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Catalog
of Services
Voice Messaging Service
Voice Messaging Service (VMS) is generally
available for Standard Dial Tone (Centrex service) customers in the major
metropolitan areas of the state with limited service offered in other areas
of the state. Subscribers must use a touchtone telephone to interact with
the service.
Based on electronic voice
mailboxes, VMS is a monthly service which requires no on-site equipment.
Available services include Telephone Answering and Voice Mail as well as "Special
Applications." VMS Special Applications include Automated Attendant, Bulletin
Board, Voice Forms, and FAX on Demand.
All mailboxes are password
protected with access available only through use of the password. The mailbox
subscriber determines and enters the password. Without the password, no one,
not even OTM or the vendor, can access the mailbox. However, OTM can have
the password reset when the mailbox user forgets the current password, the
previous mailbox user has left the agency, or an emergency situation arises
and access to an employee's mailbox is crucial.
There are a number of different
types of service associated with VMS. Not all services are applicable or
available in all instances. As Special Applications are designed using a
building block approach, OTM assistance will be required to determine a complete
list of required components and pricing. OTM will meet with the agency to
discuss the agency's needs and tailor an application specific to those needs.
- Telephone Answering--This
provides the capability whereby a busy or unanswered telephone is answered
with a subscriber recorded greeting. The caller may either leave a message
or hang up. Multiple calls to one number can be handled simultaneously
by the system.
The subscriber can
retrieve messages from any touchtone telephone. As an option, the system
will send an Outcall to a designated telephone number or pager (beeper)
and notify the subscriber that there is a message in the mailbox. Once
retrieved, messages can be played, saved, replayed, and/or deleted.
These messages can also be forwarded to another subscriber with an
introductory message. Deleted messages can be undeleted while on the
same call. If the subscriber has no reason to listen to the deleted
messages a second time, he may simply hang up. He does not have to
listen to them again.
Full featured service
or Integrated service provides two other valuable features.
First, callers may press "0" to be transferred to an attendant or other
answering point. Second, the system will provide either an audible
(stutter dial tone) or visual message waiting indicator to notify the
subscriber that there is an unheard message waiting in the mailbox.
Telephone Answering
works with, and includes, Voice Mail features.
- Voice Mail--This
provides the ability to create a voice message and send it to another voice
mail subscriber's mailbox. Voice mail is similar to electronic mail (e-mail)
except that voice mail uses the telephone and voice rather than a keyboard
and text. Also, any touchtone telephone anywhere in the world can be used
to access VMS rather than being restricted to a computer terminal as with
e-mail.
For outgoing messages,
distribution lists can be established to send a voice mail message
to all of the members on the distribution list. This permits the subscriber
to record a single voice message which will be heard as recorded by
all members of the distribution list. Confirmation of receipt or non-receipt
may be requested.
There
are three different sizes of basic message-taking mailboxes, to which
a number of optional features can be added at extra charge. Contact
OTM for ordering and pricing assistance.
Small
Message-Taking Mailbox (VMSSM)
Maximum
incoming message length of 2 minutes.
Maximum greeting length of 30 seconds.
Maximum of 30 messages stored.
New messages (unplayed) stored 15 days.
Saved messages (played) stored 10 days.
Medium
Message-Taking Mailbox (VMSME)
Maximum
incoming message length of 4 minutes.
Maximum greeting length of 45 seconds.
Maximum of 50 messages stored.
New messages (unplayed) stored 15 days.
Saved messages (played) stored 10 days.
Large
Message-Taking Mailbox (VMSLG)
Maximum
incoming message length of 4 minutes.
Maximum greeting length of 45 seconds.
Maximum of 100 messages stored.
New messages (unplayed) stored 15 days.
Saved messages (played) stored 10 days.
-
Automated Attendant--This
provides callers the capability to self-direct or route their call based
on menu choices. Application
may have multiple menus, and each menu may have up to nine items. Typically,
these choices would be to a particular department, function, or information-providing
recording.
Automated Attendant has
the option of defaulting a call to an attendant. It can also be set up
to recognize after hours operation changes so that calls received outside
of work hours are handled differently than during work day operations.
- Bulletin Boards--These
are used to provide information to callers. Bulletin Board information
is recorded by the agency and can be changed at any time. Examples of recorded
information could be routine items such as office hours, office location,
and mailing address. It could be information about what services are available,
qualifications for eligibility, or instructions on how to apply for services.
It could also be status information such as the date checks were mailed,
final date to apply, or information about a one-time offering.
Bulletin Boards can
work alone or be part of a larger system which includes the Automated
Attendant function.
- Voice Forms--These
are used to collect and record responses from callers in a structured manner.
Voice Forms may be used alone or may be part of a multi-component VMS system. This
is a more efficient method of collecting large numbers of recorded responses
than free-form messages. Each voice
forms package will hold up to 135 sets of caller responses to the questions
asked by the voice forms.
Rather than giving
instructions and then letting the caller give a free form response,
the Voice Forms Mailbox asks for specific information in a sequential
manner and records the caller's responses. Questions could include
the caller's full name, street address, city, zip code, social security
number, telephone number, etc.
When the information
is retrieved for transcription by office personnel, only the caller's
responses are heard. With Voice Forms, responses will be complete,
consistent, and in the order necessary to easily input the information
onto a form or into a computer screen layout.
-
Voice
Forms Additional Storage--Provides
overflow response storage (in excess of 135 sets) to existing voice
forms, as well as allowing for simultaneous message retrieval by more
than one agency staff person.
- Fax on Demand--A
service that allows callers to request information be faxed to them from
a roster of as many as 30 available documents, with each set of documents
made up of as many as 10 pages of text or graphics. The caller may receive
up to five different documents per individual telephone transaction. The
stored documents can be anything that is frequently requested from an agency
such as application forms, driving directions, maps, or perhaps general
information about services offered by the agency. The agency is only limited
by its imagination in terms of what documents to store for retrieval. A
word of caution, graphics such as a governmental seal take a long time
to transmit and this service is usage sensitive.
This service can be accessed
any time of the day or night. It can either be part of a larger "Special
Application" or stand on its own. The subscriber agency will be responsible
for maintaining the service and can easily change the documents in storage.
-
Personal
Fax Option--This
optional add-on feature
to a message-taking mailbox enables the subscriber to accept faxes
to his voice mailbox, which can then be printed to a fax machine, saved
or forwarded like any other voice mail message. Subscribers
who are away from the office may redirect fax documents to another
location. Personal fax is also
used when document confidentiality demands keeping fax messages separate
from the community fax machine. Up
to 25 pages of fax storage is provided.
-
Web-View
Option--This
optional add-on feature
to a message-taking mailbox enables the subscriber to access his mailbox
via the Internet. Voice and
fax messages are handled similarly to email, and voice messages are
delivered as digital files to be played over personal computer (PC)
speakers. Certain PC specifications
are required for this feature to work properly.
-
Interfaced
Option--This
no-cost option on a
message-taking mailbox is used in cases where the subscriber has requested
service on a telephone number not located in an area with integrated
voice messaging service. Interfaced
service is limited in that there is no "exit out" or message waiting
indication provided. Contact
OTM for more information about interfaced locations.
-
Transfer
Box--This
box can be used with standard message-taking mailboxes (VMSSM, VMSME, VMSLG)
in special situations where multiple telephone numbers are to be
covered by a single message-taking mailbox associated with one telephone
number. A transfer box will
be needed for each of the lines sharing the original message-taking
mailbox. This type of mailbox
may also be used with special applications according to system design
requirements.
-
Single
Line Directory--This
box can be used in two different ways:
- It can be used with
a line that is shared by one or more persons who require separate,
private mailboxes. The directory
permits the caller to self-direct via a menu to individual mailboxes
associated with individual persons.
- Single line directories
(SLDIR) can also be used when a secretary handles telephone calls for
multiple staff members. If
the secretary is unavailable, the SLDIR will allow a caller to self-direct
to the various staff members' mailboxes. However,
it will not redirect the caller to an individual's telephone line,
only to a personal mailbox.
-
Subscriber Locator--This
is an optional add on service to an existing integrated telephone answering
coverage mailbox. It is a feature over and above the "exit out to the
operator" feature. When a caller hears the mailbox greeting that advises
him of this option, the caller can push "6" to attempt to immediately
locate the mailbox owner (subscriber) by telephone. Ideally, the subscriber
has a cell phone which the mailbox will call in an effort to connect
the calling party and the subscriber in a live conversation. When the
VMS reaches the subscriber, the subscriber can manually elect to either
be connected to the caller or redirect the caller back to the mailbox
to leave a message. The subscriber's choice of action is not apparent
to the caller.
- Conditional
Transfer Mailbox--Checks
time of day, day of week, and/or date, and then routes the caller based
on specific instructions in the mailbox programming. This
type of mailbox is used in a special application to determine if a
caller has arrived within, or outside, office hours, and route callers
accordingly.
- Network
Access Unit--At least one network access unit is required
for each special application. The
number of network units required by an application depends on the resources
needed to meet user prerequisites. User
prerequisites are determined from the anticipated number of callers,
the length of application recordings, and the service level desired
by the agency, resulting in a maximum number of allowed call paths
(maximum number of simultaneous callers to the application). When
application call paths are not available, callers will hear a busy
signal. Contact OTM for assistance
with any special application requests.
| Billing
Rates |
|
|
| Standard
Voice Mail |
Monthly
Rate
|
Installation
|
| Small Message-Taking
Mailbox |
$6.50
|
|
$9.00
|
|
| Medium Message-Taking
Mailbox |
7.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Large Message-Taking
Mailbox |
7.50
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Personal Fax Option |
4.00
|
|
9.00
|
* |
| Subscriber Locator
Service Option |
4.00
|
|
9.00
|
* |
| Outcall Notification
Option |
1.25
|
|
9.00
|
* |
| Web-View Option |
6.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Interfaced Option |
0.00
|
|
0.00
|
|
| Transfer Box |
1.25
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Single Line Directory |
1.50
|
|
9.00
|
|
| After Hours Information
Box |
8.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Special
Applications |
|
|
|
|
| Automated Attendant
Menu |
$5.50
|
|
$9.00
|
|
| Information Only
Mailbox |
8.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Voice Forms Package |
8.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Voice Forms Additional
Storage |
6.50
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Fax on Demand |
12.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Conditional Transfer
Mailbox |
1.00
|
|
9.00
|
|
| Network Access Unit |
40.00
|
|
0.00
|
|
| Other Service
Charges |
One-Time
|
|
|
| Password Reset |
6.00
|
|
|
|
| Class of Service
Change |
9.00
|
|
|
|
| Number Change |
9.00
|
|
|
|
*One time charge is not
incurred when option is ordered in conjunction with a small, medium, or large
voice mailbox.
NOTE: Prices
above do not include the cost of a pager or pager service if Outcall Notification
to a pager is selected.
A
Support Service fee of 0.5% shall be applied to the monthly cost of these
services.
How
To Order
-
VMS Telephone
Answering and Voice Mail--Complete the Voice Messaging Order Form
(OTM-7). The agency TC must approve the form before sending it to the
OTM Customer Service Section. Orders may be sent by mail, FAX, or hand
delivered. The full and accurate completion of these forms will help
to minimize delays in the delivery of service.
If changes are needed
to existing service, the agency TC should submit the Voice Messaging Change
Form (OTM-8) to the OTM Customer Service Section.
If a mailbox password
needs to be reset, the agency TC should submit the Voice Messaging Password
Reset Request Form (OTM-9) to the OTM Customer Service Section.
-
Special Applications
Services--These include Automated Attendant, Bulletin Boards, Voice
Forms, and Fax on Demand and will require special design considerations.
These require detailed discussions with interested agencies which will
result in tailored design and scripting. These applications require
the use of various mailbox components to create a custom designed VMS
system. In addition, each Special Application requires at least one
network access unit. OTM's Voice Processing Section will work with
the user agency to design and develop the Special Application before
providing a cost estimate. The agency is under no obligation to continue
after the estimate is given.
Forms
OTM-7
Voice Messaging Order Form
OTM-8 Voice Messaging Change
Form
OTM-9 Password Reset Form
| Contacts |
|
| Ordering |
|
| Section |
Customer
Service |
| Phone |
225-342-7762 |
| FAX |
225-342-7757 |
| E-mail |
linda.baumann@la.gov |
| U.S.
Mail |
OTM
Customer Service Section
PO Box 94280
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9280 |
| Technical |
|
| Section |
Voice
Processing |
| Phone |
225-342-7857 |
| FAX |
225-342-7965 |
| E-mail |
jolene.ardoin@la.gov |
| U.S.
Mail |
OTM Voice Processing
Section
PO Box 94280
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9280
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