This article provides an extensive list of the features that are available in the Sky phone system, which is built on the Call Conductor platform. This information is organized by the different functional areas of the phone system. Within each functional area are links to individual feature articles that can be clicked to view detailed information and instructions for that feature.
NOTE: Each link to a feature article that displays an asterisk * indicates there are different instructions in that article that explain how to use phone-related features for both IP 400 series phones and Cisco 7900 series phones.
Auto-Attendant
Automated Attendant - Customized Auto-Attendants can include time-based and day-based routing, a main greeting, departmental listings, extension dialing, and name dialing.
Call Flow Editor - The Call Flow Editor is an easy-to-use self-service tool available in theSky Account Portal that enables designated Authorized Contacts to make immediate call flow modifications and manage all types of call flow components including Time of Day, Auto Attendant, Ring Group, Dial by Name, and Profile.
Dial-by-Extension - Auto-attendant global or menu option that enables callers to reach a user by dialing his or her extension.
Dial-by-Name Directory - Auto-attendant menu option that enables a caller to reach a user by dialing the first three letters of the last name or first name.
Hold Music - Authorized Contacts can choose a song from an authorized list or upload one of your own at no charge, and play that audio across your enterprise for callers on hold.
Legacy Extension Support - Callers can use legacy extensions to reach users from the automated attendant, so important calls are never missed through the upgrade process.
Personal Automated Attendant - Unanswered calls to a number or extension are delivered to a voice prompt that allows callers to choose from multiple options (e.g. another extension, an external number) or deposit voicemail. This functionality can be configured by Support.
Client Matter Codes - Used by some organizations to track and optionally restrict specific types of calls for billing purposes. Client Matter Codes are used by law firms, staffing agencies, office suites, and other businesses with subdivided facilities to bill back clients for specific phone usage.
Business Intelligence
Sky Portal BI Reporting - BI (Business Intelligence) reporting provides useful business analytics that include information about the nature, number, duration, and source of phone calls. Users and Authorized Contacts can access, configure and manage BI reports through the Sky Account Portal.
Bandwidth Utilization - Authorized Contacts can view a visualization of data usage over time and monitor the health of their phone system's circuit.
Inbound/Outbound Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Usage Logs(Exportable Data) - Users can view and download their own CDRs and Authorized Contacts can view and download the CDRs for all of the users that they manage.
Call Coverage
Call Forwarding
Conditional Call Forwarding * - Calls can be forwarded depending on the state of the user's phone including Busy (phone is in use), No Answer (calls not answered in a selected number of rings), and Out of Service (phone is disconnected or logged out). Calls can be forwarded to an alternate internal or external number.
Permanent Call Forwarding (Virtual Extensions) - All incoming calls to a specified number or extension (called a virtual extension) are permanently forwarded to another destination such as a mobile phone. This functionality can be configured by Support.
General
Call Screening (User-configured) - An end-user can treat calls differently depending on the Caller ID. For example, specific incoming Caller IDs can always be forwarded to a cell phone, whereas others can always be sent to voicemail or disconnected. This is different than system-wide settings configured by Support.
Direct Inward Dial (DID) Phone Number Assignment - Every phone or user is assigned a Direct Inbound Dial (DID) phone number, allowing calls to be routed to the intended recipient without passing through the main number or an auto-attendant (AA).
Do Not Disturb (DND) * - Using soft keys on a phone, a user can temporarily prevent incoming calls from ringing their extension, and route them automatically to voicemail or another call forwarding option.
Find Me (Follow Me)- A user can create lists of numbers that will be used to "find" the user before sending an inbound call to the Sky voicemail system. Find Me lists are more sophisticated than Call Forwarding. A user can configure this feature to first ring an office phone,then ring a cell phone, then ring a home phone, and then go to voicemail, including setting the number of unanswered rings for each.
On-Phone Presence Monitoring - Works with Shared Lines to enable users to view the status of other users' lines by associating line buttons with other phone lines.
Shared Line Appearances - Shared Lines enable users to view the status of and/or share handling of an extension or line other than the phone's primary line. Allows a set of extensions or Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers to appear on a group of phones in addition to each phone's primary number.
Time Dependent Call Treatment (Time Of Day) * - Authorized Contacts or Support can configure Auto-Attendant (AA) functionality that enables different call treatment depending on the day of the week or time of day. After this functionality is set up, users with permission can enable or disable this functionality.
Park
Park * - Using soft keys on a phone, a user can pause a current conversation and then retrieve the call from any other phone in the system.
Park in Phone Assistant - Using the Phone Assistant (a Java-based application), a user can pause a current conversation and retrieve the call using the application's Parked Calls options.
Pickup
Pickup *- Using soft keys on a phone, a user can pick up incoming calls ringing on another phone by dialing the ringing phone's extension.
Pickup Groups - Enables a user to pick up incoming calls ringing a phone in the user's Pickup Group, which can be configured by Support.
Ring Groups
Ring Groups- Enables calls to a single number to ring multiple phones simultaneously, in a series (specifying the number of rings per phone), or for only idle phones (phones not on an active call).
Calling
Barge
Barge *- Enables a user (the barge initiator) to barge another user's (the barge target) phone to either silently monitor or force a conference call into an existing conversation.
Whisper * - Enables a user to coach an individual on a call without the other party hearing the coach.
Call Recording
Sky Replay * - A hosted Call Recording solution that enables users to record phone calls and view, manage, listen to, and download phone call recordings.
General
Authorization Codes - used by some organizations to restrict specific types of calls made by end users.
900/976 Blocking - Calls to the 976 exchange or 900 area code are blocked.
Call Hold Ringback Timer- Support can customize the Hold Ringback Timer to beep at different time intervals for individual lines.
Caller ID - View callers' phone numbers (if available) on incoming calls.
Class of Service - Allows restriction of outbound calls, either entirely, or by calling areas (local, toll, domestic, international) on a per-user basis.
Hold * - A user may pause the current conversation, and retrieve the call from the same phone.
Intercom *- Two users can communicate hands-free via speakerphone, and via Group Features, intercom groups can be setup to enable a user to communicate hands-free with multiple users via their speakerphones.
Internal Call ID - An option that allows the internal caller's name, in addition to his or her extension, to be displayed on the recipient's phone.
Outbound Caller ID (OBCID)- Outbound caller ID can be configured to announce individual Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers or the company's main number, or it can be blocked entirely. End-users can restrict, on a per call basis, your company's outbound information from being announced.
Phone Alerts (Visual Voicemail) - Some phone system events, such as missed calls and new voice messages, are brought to a user's attention by on-screen alerts. These brief messages appear near the bottom of the phone's display.
Redial * - A user can call the previous internal or external phone number dialed without re-entering the number.
Remote Phone Use * - Remote and traveling users can use a phone in the Sky phone system from any location with a broadband connection, such as a home office.
Mobility
Sky Mobility - Enables use of a single mobile device for both business and personal communications while accessing desk phone and Unified Communications capabilities. Mobility provides easy separation of personal and business identities on a single mobile device and automatically selects the best available network (Wi-Fi or cellular).
Speed Dials
Speed Dials *- A user can dial any internal extension or external phone number from an on-screen list displayed on the phone, via line buttons on the phone, and in the Sky Account Portal.
Transfer
Transfer *- A user can send an active call to another internal extension or external phone number without speaking with the recipient (unannounced transfer) or after first conferring with the recipient (announced transfer).
CTI (Computer-Telephony Integration)
General
Sky Fax - A user can send and receive faxes from their computer via email.
Groups - A customized grouping of members, which can include individual contacts (persons), phone numbers (profiles), and other groups, that provides members with access to functionality that is specific to their needs.
Phone Assistant - Software used in conjunction with a phone in the Sky phone system that enables individuals (such as receptionists, executive assistants, or power users) to monitor--on their computer--multiple lines in an office and handle multiple calls with greater ease. (Phone Assistant is a Java-based application.)
Screen Pops - A user can enable pop-up notifications on the computer when they receive a phone call. The pop-ups show caller ID and call controls.
Web-based
Sky Account Portal - The permission-based user interface that integrates the Sky phone system with a browser-based application to enable end-users, Authorized Contacts, and Support to access and manage the appropriate functional areas of an organization's phone system.
Sky for Salesforce - Integrates phones in your Sky phone system with the Salesforce.com CRM application. Provides the following features: click-to-dial, answer, ignore, hold/resume, screen pops, activity tracking, multi-line handling, missed call tracking, notes capture, and warm transfer.
Sky Application Integration Solutions - This CTI technology enables both computer and web-based applications to interact with the Sky phone system to perform some or all of the following: click-to-dial, call control, inbound screen pops, activity tracking, multi-line handling, missed call tracking, notes capture, warm transfer, voicemail transcription, etc. The following are just three examples of integrated applications:
Sky AppDialer - Enables click-to-dial functionality from most desktop Windows applications including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Notepad.
Sky WebDialer - Enables click-to-dial functionality from the Internet Explorer and Chrome browsers.
Sky for Bullhorn - Developed exclusively for use within Bullhorn's applicant tracking systems to provide click-to-dial, call control, inbound screen pops, multi-line handling, notes capture, call logging, voicemail transcription, and more.
Sky On Demand Conferencing * - On Demand conferencing (requires activation prior to use) enables you to utilize a dedicated conference bridge number that all participants can dial to access a conference call.
Ad-hoc Conferencing * - A user can set up a conference call with additional parties without conference bridge port reservations. A user can also manage conference participants from a conference service menu on a phone in the Sky phone system.
Contact Center
Sky Contact Center - Extends contact center functionality, for managing client contact and customer interactions, to a company's entire enterprise system.
Messaging
Sky Scribe - The Sky Scribe service transcribes a voicemail message (left on a phone in the Sky phone system) into text and sends it, along with a WAV file, to the email address of the end user.
Sky Communicator - This Sky unified communications tool provides presence, instant messaging, voice chat, and more.
General Voicemail Box - Auto-attendant (AA) option that allows callers to leave a message in a general voicemail box that is not associated with an user's extension.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Voicemail Access - User navigates voice menus to retrieve, deposit, and otherwise handle voicemail messages. A user can access voicemail from their own phone with one-touch, or remotely from any touchtone phone.
Message Envelope Information - Incoming voicemail messages are automatically labeled with date, time, duration, and Caller ID.
Message Waiting Indicator - Users are given visual notification of voicemails through on-screen alerts and the handset (such as a red light).
Reply By Calling - A user can reply to a voicemail message from the voicemail system by calling back the Caller ID, when available.
Voicemail Box - Each voicemail message has a 10 minute maximum time limit, and each voicemail box has a 200 message limit. Deleted voicemail messages are available in the Deleted folder for 7 days and are then permanently deleted.
Voicemail Broadcast- A user can forward a voicemail to all users in the phone system.
Voicemail Group Distribution- A Group Feature that enables members of one group to broadcast or forward a voicemail message to all members of another group using only one extension number user.
Employee Directory * - A dial-able list of users and extensions of your enterprise's Sky phone system accessed from the phone and the Sky Account Portal.
Personal Phonebook *- A user can manage contacts and import/export their Personal Phonebook from/to the Sky Account Portal using a comma-separated values (CSV) file.
On-Phone Call Logs - Display the date and time of missed, received, and placed calls for a particular user. This list is available from on any phone in the Sky phone system and is retained should a phone lose power.
Call Logs / Usage Logs - Retains a history of all calls and enbles users to distinguish between calls to their own direct inward dial (DID) number and calls to a main number ring group. Call Logs enable users to view and export call detail records for their own phone(s). Usage Logs enable Authorized Contacts to view and export call detail records for their own phone(s)
Directory Assistance Listing - Sky ensures that your company's directory assistance listing (411) is accurate. Your main listing is included with your service; supplemental directory assistance listings may incur an additional charge.
Emergency Registration Locations - Enhanced 911 (E911) emergency registration service for the Sky phone system automatically associates a physical location address and outbound caller ID with the calling party's telephone number as required by law. E911 is implemented using a database that functions as a reverse telephone directory to associate a caller's phone line with a street address that is provided to emergency responders.
Fraud Monitoring- Sky routinely monitors unusual international activity for potential abuse.
Local Number Portability - Our carrier team can usually transfer a customer's existing local phone numbers from another telecom carrier to become part of their Sky phone system.
Toll-Free Number Portability - We can transfer a customer's toll-free number that is owned by another telecom carrier to become part of their Sky phone system.
