Management Portal Basics Guide

Description: This guide is intended to provide a general overview of all the actions you can perform in Management Portal that houses your account. 

Table of Contents

• Management Portal Basics for Admins Intro
• Hosted PBX
  • Account Details 
  • Extensions 
  • Callflows 
  • Users  
  • Devices  
  • Voicemail Boxes 
• Additional features under Hosted PBX
• Caller ID
• Callflow Design and Modules Overview
  • Default Extension Callflow
  • Callflows for Main Lines
  • Callflows for E-fax
  • Callflows for Conferences
• Devices/Users/Callflows/Extensions
• Downloading the Ooma Desktop Client
• Phone Numbers
  • Buying a Number
• E911

Management Portal Basics for Admins Intro

As an admin, you hold the keys to your organization’s online PBX. To access our Management Portal, head to your bespoke URL (‘yourcompany’.voxter.com) and log in with your admin credentials provided to you by the Ooma Enterprise Success Team.

Once signed in, at the top of your screen there is a toolbar with all your apps. Hosted PBX will be your main app and where you'll spend the bulk of your time in the portal.

Hosted PBX

Hovering over Hosted PBX will reveal a drop-down list. Below is a brief description of each.

Account Details 

These are your top-level, overarching account settings. The most important setting here will be your default caller ID for internal, external and emergency calls. 

Extensions 

This is where you can view and create your seats. Within the Management Portal, a Seat in it's basic form is the combination of a User, a Device, a Voicemail Box and a Callflow (the extension number). When you create one here, each of those components will generate automatically. This is the quickest, most efficient, and least error prone way to add new extensions.

Callflows 

Through a variety of drag and drop modules, this is where you design how your calls will route and who they will route to once they hit your PBX. 

Users  

Head here to see the full list of all your users as well as to make any edits to their details. Apart from adding new administrators, you would rarely create the user component in this section.

Devices  

This will display all the devices on your account, including desk phones, soft phones and cell phones. This is a good place to quickly check if a device is registered.

Voicemail Boxes 

Voicemail boxes can be stand-alone or assigned to a user. Stand-alone voicemail boxes are good for things like departmental voicemails that multiple people check. 

Please note, stand-alone voicemail boxes do require a Voicemail Only seat license. 

Additional features under Hosted PBX

Caller ID

As mentioned earlier, your organization-wide outgoing caller ID is set in the Account Details section.

However, some of your users may want or need to use something other than the default caller ID. Perhaps they want their direct number as the caller ID, maybe they are working from another office and would like the caller ID to be the main line for that location; we’ve got you covered.

Outgoing Caller ID is set in preferential order in three places:

• At the Account Level.

• At the User Level.

• At the Device Level.

They take precedence in order of specificity. The device setting overrides the user setting and the user setting overrides the account-wide setting.

Callflow Design and Modules Overview

Now that we've covered the basics of Hosted PBX, let’s dive into callflows and discuss how you can manage how your calls route. This is where your Project Manager will have initially set up your account to the specifications outlined in the onboarding process.

Choose an existing callflow from the list on the left side of your screen or to create a new one, click Add callflow. In the image below, you can see your menu of modules to drag and drop into your callflow; this is present on the right-hand side of your screen once you add or select a callflow to edit. If you hover over each one, it will give you a brief description of what the module does.

In the table below, we've outlined the most commonly used modules and their purpose. If you’d like more information on some of the more advanced modules, please get in touch with our Success Team and we’ll be happy to help!

It’s always a best practice to finish callflows with definite end; a voicemail box being the most common form.

Default Extension Callflow

As discussed earlier, when you create a new extension it automatically creates a User, a Device, a Voicemail Box and a Callflow. Let’s explore how the callflow works.

In the blue bar across the top of the callflow, you will find the option to edit the name. We find the most efficient way to name your callflows the extension number (in this case 1001) followed by the user’s name. We liked this format so much that we went ahead and made it the default for all standard extension setups!

Below the name, you’ll find all the numbers the callflow is reachable by. In our example, Alex has his internal extension and direct phone number. You can add as many numbers as you’d like to a callflow.

Next you will see the first module of this callflow, Alex's User. This means once someone calls his direct number or extension, the call will route to all the devices that belong to Alex. Should he miss or decline the call, it will proceed to the module; in this case, it’s his voicemail box where the call will terminate.

Callflows for Main Lines

So, how do you route calls into a main line? In the image below you can see, this callflow is reachable via extension 8000 internally and by the external phone number. It’s always good to give every callflow an internal extension number for easy accessibility.

In this example, the Time of Day module is the first one you’ll see. You will notice that this is set up to route to 8001 during their open hours and 8002 at all other times. There is also one for Covid hours too; it’s indicating they are closed since it also points to 8002.

Much like caller ID settings, your Time of Day modules will take precedence in order of specificity. If you have a setting for M-F, 9-5, but would like M/W/F from 12-1, to route differently, the system will recognize the most specific condition during that time. 

Following 8002 first, you can see that they have a media file in place which likely informs the caller that they are closed and what their usual business hours are. After that, the call ends up in a general voicemail box for someone to check the next morning.

The image below is a great example of healthy-looking, Open Hours callflow. You can see how they have implemented the IVR Menu with 5 options and a default module should no key get pressed. In this case the default option is just to route the call through the callflow again.

Option 1 brings the caller to a Directory. The caller will be prompted to dial the first 3 letters of desired user’s first and/or last name. What should happen if someone shares a similar name or the caller makes an error? The caller will be asked to confirm their selection before connecting the call. Both this option and the selection for first/last or either names can all be adjusted in the Directory’s settings.

When creating a directory, you must also select the callflow you'd like as the end destination. For example, this is helpful if you'd like to route calls for an Executive through an EA. You'd select the Executive's name but select the EA's callflow as the destination.

Options 2 and 3 showcase the use of a Ring Group. For instance, we have 3 support agents in the Support Ring Group and should no one answer the call after 20 seconds, the call reaches Alex (maybe he's a manager and added is as a fail-safe).

You’ll notice those two routes terminate at a shared voicemail box for each department. This is slightly different to the option 5; here you’ll see the call will terminate at an individual’s voicemail box.

Option 4 works similarly, with the addition of the Prepend module before it reaches anyone’s phone. As mentioned earlier, this feature attaches a custom Caller ID to the call so the receiving party gets an idea of the nature of the call before they answer. This is can also be very helpful when reporting out as it can give you an idea of how many calls each department is taking.

In this instance, it’s very beneficial as there are a few people from different departments in the Ring Group. The simple prepend ‘GEN’ lets Alex, for example, know this is a General Inquiry call and not a Support Call.

Callflows for E-fax

Now let’s talk fax! Even though we're in the 21st Century, many organizations still like to retain faxing capabilities with Ooma. Crazy right? (Really, we mean no offence! We understand many industries still require fax). Well, you can rest assured, we’ve got you covered on this one too. 

First, set up a callflow with the Fax Box module. If you already have a Fax Box configured, you can choose the one you’d like to use from the list after dropping the module in place.

Don’t have a Fax Box set up? Fear not! Let’s go through how to do that and we'll also tell you how a Fax Box actually works.

1. Create a new callflow then drag and drop the Fax Boxes module onto the blue ribbon (the entire section to add a number will be highlighted with a blue outline).

2. You will be prompted to select one from the dropdown or you in this case, click "Add a new faxbox". You will be brought to the Create Fax Box window. On the Basic tab name your Fax Box and assign it to a user (this will autofill that user’s email address so notifications and received faxes will end up there).

3. On the Caller ID tab enter your fax number, which in turn should auto-populate the Fax Identity box. Then just enter your caller name (typically the name of your organization or the specific user) and what you’d like to appear on the header.

4. On the SMTP tab, in the permission list, enter the email domain(s) you would like to be whitelisted. It is important to fill this in so that people outside your organization can’t use your fax box. If you have multiple domains provided by your organization, these need to be entered with a single space separating them for this to work. 

Then enter your custom SMTP address that you will send documents you want to fax to. This should follow the yourcompany.fax.voxter.com

5. On the Options tab, the important thing you’ll want to do here is enable T.38. We also suggest changing retries from 1 to 3 – as fax technology only has around a 90% success rate in general, the retries will decrease your odds of an undelivered fax.

6. Hit save and your new Fax Box is ready to rock! Simply email phonenumber@yourcustomSMTP.fax.voxter.com. So, in this example, anyone with an Ooma email address would send a blank email with a PDF attachment to the phonenumber@oe.fax.voxter.com.

You can also setup a Fax Box through Hosted PBX > Fax box.

If you'd like more detailed instructions on how to send a fax, please see: How do I send a fax?

Callflows for Conferences

There are two different ways to route a call to a conference bridge.

First, there is a simple callflow that points to the Conference module.  If you don’t have one set up, you will have the option to create a new one here too. In the Basic tab, name it, assign it to a user and enter a PIN for callers to input allowing them to enter the bridge. You can customize entry tones and other settings in the Options tab.

Second, you can use the Conference Service module in the callflow. This works similarly to the conference module except in this setup, callers will be prompted to choose which conference room they would like to enter. They can do so by entering the number you assigned the bridge on the ‘Conference Server’ tab when setting it up. We recommend this if you have one external number and multiple bridges.

Devices/Users/Callflows/Extensions

During the onboarding process and after reading through this guide, you’d be forgiven for thinking those terms are synonymous with each other, but they actually have very specific meanings with regards to the Ooma Enterprise Management Portal. Don’t worry, we have to explain this to every new employee too!

Devices

A device is a phone that can receive calls to/from our network. They can be created as:

• A physical SIP or VoIP phone - Such as any of the Mitel/Yealink/Polycom range Ooma supports.

• A soft phone application - Like the Telephone app on MacOS or other apps we work closely with, like Zoiper.

• A browser phone - Like a soft phone but this category is specifically for the Ooma Enterprise Desktop Client. You will never need to create this type of device manually as it auto-creates under the user upon initial login. 

• A cell phone – Input your cell phone number and assign it to the user and the call will ring your cell at the same time as your other devices.

• A land line – Like the cell phone set up, this will route a call to any outside number. Make sure you disable "Require Key Press" on this device or calls will not be released correctly!

A cell phone or a landline device may require a Call Forward seat. Please contact your Account Manager if you have additional questions. 

Users

As we mentioned earlier, a user is a collection of devices under one person’s control. All devices assigned to a user will ring simultaneously should that user receive a call.

Managing which devices ring at different times can be achieved with the Follow-Me feature in the device’s settings in the portal. Toggling this enables or disables a particular device’s ability to receive calls.

Extensions/Seats

In most cases, an extension is a combination of a user, their device(s) and their voicemail box. Creating an Extension will create the user, a default SIP phone device and a voicemail box for them. This is the recommended way to add new seats to your account.

For billing purposes this is known as a seat, we also classify any conference rooms and fax boxes as seats for billing.

Callflows

As reviewed above, callflows are the mechanisms used to route calls to different extensions. When you create an extension, a standard default callflow for that extension is automatically created which rings the user for 20 secs and terminates at their VM box should they miss or reject the call.

Downloading the Ooma Desktop Client

For all things related to the Ooma Enterprise Desktop Client, please see our Ooma Enterprise Desktop Client User Guide. 

If you're just looking to download the latest version, you can do so here.

Phone Numbers

Here you will find a list of all your external phone numbers (known in the industry as a DID) and how they are assigned in your system.

Buying a Number

Quickly search and purchase available DIDs for the area code of your choice by clicking the Buy Number button. If your search turns up nothing, please get in touch with the Success Team and they should be able to assist you.

Outbound/Inbound

You’ll notice that there are a couple of columns in this view with links you can click on. The outbound option here is intended to publish into directory assistance. Please note it is disabled. To set your, please reference the caller ID section of this article.

While the outbound option is disabled, activating inbound will make our system search further and harder for a Caller ID should a call reach you without one.

E911

This feature will let you enter an address and company/ name that needs to be attached to your call in the case of a 911 emergency call. Meaning, once the call connects, the emergency services dispatch will have these details on hand. Not only is it vital for a quick response time, it’s also required by law. It is your responsibility to ensure that this information is correct and up to date.

One thing to note here is that you only need to register E911 details for phone numbers that are going to be appearing on emergency outbound caller IDs. For example, if you have everyone using the account level caller ID, only that number needs to be registered. If you have two offices with two different caller IDs, you would need to register the correct address for each location.

For more info on e911, including how to provision this, please see our article on Registering your service for 911 (E911).

If you have any questions or would like a demo/training, please contact our Support Team!