Using your ESI Feature Phone
Supplementary information about Esi-Link

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Overview

Esi-Link is an optional feature that networks several ESI telephone systems (or locations) across an IP-based network. With Esi-Link, a multi-site business can integrate up to 100 of its locations, using the latest VoIP (voice over IP) technologies. Inter-office calls, transferring outside calls, moving voice messages and even accessing outside lines at remote locations are all features you can use over Esi-Link.

For quick access to Esi-Link features, Location Keys are used to provide one-button access to remote Esi-Link locations. Just press a Location Key to receive internal dial tone for dialing into a particular remote location. You can then directly dial any extension, department, mailbox or outside-line-group access code at — as well as transfer calls to, page to or even retrieve held calls from — that remote location. When a Location Key is dialed, the short name of the location will appear on the Feature Phone’s display (e.g., a location in Dallas might be assigned a short name of “DAL”). Programmable keys can also be set to dial remote locations’ station numbers, department numbers, local line access codes, or voice mailboxes.

A remote location station or mailbox can also have its status (ringing, busy, new message, etc.) indicated by the lamp on the programmable key to which it is assigned. Contact your System Administrator if you wish to have an Esi-Link location publish the lamp status of a particular station or mailbox.

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Location Keys

To facilitate dialing into a remote location, a programmable feature key may be assigned as a Location Key. When you press a Location Key, you’ll hear dial tone; you can then dial any extension, department, mailbox, or outside line group access code (9, 8 or 71–76) in the remote location.

For instance, a user in the Dallas office would press the key programmed for the Chicago office and dial 1 0 4 to reach extension 104 in the Chicago office. Up to 16 Location Keys may be programmed on each ESI Feature Phone. To program a Location Key, perform the following:

1. Press PROG/HELP 2.
2. Press the feature key to be programmed.
3. Enter the remote location number — such as 7 0 2.
4. Press the feature key again.
    
   

   Note:

   You can also use the system’s Location Dex feature to select the remote location number.

5. Press RELEASE.

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Dialing an Esi-Link location

To dial a station through Esi-Link, press the appropriate Location Key followed by the desired station’s remote location extension number. For instance, let’s say you’re in Dallas and want to call extension 112 at your Chicago location. Just press the Location Key for Chicago plus the extension number 112).

Transferring calls, dialing voice mail, etc. all operate the same way. Basically, wherever you would dial a local extension, mailbox, or outside line access, just enter the location number first if you are calling a remote Esi-Link location. The display of your Feature Phone shows the progress of the call as you are dialing.

For example, if you wanted to dial your Chicago location, the display on your phone would look similar to this before you dialed:

The boxes on the second line of the display show there are a total of six Esi-Link channels active at your location. The first two Esi-Link remote channels are busy, and the rest are idle and available for new calls.

When you complete dialing the remote location extension (112 in this example) the display will look like this (note that another remote channel is now in use):

If all Esi-Link channels at your location are busy, you will see:

You will then be prompted to press 1 to queue for an available channel. If you choose to queue, you may press 1 and hang up. When a channel becomes available, your phone will ring and, it’s answered, you can redial the Esi-Link number.

Transferring calls

Outside callers can be transferred to remote location extensions, departments, and mailboxes.

Transferring an outside call to a remote location extension or department

1. Press TRANSFER.
2. Either:
   1. Press the Location Key and then dial the extension.
      . . . or . . .
   2. If you have a programmable feature key assigned to that location number and extension, just press that key to transfer.

Transferring an outside call to a remote location mailbox

1. Press VOICEMAIL.
2. Either:
   1. Press the Location Key and then dial the extension.
      . . . or . . .
   2. If you have a programmable feature key assigned to that location number and extension, just press that key to transfer.

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Programmable feature keys and Esi-Link:
An introduction

With Esi-Link, you assign dialing information to your ESI Feature Phone’s programmable feature keys in the usual way — i.e., if a remote location station or mailbox is to be assigned to a programmable feature key, enter the location number followed by the station’s extension number or the mailbox number.

Examples

Assigning a programmable feature key for extension 135
in location 712

1. Press PROG/HELP 2.
2. Press the feature key to be programmed.
3. Dial 7 1 2 1 3 5. (You can also use Location Dex to select the remote location extension.)
4. Press the feature key again.
5. Press RELEASE.

Programming a call-forwarding key to extension 135
in location 712

1. Press PROG/HELP 2.
2. Press the feature key to be assigned.
3. Dial 5 6 5 (the ESI system’s call-forwarding code, as explained in your User’s Guide).
4. Dial 7 1 2 1 3 5. (You can also use Location Dex to select the remote location extension.)
5. Press the feature key again.
6. Press RELEASE.

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Using feature keys with Esi-Link

To use a fixed feature key (e.g., TRANSFER) to access an Esi-Link location:

1. Press that key.
2. Either:
   1. Press the appropriate Location Key.
      . . . or . . .
   2. Dial the location number.
3. Dial the destination as follows:
   1. If it’s an extension, voice mailbox or department group, dial the three-digit number.
   2. If it’s a phone number, dial the outside-line-access code (9, 8 or 71–76) followed by the phone number — e.g., 9 4 6 9 5 5 5 3 2 5 5 to dial 9 + 469-555-3255.

The following information shows how to use both fixed and programmable feature keys to make it even easier to use certain ESI phone system features over Esi-Link.

Paging

The ESI phone system can be programmed to allow paging through an overhead paging system and/or paging through some (if page zones have been created) or all of the ESI Feature Phones’ speakers.

Overhead paging

Station 199 is designated as the overhead paging port. If the remote location system has an overhead paging system connected to it, you can page by dialing the location number followed by 1 9 9. After hearing the connect tone, you may make your announcement. If you frequently page that location, you can program a feature key with the location number followed by 1 9 9 — e.g., 7 1 2 1 9 9.

Paging through phones

To page through all of the ESI Feature Phone speakers at a remote location:

1. Press PAGE (#).
2. Press the appropriate Location Key.
3. Press 0 (i.e., the zero key).

To access a programmed paging zone (see the Administrator for a list of page zones):

1. Press PAGE (#).
2. Press the appropriate Location Key.
3. Press either 1, 2 or 3. The Installer may have added an overhead paging system to one or more of these page zones.

Park

Park set

You can park outside line calls as you would normally. When paging someone at a remote location to retrieve the parked call, remember to announce your location number and outside line number to be retrieved. For instance, if you need to have Jane in the Chicago office retrieve a call parked in Dallas (location 701, in this example):

1. While on a call on line 5 in the Dallas office, press PARK.
2. Page the Chicago office.
3. Announce the call; e.g., “Jane, you have a Dallas call on park 5. Jane, park 5 in Dallas.”

Park retrieval from a remote location

1. Press PARK.
2. Press the preprogrammed Location Key (or dial the location number).
3. Dial the number of the parked line.

Voice mail

Moving a message to a remote location

1. While playing back the voice mail message you wish to move, press 6.
2. Press the Location Key (or dial the location number).
3. Dial the mailbox (extension) number.

Dialing directly or transferring to a remote location mailbox

1. Press VOICEMAIL.
2. Press TRANSFER, and then immediately do one of the following:
   1. Press a programmable feature key that has been pre-programmed for that remote location mailbox;
      . . . or . . .
   2. Press the Location Key and then dial the remote mailbox number.
      . . . or . . .
   3. Dial the location number followed by the remote mailbox number.

Virtual Mailbox Key™ — remote location

To assign a programmable feature key to access a voice mailbox in a remote location:

1. Press PROG/HELP 2.
2. Press the feature key to be programmed.
3. Press VOICEMAIL and then .
4. Dial the remote location number (or use Location Dex to select the location and extension number).
5. Dial the remote extension number.
6. Press the feature key again.

When there are new messages in the Virtual Mailbox, the key will flash red. When you access the Virtual Mailbox, the key will light a solid green. If the Virtual Mailbox belongs to a remote-location Feature Phone, that phone’s VOICEMAIL key will also be lit green.

Voice mail retrieval from a remote location

1. Press VOICEMAIL and then .
2. Press the appropriate Location Key (or dial the remote location number).
3. Dial the mailbox (extension) number.
   (If your voice mailbox password is enabled, the system will prompt you to enter your password. To proceed, enter this password.)

Quick Groups/Quick Move capabilities

Quick Groups can include both local and remote location extensions, departments and mailboxes that are assigned as station keys on your phone.

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Other features

Location Dex

To quickly access the extension directory of a remote location:

1. Press ESI-DEX until LOCATION DEX appears in the display.
2. Use the scroll keys ( or ) to select the remote location name and number. You can also use the dial keys to “jump” to the first location name that begins with one of the letters on that dial key.
3. Press ESI-DEX again. The phone will display the remote location’s Station Dex, where you can select a station or department, just as you would using the Station Dex for your location.

You can also use Location Dex to assign programmable feature keys as station keys and Location Keys.

Examples

• Assigning a Location Key
  1. Press PROG/HELP 2.
  2. Press the feature key to be programmed.
  3. Press ESI-DEX until LOCATION DEX appears in the display.
  4. Press a scroll key ( or ) until the location is displayed.
  5. Press the feature key again.
  6. Press RELEASE.
• Assigning a station key
  1. Press PROG/HELP 2.
  2. Press the feature key to be programmed.
  3. Press ESI-DEX until LOCATION DEX appears in the display.
  4. Press a scroll key ( or ) until the location is displayed.
  5. Press ESI-DEX; STATION DEX will appear in the display.
  6. Press ESI-DEX again.
  7. Press a scroll key ( or ) until the remote location extension appears.
  8. Press the feature key again.
  9. Press RELEASE.

Call forwarding

To program call forwarding to a remote location extension, mailbox or department:

1. Either:
   1. Press a programmed call-forwarding key and a programmable feature key you have already set for the desired destination (whether it is an extension, a mailbox or a department).
      . . . or . . .
   2. Dial the call-forwarding feature code (5 6 5), press the Location Key and then dial the desired extension, mailbox or department.
   For instance, to forward to extension 112 in Chicago (location 702 in this example), dial 5 6 5, press the Chicago Location Key and then dial 1 1 2.
   Alternatively, you could dial 5 6 5 7 0 2 1 1 2 — i.e., 565 (call forwarding) + 702 (the location) + 112 (the extension).
2. To cancel call forwarding, either:
   1. Press the programmed call-forwarding feature key and then press RELEASE.
      . . . or . . .
   2. Dial 5 6 5 .
   Incoming calls that are forwarded when the remote location extension is busy or does not answer will be sent to the forwarding (i.e., original) extension’s mailbox. If you regularly forward to a particular remote location extension, you should also assign your mailbox to a Virtual Mailbox Key at that remote location extension.

Remote outside-line-group access

To help reduce your long-distance costs, your Administrator may have allowed remote outside-line group access.

To dial a phone number that is local to the remote office:

1. Press the Location Key for the remote office.
2. Dial 9 (or 8 or 71–76).
3. Wait for the second dial tone. Then, when you hear it, dial the desired phone number.

As an example, let’s say you’re in the Chicago office and need to call a contact near the Dallas office. You know that the Dallas location has an outside line access code of 9 and a location number of 701. Therefore, you press the Location Key for Dallas (or dial 7 0 1), dial 9, wait for the second dial tone and —when you hear it — dial the local Dallas number.

Hands-free answering: a note

Incoming Esi-Link station calls will ring (with a single-ring cadence, as would any other intercom call), even when hands-free answer is enabled.

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Product specifications subject to change without notice.
Copyright © 2005 ESI (Estech Systems, Inc.).