How do I use/access my conference bridges?
- Kelli Higdon
How many bridges do I get?
This depends on how many conference bridge licenses you purchased, as of version 2010+ (CP5+). We recommend double-checking your original Sales Order, or querying your Fonality sales rep.
Previously, the quantity of conference bridges were based on which edition of the software you purchased, but that was not as flexible - some Call Centers needed few if any conference bridges, while conversely some small businesses were finding themselves needing several bridges.
For legacy Web Admin Panel version 4 (CP4) systems:
Professional Edition included three conference bridges (8505, 8506, and 8507).
Call Center Edition included five conference bridges (8505-8509).
How many people can join a conference bridge?
There is no software limit to the number of participants in a conference call. However, your system hardware absolutely has a limit, and that limit varies depending on the hardware you have purchased. For entry-level servers, the limit is around 10 participants. If you have the maximum hardware supported, the limit should be approximately equal to your concurrent call capacity.
How do I use a bridge?
To use a conference bridge from your call menu by using any of the four "Goto Submenu/ext" rules in your PBXtra web admin interface under the tab labeled "AutoAnswer". You can choose to password protect these conference bridges by adding the menu option "Enter password to continue".
You can also assign a keypress to a conference bridge simply by selecting the conference bridge in the keypress drop down.
An example Conference Bridge submenu:
The Conference Bridge can also be reached internally by dialing the conference bridge extension number as listed above. Note: dialing any of the conference bridges from the Auto Attendant will not work and will result in the message “That’s not a valid extension, please try again…”
The first person to join the conference will hear music on hold until a second participant joins.
Restrictions
There is no moderator, everyone is simply a participant.
The extension number can not be changed, although you can create additional virtual extensions that forward to the submenu.
Version 3.5 of the PBXtra software or higher