls when the system makes calls to substitutes:

• Today’s Start displays the times for morning callout for jobs for the current day. There is no designated end time for the morning callout. Instead, calls stop based on configurations you set on the Parameters - General page.

• Future Start and Future End display the times for the evening callout. The system makes calls during this time for jobs in future days based on configurations you set on the Parameters - Jobs page. Evening time includes holiday callouts. When there are several holidays in a row, calls are made each night, whether the following day is a holiday, weekend, or workday.

Dialing Prefix

This page displays the prefixes stored in the system. The default prefixes display first, and then the remaining prefixes are sorted by telephone number.

There are two default prefixes:

• The Default Local prefix is used before all local telephone numbers that do not match other entries in the callout phone prefix list. It is the default for all local numbers. If there are no matching entries in the callout phone prefix list for a local 7 or 10-digit number, but there is a dialing prefix in Default Local, this prefix will be used when dialing. For example: 9, The comma shown after the 9 indicates a 2-second pause before dialing the rest of the number.

• The Default Long Distance prefix is used before all long-distance telephone numbers that do not match other entries in the callout phone prefix list. It is the prefix used as the default for 11-digit numbers. If there are no matching entries in the list for the 11-digit numbers being called, but there is a prefix in Default Long Distance this prefix will be used when dialing. For example: 9, 1: The comma indicates a 2-second pause before dialing the rest of the number.

For instances where the defaults do not apply, enter new prefixes for the following:

• If the telephone lines go through a telephone switch, such as a PBX, the system must access an outside line.

• If you have access to special long-distance or extended area calling telephone lines that require a number sequence, you can designate in the sequence what should be used for those area codes and exchanges that do not use the default prefixes.

Entries in the prefix list can consist of a combination of a long distance value (1), area code, and calling area (first three digits of the 7-digit phone number), indicating 7-, 10-, or 11-digit dialing. For example, if you live in Dallas (972 area code) and want to dial a Fort Worth (817) area code, to avoid long-distance charges or take advantage of extended area calling, designate (817) area codes as needing to dial “8,” before all numbers in the (817) area code.

The system selects which prefix to use in the following sequence:

Add New Prefixes

1. From Telephone, select Telephone Lines. Choose Dialing Prefix.

2. Click New.

3. Complete the fields as needed:

   • Enter 1 for the Long Distance Indicator.

   • Enter the three-digit Area Code.

   • Enter the three-digit Calling Area code. This field checks against the callback number to select the appropriate prefix.

   • Enter the Dialing Prefix that the system enters before dialing the telephone number. It can be up to eleven characters and include commas to indicate a pause in dialing the rest of the numbers. Each comma is a two-second pause.
     Note: If you do not use the Include Home Area Code feature in the system parameters, and there is a dialing prefix for the home area code, the system uses the dialing prefix even though the area code is not dialed.

4. Click Save.

Manage Prefixes

1. From Telephone, select Telephone Lines. Choose Dialing Prefix.

2. Click the Telephone Number to modify.

3. Update the Dialing Prefix.

4. Click Save.

5. To remove a prefix, select the record, then click Delete.

Shutdown

Use this page to set up a temporary shutdown period. These lines do not:

• Answer incoming calls.

• Use outgoing lines.

A possible use of this feature is for school closure, such as inclement weather or a union strike. In most normal operations, there are no shutdown periods.

Add Shutdown Periods

1. From Telephone, select Telephone Lines. Choose Shutdown.

2. Click New.

3. Select the Line and enter the Date Range and Time for the shutdown.

4. Click Save.

Delete Shutdown Periods

1. From Telephone, select Telephone Lines. Choose Shutdown.

2. Click Delete.