Push to Talk – Guide

Michael HarroldVoicemail

Home | Push to Talk – Guide

What you need to know:

Learn the basics of using Push to Talk on your desk phone.

Introduction

The Push To Talk (PTT) service is a Consolidated ProConnect feature that allows a user to call another station, where the system requests that the destination station automatically answer. This provides for intercom-like functionality. The user at the destination station can control which users are allowed to call them in this way.
This service enables users to call each other and have the call answered automatically. A user can specify an accept list or a reject list to be used to screen incoming Push To Talk sessions.

  • The accept list indicates which users are allowed to call the station.
  • The reject list indicates which users are not allowed to call the station. In both lists, a wild card can be used, which indicates all stations.


1.

Configuration

Users can configure the following settings for their Push To Talk service:

  • The outgoing connection type
  • The Auto-Answer (on or off)
  • The access list type and the list of users within the same group/enterprise from whom to accept/reject Push To Talk calls.

2.

Initiating a Push to Talk call

To initiate a Push To Talk call:

  1. Dial the Push To Talk feature access code (*50) and enter a phone number.
    Note:  If you do not enter a phone number, you will receive a stutter dial tone to enter the number to call.
  2. When the originator call has been answered, a Push To Talk confirmation tone is played to both the originator and receiving party.
  3. The media path between the originator and the receiver is established according to the outgoing connection type, which can be a one-way connection or a two-way connection.

If the user has a one-way outgoing connection, then no media can be transmitted from the terminator to the originator, after the call is answered. Only the originator is allowed to transmit media. If the receiver answers the call to play treatment, the originator does not hear the treatment since the call has been answered and the connection is now one way.

Note: Before the call is answered, there is always a two-way connection so that remote media (such as remote ringback and early treatment) can be heard by the originator. If the user has a two-way connection, then the originator and receiver can talk to each other as usual.

3.

Rejecting Push To Talk

When a user receives a Push To Talk call, the call is screened using their access list, which can be an accept list or a reject list.

  1. If the user has configured an accept list, the Push To Talk call is accepted only if the originator is on the list.
  2. If the user has configured a reject list, the Push To Talk call is accepted only if the originator is not on the list.

When the user’s access list allows the call, the call is allowed to continue. Otherwise, the call is rejected and the originator is played an announcement.

Note: The access list can only contain other users in the group and/or enterprise. If the terminator has configured an accept list, then all Push To Talk calls from outside the group and enterprise are rejected since the originator cannot be on the list. If the terminator has configured a reject list, then all Push To Talk calls from outside the group and enterprise are accepted since the originator cannot be on the list.

The call is automatically answered if Auto-Answer is enabled at the destination and if the destination device is compliant with Advanced Call Control (ACC). Otherwise, the Push To Talk call must be manually answered.