Music On Hold

[Gymratz]

It seems to me that all of this would be easy to program considering I used other systems that handled this easily:

MoH should be set up as following:
You should be able from a ShoreTel server to load files/play lists to use for MoH.
There would be a MoH section under configuration where I could set up infinite number of Music On Hold sources, to be streamed from Music In Jack, or ShoreTel Server.

Site wide there would be a Music On Hold default (one of previously setup sources).

Each person would then be able to set their own MoH source from the previously setup sources. This could be done through Director, or more hopefully through PCM.

Unfortunately MoH was not a feature we looked into much before choosing this system, and I am taken aback at the dismal features this product currently has in relation to MoH.


Thanks,

[gberkemeyer]

Possible MOH option

I totally agree with you on the limited MOH features of the system. Unlike you, we were aware of this limitation when we made the purchase decision, but the benefits of the system still outweighed this shortcoming for us.

However, after almost two years of looking, we have recently found what we believe will be an excellent MOH solution from www.bankonhold.com, and it is reasonably priced as well (inlcuding a 90-day money back guarantee). They will install NET 7000 MOH devices at all of our 11 sites in the next few weeks, and we will then be able to use a web interface (from anywhere) to update our MOH recordings as often as we like. We will be able to customize the message playlist at each site, or have them all the same. We will be able to maintain multiple messages in the playlist and have a separate background music track that can be changed on demand without re-recording messages. We can record our messages ourselves or they will record them professionally at no additional charge. They have a short video demo on their web site.

Since we are not yet installed, I can't attest to how well the system works, but I am really looking forward to getting it up and running. I should also mention that we are not affiliated with bankonhold.com in any way. I am just really impressed with what we have seen so far and thought I would share it.

Gary

[Gymratz]

Unfortunatly the different sites will not do us too much good. We literally have two different companies using the same system in the same building. One of them would like to have advertizements for their company. This; obviously, cannot play for the other company.

Oh well, hopefully it is something they can change in the future :0). Just seems like programming to me, shouldn't need any hardware change.

Also - why doesn't hold music work for ext -> ext calls? Kind of strange...

[jmccumber]

It doesn't work for ext to ext calls because it would use up bandwidth to stream the audio. We asked if that could be changed if bandwidth is not an issue but for now it only happens when trunks are involved.

[eazeaz]

Moh

I don't know that I believe the bandwidth argument that shoretel keeps giving.

I would think that you could stream the MOH from the main site to all subsites very easily.

I think the proper design would be for the stream to go from the MOH source switch at the main site to ONE switch in each sub-site. The phones in each site would pick up the stream from the LOCAL switch to them.

With a very decent codec you are talking about eating up possibly 32k between each site.

Bandwidth inside the sites is usually not an issue.

So it should go something like this

Headquarters 120/24 MOH source
Remote Site 1 120/24 MOH slave/proxy
Remote Site 2 120/24 MOH slave/proxy

The only way I could see that this would be a problem is if you had a TON of remote sites and limited bandwidth leaving the headquarters. Something like 100 remote sites all connecting back to a main site when the main site has MPLS for example.... but the majority of customers would have no problem, especially if it was a choice that each admin could make for themselves......

An easy upgrade to this option would be for the feed to only flow when someone at the remote site is on hold. That way, if you had 1000 remote offices and only 100 of them had anyone on hold the other 900 offices would not have the feed going. As soon as someone is put on hold, the request is made and the feed starts to stream to the proxy switch.

[jhiller]

Does anyone know if multiple MoH streams are supported now? I am looking at purchasing a ShoreTel system and I need to know if this is possible.

[cburgy]

No, MOH comes from each site where trunks are located and you may only have one MOH source at that site.

[greysavant]

MoH Capabilities

While it appears the MoH is limited to one message, can it be customized to the client or is it static to all clients of a specific Shortell Partner?

[Palitto Consulting]

Music on hold is provided at the customer, not the partner. ShoreTel is not a centralized system. Each customer has their own server/switches/phones which operate independently.

[southeasternMI]

Scenario - Three PRIs coming into site (1), site 1 has an SG-switch. I would like to add another site (2) at the same location as site 1 and assign a SG-switch to site 2. So same location two sites with their own SG-switch but they are sharing the same trunks, can I use two different MOH sources and will I get different MOH for both site?