BusinessPhone Communication Platform 4.0
Facilities

## Group (PBX)-Hunting

## Definition

Directory numbers can be assigned to a group with a common call number.

Calls to the group are directed to one/more free and not diverted directory number(s) in the group, according to a defined hunting order.

## Use

Group hunting is employed when a group of persons with common work duties answer incoming telephone traffic. The hunting of a free group member can either be done according to a serial or parallel distribution.

### Serial distribution

Serial distribution means, that an incoming call to the common call number is presented to one of the free assigned group members.

The following directory numbers are allowed to be members within a group with serial distribution:

- Extension number
- Operator console
- Fictive number
- Voice answer number

The serial distribution is available in two modes:

- Sequential distribution:

- The selection starts always at the first member of the group.

- Cyclic distribution:

- The selection starts after the member, which was connected during the previous call.

### Parallel distribution

Parallel distribution means, that an incoming call to the common call number is presented to all assigned group members.

Only extension numbers are allowed to be members of a group with parallel distribution.

## Operation

### Serial distribution

The basic idea of this facility is to distribute an incoming call to a free group member, according to the sequential or cyclic distribution mode. The selected member will be skipped if it has activated call diversion or if it is busy with an other group call.

However a group call can be presented on Line 2 if Line 1 is busy with a non-group hunting call (prerequisite: Line 2 must be enabled to receive a second incoming call).

#### Incoming call to the hunting group

If an internal call is set up to a hunting group with serial distribution, the display of the calling party shows the dialled group number until the system selects a free group member, then the directory number of the free group member is shown.

At incoming network calls via VPN and or leased lines using QSIG to a hunting group with serial distribution, the name and number of the group member is returned in the alert and connect message to the network.

For public ISDN calls, the number of the group is sent as connected party number to the public net. The number of the answering group member will not be available for the called external party.

#### All group members are busy

If all group members are busy, an internal caller will receive busy tone, however he/she has the possibility to initiate camp-on on the busy group. The first group member, which allows camp-on (only extension) according to the distribution mode, will receive one muted ring signal and the caller receives ring tone or music on hold until the selected group member becomes free again.

Since a call to an operator, fictive number or voice answer number can not receive busy tone, the search will always succeed to such a member. Only in case of congestion, the next member will be examined.

External incoming calls to a busy group hunting group will be routed to the trunk reroute position.

#### All group members are blocked, diverted or no members are configured

If all members of the group are blocked, diverted or no members are configured, an internal caller to the PBX group will be disconnected and an external caller will be routed to the reroute position of the incoming trunk.

### Parallel distribution

The basic idea of this facility is to broadcast an incoming call to all free group members. All group members which are busy or have activated call diversion will be excluded from the broadcast. During the broadcast only one PCM channel will be occupied in the system.

#### Incoming call to a PBX group

If an internal call is set up to a group hunting group with parallel distribution, the display of the calling party shows the dialled group number until one of the group members answers the call.

On the group members‘ telephone display the group number and the calling party will be shown

At incoming network calls via VPN and or leased lines using QSIG to a hunting group with parallel distribution, the name and number of the group is returned in the alert and connect message to the net.

For public ISDN calls, the number of the group is sent as connected party number to the public net. The number of the answering group member will not be available for the calling external party.

#### Several incoming calls nearly at the same time

A hunting group can present only one incoming call to its member during parallel distribution. The next incoming call can not be presented before the first call will be answered. All following calls to this group will be queued while the caller receives the ringing tone, which means that the caller will not notify that the call is queued.

All further calls to the same hunting group will be linked to the queue, and remain in the queue until they will be answered or in case of external calls they exceed the supervision time out (command 1413).

A call to an other hunting group which is free will be immediately presented to the available member of that group.

If one of the group members answers the incoming call, the related group becomes free for new calls and the next queued call from the queue (first in/first out principal) will be presented to the remaining free members.

If a call will be answered by more than one member nearly at the same time, the first member will be connected to the presented caller. The second member will be connected to the first queued caller from the queue of the same hunting group. If there is no more call in the queue the second extension will receive dialtone.

If a call will be answered and an other group call is queued the display of the remaining members will be updated immediately with the data of the next caller. The ring cadence will follow according to the type of the next presented caller.

#### All group members are busy

If all group members are busy, the call will be queued in the same way as described above, whereby the first call in queue will periodically poll for a free member. The polling interval is five seconds. If at least one free member will be detected the call will be presented and will be released from the queue.

#### All members of the group are blocked, diverted or no member is configured

If all members of a group are blocked, diverted or no member is configured, no queuing will be performed. An internal call will be disconnected and an external call will be routed to the reroute position of the incoming trunk.

#### Supervision of the hunting group

If a supervision of a hunting group with parallel distribution is programmed on a function key of an extension, the key will indicate the status of that group.

During call presentation or call queuing, the key will switch to periodical flashing.

If the call is answered by a member, the LED will be turned off. It is also turned off, if the group is idle or blocked.

If the key is pressed during flashing of the LED the extension will pick up the call from the according hunting group.

If the key is pressed during idle state (LED is off) the extension will receive blocked tone because there is no call to pick up from the dedicated group.

It is not possible to setup a call to a hunting group by pressing a supervision key, the key can be only used as pick up key.

## Capacity

Up to16 PBX groups can be programmed.

Each PBX group can have up to 20 members.

## Limitations

### General

- If a group member is already busy with a hunt call, then it is not possible to present more group hunting calls on her/his telephone.
- During the presentation of a group hunting call, the respective extension will be busy for another incoming or outgoing call.
- It is not possible to define S-bus terminals as group members, because they are dedicated to be trunk individuals.

### Serial distribution

- If a hunting group is busy, it is neither possible to order call back nor to effect intrusion.
- It is not possible to program a supervision key on an hunting group with serial distribution

### Parallel distribution

- No Line 2 support.
- No free seating CTI operators, active ACD Agents, facilities and operators are supported
  as group members
- No caller list entry will be generated, because during ringing the trunk is connected to the group and not to a member.
- Auto answer is not possible.
- Analogue telephones

- For analogue extensions it is not possible to enable ringing for all individuals on the same board at the same time. An analogue extension board (ELU-A) can provide the ringing voltage only for one instrument at the same time. The request for all other instruments will be queued. In that case the ringing signal will be multiplexed over the queued instruments. The repetition rate of the ringing signal will go down depending on the number of parallel ringing instruments located on the same board. Recommendation: Distribute the group members over different ELU-A boards if possible.

- Cordless telephones

- Due to the capacity limitations in the cordless system, only 8 cordless telephones may be assigned as group members. This refers to single cordless extensions, as well as Tandem Units with cordless extensions.

## Programming

The following commands are only accessible via BMS/RASC.

For a hunting group to be utilised the group must first have been created and assigned a directory number.

5402 |  | Create PBX group

5502 |  | Delete PBX-group

5609 |  | Alter PBX group number

The following commands are accessible via BMS/RASC and System telephones.

3501 |  | Hunt order

3401 |  | Assigning members to a group

## Equipment

### FECU

To use the feature Group (PBX)-hunting with parallel distribution, a FECU has to be connected to the
CPU-D4.

An unauthorized call to a group, which has programmed parallel distribution, will be handled with the default programming mode (cyclic distribution). The warning “Feature protected by FECU” will be generated after each incoming call to such a group.

For detailed description see Facility Description – General (155 34-ASB 150 02 Uen).

Revision: D © Ericsson Enterprise 2003