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Proven technology, an abundant feature set, and simple maintenance
— these ar the keys to a superior voice mail systems. One system
that meets these goals is the new Voice
Wizard, based on Dialogic’s VoiceBrick technology and VoiceGate’s
own VIP4000 design.
(The product shot at the top of this review shows the Dialogic Voice
Brick.)
The Voice Wizard
is designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It installs in
less than a day; it presents a customizable menu structure; and
it offers features like remote notification and fax detection.
Although the Voice Wizard
works with several dozen PBXs our laboratory PBX (a Nortel model)
wasn’t on the list. Fortunately Dialogic’s New Jersey-based
Professional Services laboratory which is located about 90 minutes
from our Connecticut offices donated their facilities for a day.
INSTALLATION
We started by attaching the A/C adapter and a security dongle into
the unit’s COM 2 port. The COM ports were clearly labeled.
There was no on/off switch. Instead. the Unit automatically powered
on and ran a POST sequence. When this sequence was complete (when
the unit’s LEDs stopped flashing), we plugged in four single-
extensions from the PBX (using RJ-45 connectors) to the unit’s
four ports. Then we made sure that the four lines were in order,
matching the unit’s ports.
The next step was system programming which may be accomplished using
a telephone or a PC-based terminal emulation program like Hyper
Terminal or ProComm Plus. We wanted to test both methods of configuration
so we did the initial programming with a telephone and then we made
adjustments later using Hyper Terminal with Windows 95.
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We dialed the Voice
Wizard on its first extension although we could have dialed
any extension to continue — it doesn’t matter which port
is used for set-up. We did, however have to account for the switch
we were using. The Dialogic laboratory’s PBX, an AT&T Partner
Plus model requiredthat go through port number 10 or 11 for configuration,
so we made sure that we used extensions 10, 11, 12, and 13 off of
the PBX.
To enter the system as the system administrator. we had to press
the pound Sign (#) on the telephone’s key pad immediately after
hearing the initial menu tree. Then, we had to enter the administrator
ID and password. (The default administrator’s ID is *99; the
default password, *99*99.) We then navigated various options. choosing
to “change telephone system” (choice 6), and electing
to use the AT&T Partner Plus model (choice 110).
Once these selections are made, the user follows the command prompts
to return to the main menu. From this point, every selection depends
on an organization’s unique circumstances, but the biggest
step is to make user accounts. Entering the date for these accounts
simultaneously configures data for the name search feature, but
every user’s name must be entered by using a letter-to-numeral
charting method, which is extremely tedious. Names must be at least
two characters. At least the mailboxes and extensions can be created
in a lump sum.
End-user setup, like system setup, is just another trek through
a tree-structure labyrinth. Navigating through these menus isn’t
difficult, but the choices are numerous. so we suggest keeping One
of the many included copies of the mcnu system handy.
Basically, all setup demands of you is patience. Our patience was
tried only once, when we had to program the user account passwords.
Default passwords are the user ID entered three times, if the ID
is two digits; or entered twice, if the ID is three digits; or entered
just once. if the ID is four digits. Fortullately, once this teehnique
is mastered, users can easily reset tlle password to anything they
like, up to six digits.
DOCUMENTATION
Our Voice Wizard system came with four sets of documents. The first
was the main administrator’s manual; the second was a start-up
guide; the third consisted of the user’s manuals; and the fourth
consisted of the user’s pocket guides. Overall, the documentation
does a good job explaining the features and settings, and all the
guides are well organized and well illustrated. However, users and
administrators may have a hard time finding certain details related
to configuration.
Users, for example, may have difficulty finding information on changing
passwords. (For some reason, this information is buried deep within
the user’s manual.) Administrators might have to consult one
or another of the user’s pamphlets for various configuration
details. (We’d recommend repeating this informationl in the
administrator’s manual, the better to elimillate some unnecessary
paper shuffling.) One other sore point: We found that the documentation
for emulation access was severly limited.
FEATURES
The Voice Wizard’s
has so many features that discussing all of them would be tantamount
to writing a book on SOHO voice mail concepts. Consequently, in
this artiele, we’ll concentrate on a few standout features,
that is, features that you would expect to find only in a high-end
system. Examples include remote notification, remote configuration,
multiple levels of account security, surname searching, fax call
detection, and a wide variety of customization options.
The remote notification feature has settings for standard and cellular
telephones an for three kinds of pagers. In addition. the Voice
Wizard allows you to filter messages by their marked priority,
that is, based on the way caller select to mark their calls. This
approach is fine, so far as it goes; however, but we’d prefer
to see an option that allows filtering based on who called. That
way, instead of relying on the caller to reserve the “urgent’’
mark for really important messages, you could set the notification
feature to forward only those messages that you would deem important,
say, messages from your boss or an important client.
Alternatively, you could read a display of the caller’s number,
or have the number read to you, but even this approach might not
surfice. Who among us could claim to be a walking directory? Ideally,
you would have asystem that would filter or intercept calls based
on dynamic user settings. The system would send these calls as sound
files to a unified messaging server or directly to an e-mail pager,
mobile communicator, or PDA dcvice.
Another important featurc is remote configuration, which is especially
useful when emulator access is used. If nothing else, emulator access
lets you take your time while you go through the various settings,
sitting comfortably before a GUI, and avoiding toll charges —
reason enough, we think, to prefer the terminal-and-modcm tandem
to the telephone-based configurations.
In real life, it would make sense to have a device like the Voice
Wizard at a branch office and have the system administrator located
somewhere else. Using a standard null modem cable linked to a PC,
administrators could control the unit from that PC or from any remotc
PC.
Other features include:
- Dialogic D/41 H voice hoard.
- Two- and four-port versions of the unit.
- 486-based motherboard
- Extra COMport for future upgrades.
- Automatic gain control based on Dialogic SpringWare.
- Watch Dog Timer.
- 30-60 mailboxes.
- 2.75 hours of digital storage.
- Time- and date-determined special greeting options.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
We didn’t find any features that we couldn’t get to work
eventually. An impressive performance. (Such complete feature access
is unusual for such a young product .)
We normally test voice mail systems by calling every port. creating
users through every available method, and testing miscellalleous
features. The Voice Wizard
was no exception. We configured our unit to deliver messages marked
urgent to a cellular telephone, we programmed holiday messages and
we even customized the menu tree. We’re pleased to report that
everything worked flawlessly the first time even the setting of
the PBX type which we feared would occasion inordinate difficulty.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Voice Wizard would be available to a much broader range of users
if it were to work with standard analog lines. Indeed some of Voicegate’s
competitors do offer this option. Also we’d like to see the
addition of an on/off switch.
CONCLUSION
Voice Wizard is feature-rich
but not too difficult to set up and maintain. In addition, it has
a very gentle learning curve for end users. This system is most
appropriate for small to medium-sized organizations that already
have one of the PBX systems on the Voice Wizard compatibility list,
which includes systems from AT&T, Comdial, NEC, and Rolm. Organizations
may want to consider other options however if they currently lack
a PBX or if they’re planning to move to a different PBX (or
to a PC-PBX system).
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
1-800-668-2387 / 905-747-2223
or email voicegate@voicegatecorp.com
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