Call Answering Rules

New to Exchange 2010 is the concept of call answering rules. A user can configure basic call workflows using Outlook Web App. By default, no call answering rules are configured. However, users can browse to the phone tab, and then select voice mail in the OWA options menu. See an example in Figure 20.5.

Figure 20.5 Call Answering Rules

For example, let’s say you want your kids to be able to reach you anytime but you don’t want coworkers to reach you after 5 p.m. You can set a rule to allow calls from your children’s phone numbers to come through to the Lync client and also ring your mobile phone or another phone.

You can also set a rule to force calls from a business associate or coworker to be forwarded directly to voicemail after 5 p.m. The interface is reminiscent of Outlook Web App email rules and should be familiar to most users. Even after rules are created, they may be disabled or enabled through the Outlook Web App Voice Mail menu. Rules, by default, are created as enabled.

Intelligent call routing, a more generic term for Microsoft’s call answering rules, was a frequently noted omission in Exchange 2007. Its inclusion in Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2010 UM’s tight integration with Lync Server 2010 offers a rich voice platform capable of being a full PBX replacement.