Features TalkSwitch systems have the features and flexibility that a small business needs to answer calls with intelligence, project a professional image, stay connected and save money. The items below itemise all the features provided by TalkSwitch alphabetically with a full description.

Account Codes

An account code can be entered after a call, and will be recorded in the call detail record. This allows costs to be tracked to accounts.

Analogue Telephone Sets

TalkSwitch works with standard analogue telephone sets.

Auto Attendants

Programmable greeting messages can answer calls and offer callers a range of options for directing their calls. Calls can be directed to individual extensions, extension ring groups ("Press 1 for sales."), announcements ("Press 2 for business hours"), other auto attendants, voicemail, other locations or a dial-by-name directory.

Auto attendants are easy to set up, with simple menu-driven options in the TalkSwitch Management Software. Greeting messages can be recorded at an extension, or professionally recorded and downloaded. There are 9 auto attendants for different incoming lines, scheduled modes, or multi-level greetings. This flexibility supports applications with multi-tenant set-ups, separate departmental greetings, multiple languages and automated responses to frequently requested information such as business hours or location.

Auto attendants can answer incoming calls immediately; or answer only after a time out on no answer at extensions. Answering calls with auto attendants improves productivity, allows calls to be answered at any time, and presents a highly professional image.

Auto Fax Detection

Incoming facsimile calls can be detected when answered at an Auto Attendant, and automatically forwarded to a fax machine.

Call Back

When authorized users are out of the office, they can call the system and remotely trigger a return call to reduce calling charges.

Call Cascade

Each extension can be set up with a series of up to three alternative forwarding options. Separate call cascade sequences can be defined for no answer, busy and do not disturb at the extension.

Call Detail Recording (CDR)

Call detail records are logged by the system for transfer to a PC or server. TalkSwitch call detail records can be captured and analyzed by the TalkSwitch Call Reporting application.

Call Hold

Calls can be placed on hold by an extension. Callers on hold will hear a periodic tone or music on hold.

Call Park

Calls can be parked and then retrieved by another extension. There are 10 parking spaces.

Call Pick-Up

Extensions can answer calls ringing at a specific extension or any extension.

Call Queue

Calls can be queued on an extension, or extension ring group. Calls are answered on a first-come first-served basis.

Call Screening

Callers are asked to identify themselves before a call is connected when Call Screening is enabled on an extension. The caller's identity is relayed to the extension, which has the option to accept or reject the call.

Call Transfer

Calls can be transferred to another extension.

Call Waiting

If an extension is on a call and there is another call, the extension will hear a call waiting tone and may answer the new call by placing the original call on hold.

Caller Display

The identity of a caller is displayed on incoming calls and calls between extensions.

Requires caller identity service from the service provider for incoming calls and telephone set equipped for Caller Display.

Caller Identity Routing

Incoming calls can be routed based on their caller identity information

Requires caller identity service from the service provider.

Conference Call / 3-Way Calling

Three parties can talk together. Conference calls can include extensions, telephone lines and VoIP trunks.

Daylight Saving Time Adjustment

System automatically adjusts for daylight saving time.

Dial-By-Name Directory

Callers can reach an extension by dialling the first three letters of the last name of the person they want to call.

Dial Operator

Extensions have the convenience of one-digit dialling to a designated extension or system resource (e.g. receptionist, dial-by-name directory, auto attendant, etc.).

DISA (Direct Inward System Access) and Call Bridge

An incoming call answered at an auto attendant can make an outgoing call through password authorization. This feature allows a company calling plan to be used from outside the office. Each TalkSwitch unit provides 8 password accounts.

Direct Line Access

An extension with Direct Line Access enabled is automatically connected to a telephone line or VoIP trunk on going off-hook. There is no requirement to dial an outside line access code. The extension presses Recall/Flash to make a call to another extension or activate a TalkSwitch feature.

Distinctive Ring Detection

Distinctive ringing is a telephone company service that allows multiple telephone numbers to be used over the same telephone line, each with different ring patterns. TalkSwitch supports distinctive ring detection on telephone lines and can provide separate call handling based on the detected ringing pattern.

Use of telephone company distinctive ring based services must be arranged with the local telephone company. Some telephone companies do not provide this service.

Do-Not-Disturb

An extension can activate do not disturb to block incoming calls and forward calls to a call cascade option. Do not disturb can be used to block calls to an extension, and to forward calls to an extension.

Emergency Service Access

Calls to pre-defined emergency service numbers can't be blocked.

Extension Passwords

Outgoing calls from individual extensions can be restricted to authorized users with a personal access code. The user's identity is recorded in call detail records.

Group Paging

Extensions can page a group of TS-400 and TS-600 telephone sets and the announcement will be played over their speakers.

Hotline

When an analogue extension goes off-hook, a call is immediately made to a pre-programmed destination. This feature is useful for telephones in public areas (e.g. house phone, reception area, call-taxi telephone, emergency telephone, etc). TalkSwitch TS-9133i and TS-480i IP phones have the option of a Hotline feature key.

Intercom

Extensions can make calls to other extensions.

Intercom – On-hook

A call can be made to TalkSwitch telephone set that will be heard over the speaker without it going off-hook to answer the call.

IP Phones

TalkSwitch supports a select range of SIP-based IP phones, and provides automatic configuration of these IP phones. The TalkSwitch range of IP phones provides full feature integration with the TalkSwitch system, including automatic discovery and configuration for easy installation.

Key-System Appearances

TalkSwitch provides key-system emulation with line and extension appearance, busy-lamp/direct-select keys on its TS-480i and TS-9133i models.

Line Hunt Groups

Telephone lines and VoIP trunks are assigned to Hunt Groups. Extensions access telephone lines and VoIP trunks by dialling their Hunt Group access code. Grouping telephone lines and VoIP trunks in to separate groups provides control over how calls are routed to different networks or service providers. The order in which telephone lines are selected can be set to either linear or circular. TalkSwitch supports up to 9 Hunt Groups.

Line Hunt Group – Overflow

If all the lines in a Hunt Group are busy, the call can overflow to an alternative Hunt Group. A Hunt Group of VoIP trunks will over flow to an alternative Hunt Group if registration is lost.

Mode Scheduling

TalkSwitch provides two time-of-day and day-of-week scheduling modes, plus a holiday mode, for separate call handling.

Multi-Branch Networking

TalkSwitch supports SIP-based VoIP networking between TalkSwitch systems. A SIP Registrar/Proxy is activated on one TalkSwitch site, and all other TalkSwitch units register with that site to form a private VoIP network over the Internet for free calling between offices.

Requires broadband Internet access and the TalkSwitch VoIP option. A fixed IP address is recommended for the registrar site.

Multilingual

The TalkSwitch Management software program provides a multilingual graphical user interface. TalkSwitch can also provide system audio prompts in multiple languages. The default language for a call can be switched at an auto attendant.

Available language options are subject to market.

Music on Hold

Calls on hold or queued can listen to a hold tone, music and corporate messages. Music can be supplied from an external source or downloaded.

Public Address

Extensions can make announcements over an external public address (PA) system.

Remote Extensions

Remote Extensions are off-premise fixed-line or mobile telephones, programmed as virtual extensions for outgoing calls. Each Remote Extension is assigned an extension number and a voicemail box.

Remote Management

TalkSwitch systems can be remotely managed over the Internet, using the TalkSwitch Management software program.

Ring Groups

Calls to an extension Ring Group will ring all extensions in the group. Calls to Ring Groups can be identified by a distinctive ring pattern* and Caller Display information. Ring Groups support teamwork by distributing calls within a group (for example, sales or support).

*May not apply to some IP phones

Same-Line Connect – Telephone Company 3-Way Calling

Use the same telephone line to bridge incoming calls back to the telephone network, using the telephone company's 3-way calling/conference service. This feature can be used with calls to Remote Extensions and DISA/Call Bridge. This reduces the number of telephone lines required to handle incoming calls that bridge back to the telephone network.

Telephone company 3-Way/Conference calling service is required. This feature is compatible with 3-way/conference calling service provided by most telephone companies in USA, Canada, UK (BT), South Africa (Telkom SA), Chile (Telefonica) and Australia (Telstra). Use of this feature is not recommended when using Automatic Route Selection.

Software and Firmware Upgrades

Software and firmware upgrades are available over the Internet. Systems can be kept up to date with the latest software and features without the need for visits by service technicians.

Speed Dial

Frequently dialled telephone numbers can programmed into the system. Extensions can dial an abbreviated code to a speed-dial list, instead of dialling the full telephone number.

Speed Dial - Name Tagging

Caller identity names can be assigned to incoming calls when their caller identity number matches entries in the speed-dial directory.

Toll-Restriction

Outgoing calls can be blocked based on leading digits dialled (e.g. access codes, premium services, area codes, etc).

Uniform Call Distribution (UCD)

TalkSwitch provides a call-centre capability for small business applications. Calls can be queued at an extension Ring Group, with music on hold. When a call is forwarded to the Ring Group, all telephone sets in the group will ring together. Calls are answered on first-come first-served basis.

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)

TalkSwitch can automatically configure routers and gateways for VoIP traffic, if they support UPnP.

Voicemail

TalkSwitch has a built-in voicemail system. Each local and remote extension has voicemail. There are also 10 general mailboxes for departments, general enquiries, announcements, etc. Each extension's voicemail is password protected, and can be accessed remotely from the office. Voicemails can be managed with a full set of commands (play, delete, skip, etc.).

Voicemail to E-mail

A voicemail message can be forwarded to e-mail as a ".wav" file attachment. Voicemail messages can be deleted from e-mail.

TalkSwitch requires access to a POP3 mail server for voicemail to email.

Voicemail – Message Waiting Indication

The arrival of new voicemails can be signalled with a visual message indicator at the extension telephone set*. New voicemails at shared voice mailboxes can be indicated to set of extensions. Stuttered dial tone is also provided for sets without message waiting indicators.

*Analogue telephone sets must have a message-waiting indicator driven by FSK (CLID) messaging.

Voicemail Notification

TalkSwitch can notify users when a voicemail message has been received. Notification can be sent by e-mail, telephone call or pager message. When notified by a telephone call, the system offers the option of listening to the voicemail.

VoIP Service Providers

TalkSwitch has a built-in user agent that can register for multi-line SIP-trunk service with select VoIP Internet Telephony Service Providers.

Requires broadband Internet access, an account with a VoIP services provider and TalkSwitch VoIP option.