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OCTOBER 5, 2000

SMART ANSWERS
By Karen E. Klein

Does Your Answering Machine Give the Right Message?
With so many voice-mail systems to choose from, selecting the right one can be tricky


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Q: I need a sophisticated business answering machine that will allow my office to use a couple of different recordings depending on the time of day. What brands and models am I looking at? Where can I purchase them?

---- Jeff Grabenstein
A: Many voice-mail software systems can be set up to play different messages according to your needs. All you have to do is program the output ahead of time. An "office closed for lunch" message might play every weekday from noon to 1 p.m., for instance, while a weekend message would kick in on Friday night. You can even program vacation or holiday messages that tell callers when your business will reopen.

Suzette Anderson is a sales manager for Enhancement Technologies, a Pleasanton (Calif.) distributor of voice-messaging and "unified communications" systems, which route your fax, voice-mail, and e-mail messages to a central in-box. You'll need a dedicated PC to handle the voice-mail system you're looking for, she says. "This kind of software doesn't run well in the background and won't work on a PC that a user might accidentally turn off at the end of the day," Anderson explains.

These systems can be purchased as software alone or in a software/hardware package, she says. Your office also has the option of purchasing this kind of enhanced service as part of its automated voice-mail from a company that sells voice-messaging services. The least expensive systems, which accommodate between 4 and 10 users, run to about $5,000. Add features and the price can grow to upwards of $100,000, depending on the level of sophistication and the number of lines requested.

PICKING A SUPPLIER.  On the lower-cost end, you may be able to special-order the software (it's not available off-the-shelf, according to Anderson) and then install it on a dedicated computer in your office. Or you might hire a consultant/distributor to evaluate your needs, procure the right system, install it, and then train your staff how to use it.

A couple of popular options might fit your specs: Baypoint Innovations (www.centcpe.com) offers a voice-mail program called NuPoint Agent that allows you to play various recordings at different times and schedule changes up to a year in advance. AVT Corp. (www.appliedvoice.com) sells similar programs, Anderson says.

Paul Stewart, director of operations for ComponentControl.com, a San Diego-based software developer, recommends Siemens phone systems (www.siemens.com/en2/flash). "I have done a great deal of research in phone systems and am a firm believer in expending the money to get quality equipment. The Siemens phone systems have just about anything," Stewart says. "Our current setup delivers our faxes and voice-mail to our Microsoft Exchange box so we can check e-mail, voice-mail, and faxes from anywhere in the world. Additionally, we have several greetings which play depending on the time of day."

For more help, try HelloDirect (www.hellodirect.com), which offers a wealth of information about peripheral telecom equipment, including how-to articles that may be of interest to you. The site also offers several product lines for sale.


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