originator can then hang up and the other people can continue the call. If none of the telephones
except the originator's is an intercom extension, the outside callers are on hold, and will not
hear each other. In either case, the originator is still considered one of the four participants
on the call, so if someone other than a conference participant sets up the conference, a total
of three people can be conferenced. The call will disconnect when all the other parties hang
up. If your system has a system attendant who will be responsible for originating the conference
calls, be sure this procedure is explained carefully.
A conference call on hold is actually without an originator, so if someone picks up a line
when a conference call is on hold, that person becomes temporary custodian of the call and will
disconnect the conference call by hanging up. When retrieving a held call, it is important that
the line or INTERCOM button that is pressed is flashing an I HOLD pattern; pressing a button
with a THEY HOLD pattern can result in hanging up on all of the other parties.
Placing and retrieving conference calls on hold can require special treatment, particularly if
outside calls appearing on an INTERCOM button are involved. You may want to form a few
practice conferences involving combinations of lines and stations so that you can set up written
guidelines for conferencing.
Depending on your situation (geographic location, number of conferees, distance between
conferees, etc.), voice quality on conference calls may be affected (distant parties may have
difficulty hearing each other).
Call Forwarding
Intercom calls may be forwarded to or from any telephone that is plugged into the controller
at the time of the forwarding. An intercept tone (continuous error tone) will result if the user
attempts to forward calls to an intercom extension that is not plugged in.
Calls may not be forwarded to an attendant adjunct. An intercept tone will result if such an
attempt is made.
Calls may be forwarded to telephones from which calls are already forwarded, but the calls will
not be forwarded again. For example, if intercom extension 12 is forwarded to 20 and
intercom extension 15 forwards calls to 12, the calls for intercom extension 15 will ring at extension
12, not extension 20.
Call forwarding allows users to switch locations temporarily without losing calls. For example,
calls to intercom extension 12 may be forwarded to 15 and calls to 15 may be forwarded to
12. Anyone dialing extension 15 would then have the call forwarded to extension 12 and the
reverse would be true for extension 12.
If a user forwards calls from one extension to the same extension number, call forwarding for
that extension is canceled.
If Auto Callback is placed to an intercom extension which has calls forwarded, the call back
signal from the extension with calls forwarded will not occur until call forward is canceled.
Turing on the message light for telephones is not forwarded, even if the intercom call was
forwarded.
Transferred calls will not be forwarded; only intercom calls can be forwarded not outside calls.
When a call comes into a telephone from which calls have been forwarded, that telephone will
ring with one very short ring. This serves as a reminder to the user that the calls have been
forwarded. It is NOT possible to answer the call at that phone.
Group Paging
When a telephone is involved in a group page, the user will not hear a ring if a call comes in.
If the user has HFAI on, it may be difficult to distinguish a group page from an HFAI intercom
call. Announcements should be phrased in such a way as to make it clear that a page is occurring.
Administration Manual 33
