VirtualPBX.Com tutorials expand on the "VirtualPBX User Guide" in a more conversational manner for special topics of interest to our users in order to give explicit instructions and examples of the use of certain features.

Summary

The Virtual PBX has the capability to broadcast messages over the commercial telephone network to pre-chosen groups of extensions. The messages may either be in the form of automatic calls to the extension owners or Voice-Mail messages.

The originator of the broadcast has the capability of checking who in the group has listened to the message and who has not.

This feature is especially useful to any company managing emergency response teams where rapid reaction is important.

Examples

Assume that a Gas and Electric company has a number of employees on call for gas-leak emergencies, and assume that these employees are gathered into groups for various service-address areas. If the Gas and Electric company has a VirtualPBX laid on top of their normal phone system, they can define groups of extensions (i.e. employees) which correspond to the groups who are suppose to respond to an emergency in a given service area. If an emergency actually arises, the supervisor only needs to call into his VirtualPBX, select the correct group, and record a message for them to show up at a given address. Later if he needs to he can check who has listened to their message and who has not.

As another example, assume that the Satellite Operations Control Center of a company managing a large number of satellites has specialist groups who respond to different satellite emergencies. If the company has a VirtualPBX laid on top of its normal phone system, the operations manager can call in to his VirtualPBX, and broadcast a message for the group of people who specialize in the type of emergency which has happened to come in at once.

When laying a VirtualPBX on top of an existing phone system, the extensions of the employees in the Virtual PBX can be the same as as the extensions in the company's regular phone system avoiding confusion.

Details

In order to use this feature, call the VirtualPBX phone number, log in to the Hidden Phone Menus (#Extension#Phone Password#), press 1 for Mail, and 5 for Group Distribution Options. (System Administrators must first press 1 to act as an Extension owner.) At this point, the menus for using the feature are very clear. Each time when entering the Group Distribution Options, a Working Group must be selected before using other features.

For more information go to the "VirtualPBX User Guide", Section 2.2.2.10: Group Distribution and Message Broadcasting, pages 28-34. It is not necessary to download the entire User's Guide. Merely open the Word document and print pages 28-34.