Table Of Contents
Introducing the Cisco IPMA Assistant Console
Getting Started with the Assistant Console
How to Log In to the Assistant Console
How to Log Out of the Assistant Console
How to Explore the Console without Assisting Managers
How to Find Your Way Around the Console
Using the Menu Bar
Using Call Control Buttons
Using the My Calls Panel
Using the My Managers Panel
Using Speed Dials
Using the Directory
Using the Status Bar
Adjusting the Console Layout
Viewing Administrative Settings
How to Operate the Console with Your Mouse and Keyboard
How Managers Use Cisco IPMA
How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Introducing the Cisco IPMA Assistant Console
Cisco IP Manager Assistant (Cisco IPMA) provides call-routing capabilities and other features that can help managers and assistants handle phone calls more effectively.
As an assistant, you can access Cisco IPMA features on your computer using the Assistant Console application.
You can use the Assistant Console to:
•
Place, answer, divert, transfer, end, or hold a call
•Add conference participants to a call
•Talk to your managers using an intercom feature
•Monitor manager call activity
•Change manager features and settings
•Customize your call-handling tools
To learn more, refer to the following topics:
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Note Cisco IPMA allows you to handle calls for yourself and for as many as five managers.
Getting Started with the Assistant Console
This section contains the following topics:
•How to Log In to the Assistant Console
•How to Log Out of the Assistant Console
•How to Explore the Console without Assisting Managers
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Operate the Console with Your Mouse and Keyboard
•How Managers Use Cisco IPMA
How to Log In to the Assistant Console
Log in to the Assistant Console to handle calls on behalf of one or more managers. When you log in, you are online and ready to handle calls.
To log in, enter your User ID and Password in the Cisco IPMA Log In dialog box. Your user name and password are provided to you by your system administrator.
Note You can instruct Cisco IPMA to remember your Log In information.
The Assistant Console opens on your desktop.
You are now logged in and available to provide call-handling support to your managers until the time that you log off (or until there is a change in your online, connected, or call control status. For more information on status information, see the "Using the Status Bar" section.)
Tips
•The My Managers panel of the console shows you which managers expect your assistance. Two green arrows next to a manager's name indicates that the manager is logged in and therefore expects assistance; a manager whose name is greyed-out does not expect assistance.
•You can set the console to automatically surface on your desktop when you receive an incoming call. To enable this "pop-to-top" feature, choose Edit > Preferences from the main menu, then click the "Activate console on new call" check box. A pop-to-top icon is located in the status bar at the bottom of your console screen. The icon appears darker (depressed) when the feature is enabled.
•If you click the Settings button in the Log In dialog box, you can monitor basic and advanced administrative settings. Your system administrator might ask you to monitor these settings to help troubleshoot a problem. Do not modify these settings unless instructed to do so by your system administrator.
Related Topics
•How to Log Out of the Assistant Console
•How to Explore the Console without Assisting Managers
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•Using the My Managers Panel
•How to Operate the Console with Your Mouse and Keyboard
How to Log Out of the Assistant Console
To log out of the Assistant Console, click File > Log Out from the menu bar at the top of the console.
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
How to Explore the Console without Assisting Managers
For training purposes, you can access the Assistant Console without making yourself available to managers.
To access the console without assisting managers, log in as usual, then click the Go Offline call control button. This is the first icon button in the row of icons along the top or side of your screen. You can also perform this task by choosing File > Go Offline from the menu bar.
When you go offline in this way, Cisco IPMA moves the managers whom you were assisting to another assistant. During the time that you are offline, you will not receive phone calls for managers and the My Managers panel on your console will be inactive.
Once you go back online, you will be available to assist managers again. Cisco IPMA might move managers whom you were previously helping (before you went offline) back to you. This depends on the availability of other assistants and whether or not you have been designated as the default assistant for a manager.
To resume your online status, click the Go Online call control button. (This is the same button as the Go Offline button). Or you can choose File > Go Online from the menu bar.
Tip Your online status is visible from the status bar in the lower right corner of the console.
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
How to Find Your Way Around the Console
The following sections identify areas on the Assistant Console and how you can use them to control features and handle calls:
•Using the Menu Bar
•Using Call Control Buttons
•Using the My Calls Panel
•Using the My Managers Panel
•Using Speed Dials
•Using the Directory
•Using the Status Bar
•Adjusting the Console Layout
•Viewing Administrative Settings
Using the Menu Bar
The menu bar is located along the top of the Assistant Console. Menu commands are context-sensitive.
You can use the menu bar as follows:
•File—Go online/offline, log in/log out, and exit the console.
•Edit—Create and edit speed dials, personalize keyboard shortcuts, change the immediate divert target, set preferences, and access administrator settings.
•View—Specify text size and color schemes, and refresh the default layout.
•Call—Dial, answer, hang up, place on hold, transfer, divert, or add conference participants to a call.
•Manager—Place an intercom call to a manager, access the Manager Configuration window, and enable/disable features for a manager.
•Help—Access online help.
Tip Each menu command displays an associated keyboard shortcut.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Using Call Control Buttons
You can perform tasks from the Assistant Console by clicking call control buttons (the row of icons located along the top or side of the console). Position your mouse over a call control button to see a description of its function.
See Table 1-1 for a list of call control buttons.
Table 1-1 Call control buttons
|
Call control button
|
What it does
|
Go Online/Offline |
Toggles your connection status to online or offline. Go offline to explore the console without making yourself available to handle manager calls. |
Dial |
Opens a dialing pad that you can use to place outgoing calls. |
Answer |
Connects you to an incoming call. |
Hang Up |
Ends an active call. |
Hold/Resume |
Places a call on hold and takes a call off of hold. |
Transfer |
Transfers a connected call directly to the target number that you enter in a pop-up window. |
Consult Transfer |
Works like the Transfer button, but allows you to speak to the person to whom you want to transfer a call. |
Conference |
Allows you to add conference participants to a call. |
Immediate Divert |
Immediately diverts a ringing, connected, or held call to the manager for whom the call was originally intended, or to another target number. To specify your immediate divert target, choose Edit > Immediate Divert from the menu bar. |
Transfer to VM |
Redirects a ringing or connected call to the manager's voice mail system. |
Call control buttons are context-sensitive; the availability of a button depends on the state of the selected call.
Make sure that the call that you want to handle with a call control button is selected (highlighted) before you click the button.
Tip You can right-click on the blank space (not on the buttons, themselves) in the call control panel to rearrange its position on the console.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Using the My Calls Panel
The Assistant Console displays calls for you and for your managers in the My Calls panel. These are calls that you can act on by using tools in the Assistant Console.
Each call is displayed beneath its associated phone line.
Each phone line is displayed beneath one of the following headings:
•My lines—Displays any currently active call that you have placed or received using your own phone line.
•Manager lines—Displays any currently active call that Cisco IPMA has redirected to you on a manager proxy line.
Cisco IPMA uses manager proxy lines to route managers' calls to you. Depending on the number of managers assigned to you, you will see one to five proxy lines in the "Manager lines" section of the My Calls panel.
Each manager proxy line contains:
•A proxy phone extension number—This is not the manager's actual extension number, but represents it.
•The manager's name.
•Active call information—Active calls are represented by:
–an animated icon indicating the status of the call (ringing, connected, or on hold)
–the caller ID
–a timer indicating the duration of the call
Tips
•You can see a manager's actual phone extension in the My Managers panel on the Assistant Console. You need to enter an actual extension (rather than a proxy extension) when transferring a call to a manager.
•You cannot apply Transfer to Voicemail or Immediate Divert to calls that you place or receive on your own phone line. These features apply only to calls that you receive on a manager proxy line.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Using the My Managers Panel
You can use the My Managers panel in the Assistant Console to monitor call activity and feature status for each of your managers. You can also enable and disable manager features from this panel.
Note If you see two green arrows next to a manager's name in the My Managers panel, the corresponding manager expects you to handle calls on his or her behalf. If the entire row of information for a manager is greyed-out, the manager is not expecting you to handle calls on his or her behalf.
Table 1-2 describes the information displayed under each column heading in the My Managers panel.
Table 1-2 Information displayed in the "My Managers" panel of the Assistant Console
|
"My Managers" column heading
|
What it means
|
Manager |
Displays the name of the manager. If you see two green arrows next to the manager icon, the manager is expecting you to handle calls on his behalf. |
Intercom |
You can click this column to place an intercom call. |
DND |
If this box is checked, the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature is enabled. To toggle DND on and off, click the DND cell. DND disables the ringer on the manager's phone; it does not redirect calls. |
DivAll |
If this box is checked, the Divert All (DivAll) feature is enabled. To toggle DivAll on and off, click the DivAll cell. DivAll automatically redirects all incoming calls to you or to another phone number, based on the manager's divert target. |
Assistant Watch |
A check mark indicates that the manager has enabled Assistant Watch. This feature allows a manager to view the caller ID and duration of calls that you are handling on his or her behalf. |
Filter Enabled |
If this box is checked, a call filter is active. To toggle the filter on and off, click the filter cell. Filters can route calls to you or to the corresponding manager, based on caller ID and filter mode. |
Filter Mode |
There are two filter modes: •Inclusive—Calls that match the numbers in the Inclusive filter are sent to the manager; the remainder are redirected to you. •Exclusive—Calls that match the numbers in the Exclusive filter are redirected to you; the remainder are sent to the manager. To configure filters for a manager, use the Manager Configuration window. Right-click anywhere in a manager's row in the My Managers panel and choose Configure to open this window. Note that the initial default filter settings are such that the Inclusive filter is enabled and all manager calls are directed to you. |
Call Details |
Call details consist of the manager's line number, the call duration, and the caller ID: •Line—The actual extension number for the manager's primary phone line; a phone icon indicates the line state. •Call duration—The real-time duration of an active call that was placed or received by the manager. The timer starts as soon as a call is initiated (outgoing) or received (incoming). The timer stops when the call is dropped or transferred. •Caller ID—The name (if available) and number of the person to whom the manager has placed a call, or from whom the manager has received a call. |
Tip You can monitor—but cannot handle—calls that appear in the My Managers panel of the console. These are calls that you have already redirected to your manager, or calls that your manager has placed or received directly.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
•How to Configure Manager Features, page 5-1
Using Speed Dials
The speed dial feature allows you to set up a personal phone book right on the Assistant Console. You can place calls and perform other call-handling tasks using speed dial numbers.
To open the speed dial menu and view a list of available commands, right-click on the Speed Dials panel or choose Edit > Speed Dials from the menu bar. If some speed dial commands are greyed-out, try selecting a speed dial listing before opening the menu.
Use the speed dial menu to create and modify speed dial groups, place a call, specify a transfer target, and add conference participants to a call.
To access speed dials quickly, consider organizing entries into speed dial groups. For example, create a personal group for yourself and a group for each of your managers.
When you add new speed dial listings, the listings appear in the order that you created them. To sort all the items in a speed dial list, click on a column header (Name, Telephone Number, or Notes). Lists are sorted alphabetically or numerically, depending on the header you choose. Click the header again to toggle between ascending and descending order.
Here are some quick ways to use your speed dial listings (without opening the speed dial menu):
•To place a call to a person in your speed dial list, double-click on the person's speed dial listing.
•To perform a blind transfer to a person in your speed dial list, drag and drop an active call to the person's speed dial listing.
•To add a new speed dial listing, drag and drop a listing from the Directory panel to the Speed Dial panel.
Tip The Sample speed dial group and example speed dial listing are inactive; they are included to demonstrate how speed dial information appears on the console. You can delete the samples at your convenience.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Using the Directory
Use the directory to search for a coworker, and to place and handle calls using the search results.
To search for a coworker, enter any portion of the person's first and/or last name in the search fields and click Search.
The directory displays a list of all users that match your search string. Search results are sorted by first name, last name, phone number, and department.
To clear search results and search fields, click the Clear button.
Here are some ways to use the search results:
•Double-click on a person's name or number to place a call.
•Right-click on a person's name to display a pop-up menu containing relevant commands.
•To perform a blind transfer to a person in your directory, drag and drop an active call to the appropriate name or number.
•To add a new speed dial listing, drag and drop a listing from the Directory panel to the Speed Dials panel.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Using the Status Bar
The status bar is located along the bottom of your Assistant Console screen and displays the following system information:
•Connected/Not Connected—Indicates the status of your connection to the Cisco IPMA server.
•Online/Offline—Indicates the status of your availability to managers.
•Call Control Up/Call Control Down—Indicates the availability of call-handling features.
The status bar also displays a pop-to-top icon to indicate whether your console is set to automatically surface on your desktop when you receive an incoming call. Click the pop-to-top icon to toggle this feature on and off. (By default, the feature is disabled.) The icon appears darker (depressed) when the feature is enabled.
Additionally, you can enable/disable pop-to-top from the Edit > Preferences menu.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Adjusting the Console Layout
You can customize the size and position of panels in the Assistant Console. Use the View menu to change the color scheme and font, and to refresh initial default settings.
Tip You can set the console to automatically surface on your desktop when you receive an incoming call. To enable this "pop-to-top" feature, choose Edit > Preferences from the main menu, then click the "Activate console on new call" check box. A pop-to-top icon is located in the status bar at the bottom of your console screen. The icon appears darker (depressed) when the feature is enabled.
Related Topics
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
Viewing Administrative Settings
You can view your administrative settings from the Log In dialog box or you can choose Edit > Settings from the menu bar.
Note You do not need to modify administrative settings unless you are instructed to do so by your system administrator.
There are two types of settings:
•Basic Settings
–Cisco IPMA Server Host Name or IP address
–Cisco IPMA Server Port
•Advanced Settings
–Traces enabled/disabled
The Advanced Settings tab displays the location where your trace files are stored.
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
•How to Configure Manager Features, page 5-1
How to Operate the Console with Your Mouse and Keyboard
The Assistant Console provides you with several mouse and keyboard combinations to perform any given task.
You can:
•click, right-click, and double-click console items
•drag and drop console items
•use keyboard shortcuts
For example, you can choose among the following options to answer a call:
•Click the Answer call control button
•Double-click the call in the My Calls panel
•Right-click on the call in the My Calls panel, then choose Answer from the pop-up menu
•Use a keyboard short cut
Some tasks can be accomplished by dragging and dropping console items. To add a speed dial listing, for example, you can drag and drop a selected call from the My Calls panel onto the Speed Dials panel.
Tip You can find all of the options for performing a specific task, such as transferring a call, in Chapter 2, "How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls."
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
How Managers Use Cisco IPMA
As an assistant, you will use Cisco IPMA features primarily from the Assistant Console; your managers, however, will use Cisco IPMA features primarily from their Cisco IP Phones.
For example, Manager Jones presses the ImmDiv softkey on his phone to divert a ringing call to you. Manager Jones then confirms that you have answered the diverted call and monitors the duration of the call by looking at the Cisco IPMA status window on his phone's LCD screen.
For a better understanding of how managers can use Cisco IPMA features, see Chapter 4, "For Managers—How to Use Cisco IPMA on Your Phone."
Tip You or your manager can customize manager features from the Manager Configuration window. To open this window, choose Manager > Configuration from the menu bar, or right-click anywhere in a manager's row in the My Managers panel and choose Configuration.
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•How to Configure Manager Features, page 5-1
How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
The Intercom feature allows you to speak to a manager on an intercom line.
To place an intercom call, double-click on that manager's name in the My Calls panel. You can also single-click the corresponding intercom icon in the My Managers panel.
If your manager is not on another call when you initiate an intercom call, your speakerphone and your manager's speakerphone will open simultaneously. You can then converse using your phone's speakerphone, headset, or handset.
If your manager is on another call when you initiate an intercom call, the intercom call will ring on the manager's phone and must be answered manually. This is also the case when a manager places an intercom call to you at a time when you are on another call.
To end the intercom call, click the intercom icon again.
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
•Assistants—How to Use Cisco IPMA on Your Phone, page 3-1
How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts
You can use keyboard shortcuts, rather than your mouse, to operate most of the tools and features on the Assistant Console. Keyboard shortcuts can help you handle calls more efficiently.
You can use initial default shortcuts or you can customize shortcuts to suit your needs. Cisco IPMA remembers a customized shortcut the next time you log in.
Viewing Shortcuts
Click an item in the menu bar to display commands and shortcuts. A keyboard shortcut is associated with most menu commands.
Additionally, you can view shortcuts from the Edit Shortcut Key pop-up window. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts to open the window, then select a menu command from the list to see the associated shortcut.
For example, if you select Call > Answer in the Edit Shortcut Key window, you can see that the initial default shortcut uses a combination of the Control key (Ctrl) and the A key (Ctrl-A).
Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
To customize a keyboard shortcut, choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts from the menu bar. Select a menu command from the list and click Ctrl, Shift, or Alt to assign the first part of the shortcut. Next, enter a letter or number in the Key field to assign the last part of the shortcut. Click Save to assign the new keyboard shortcut to the selected command.
Using Shortcuts
To invoke a shortcut, hold down the first key in the shortcut combination and press the second key. For example, if you want to use the Ctrl-L shortcut to put a call on hold, hold down Ctrl and press L.
Note For keyboard shortcuts to work, the Assistant Console page must be the active window on your desktop.
Related Topics
•Getting Started with the Assistant Console
•How to Find Your Way Around the Console
•How to Use the Intercom Feature from the Console
•How to Use the Assistant Console to Handle Calls, page 2-1
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