The Home Page

This is the first screen seen when logged into your Ally Voice Portal.

If you are having trouble logging in, first try the "Are you a new user?" or "Forgot Login Name/Password" links on the login page.

If you still have trouble, please contact us by emailing helpdesk@allyadvantage.com or call our office at 256-740-3900.

1. This is a permanent link to our Ally Communications Knowledge Base where you can find articles that offer explanations and guides on how to make the most of your portal!

*if you click on the drop down menu, only "Always" Timeframes and associated answering rules can be activated here, which essentially re-prioritizes the order of your answering rules.

See the Time Frames and Answering Rules sections in this guide for further detail.

View/Edit your Profile settings

1. You can edit the name that is displayed on your user, ex. your last name changes
   
2. You can also edit your timezone if needed
   
3. Announce in Audio Directory refers to the system Company Directory that is sometimes used off of an Auto Attendant.
   
4. List in Directory refers to being able to be seen in the internal contact buttons displayed on physical phones.
   
1. ***Ask an Office Manager before changing directory settings.
   

1. This section is so you can confirm what Caller ID number others see when you dial outbound.
   
2. Emergency Caller ID refers to the phone number that has the business' address pre-associated to it.
   
3. If you work somewhere other than the address associated with your Emergency Caller ID, you may see "0000000000"
   

1. You can update your user's email address or update your password in the Change Account Security section.
   
2. MFA is not required.
   

1. Your Voicemail PIN is required when checking voicemail from a phone. 

-- The following PIN numbers are blocked for security reasons, and cannot be configured--

Any PIN that contains your sequential extension number, and: 

0000, 1111, 1234, 2222, 3333, 4321, 4444, 5555, 6666, 6789, 7777, 8888, 9876, 9999, 12345, 123456, 54321, 654321, 98765

Messages (Voicemail)

     

Voicemail Settings

Voicemail Greetings are set up by Ally at first using the default Text to Speech message, "Hello, {firstname} {lastname} is unavailable. Please leave a message."

You have the options to use Text-to-Speech, Upload (.wav or .mp3 files are supported), or Record your voicemail greeting.

See this article on recording a custom voicemail greeting: How To Update Custom Voicemail Greetings

If you create a new voicemail recording, you can use the drop-down menu to select your preferred voicemail greeting.

Recorded Name only needs to be configured if the domain is using a system generated Company Directory in an Auto Attendant.

Fax

Click the drop-down menu on the left to view your inbox or sent faxes.

There is a download icon to download the fax.

The hourglass will give you a preview of the fax so you can scan for the one you want without needing to download each to view.

*** If you do not have a fax number to receive faxes to, you can still see a history of faxes sent outbound through the portal in the "Sent" folder under the drop-down menu.

Send a Fax

Once you are under the Fax Page you can click the Send Fax button to draft your fax.

Cover page options are None, Compose (which will populate a text box to enter your cover page information), or File (which will populate a field to attach a file).

If you wish to have your fax caller ID number show as your true fax number, you must use the Ally Voice portal to send faxes.

If a fax number has not been allocated to your user, you will see 0000000000 as your caller ID.

Outbound faxes can still be sent with the caller ID of 0000000000 (the recipient will see the caller ID as a random proxy number), but you cannot receive faxes in return.

To use instant-fax from your email, see this article: https://helpdesk.allyadvantage.com/portal/en/kb/articles/users-fax-portals-and-fax-to-email

Contacts

Conference 

User-Owned Conference Bridges are not a commonly used feature, but if you have a Conference number assigned to your user, you may use this page to manage calls to the dedicated number.

 

Answering Rules

1) Can adjust the ring time (5 seconds = 1 ring) before going to voicemail, following the unanswered rule of the active time frame if one is set, or ending the call if voicemail is not enabled on the user.

2) Can Allow/Block numbers under your answering rules, ex a spam caller dialing your direct dial number. If the spam caller is dialing the main number, request it be blocked by your Office Manager for everyone.

3) The "Active" will be next to the active time frame, always in real time.

4) The Description will list what will be done when that user is called during that time frame.

5) Click the pencil to Edit the Answering Rules of an existing Timeframe that is applied to the user.

6) Click Add Rule to add a new time frame and the rules to follow during that time frame. You can add either a company-wide timeframe or a time frame you create yourself on the Time Frames page (see Time Frames section).

The default time frame will usually be the only rule a user has and it is treated as an "Always" time frame.

Any time frames above the default time frame will take effect during its pre-configured time frame.

Use the arrows next to the time frame to reprioritize the order of your time frames. Priority is top to bottom.

Any other "Always" time frame you add to your answering rules will need to manually be moved above or below your other time frames when you want to activate or deactivate it. *see the ReachUC Forward timeframe for an example

Adding/Editing an Answering Rule

Go to Time Frames section to see how to create a custom Time Frame = ex. Out of Office

1) Timeframe will display based on which one you are editing the answering rules for or have selected if adding a new Answering Rule

2) Call Forwarding: Only the "Always" and "When Unanswered" rules are recommended to be used.

      It is recommended to use the Simultaneous Ring section to allow for answer confirmation for offnet numbers to forward a call to a personal cell phone.

      *The "Always" forwarding rule cannot be used in conjunction with the Simultaneous Ring section. It's one or the other. You can set the unanswered rule in conjunction w/ Simultaneous Ring.

3) Simultaneous Ring:

Enabled will be checked if utilizing this section.

Include User's Extension if checked will ring the user's main phone. If unchecked it will not.

Ring All User's Phones is checked by default, meaning if the user adds an extension, whether that's another physical phone or maybe a softphone like the ReachUC app, it will automatically add that phone to be rung as well. If this is not desired, answering rules will need to be edited after       the additional extension has been added.

Answer Confirmation should be checked if forwarding calls to a personal cell number so they know this is a work call before answering. It will say "Press 1 to accept this call" after they initially answer their cell phone. if they do not accept the call, it will go to the user's voicemail if enabled. If voicemail is not enabled, not accepting the call will end it.

Extension, Number, or Phone field can be used to add a cell number or additional extension(s) to ring when the user is called. The clock can be selected to delay the ring time of this additional user or phone. 10s (2rings) is standard.

Reprioritize your Answering Rules to ensure your time frames will activate when needed!

Priority is top to bottom.

Time Frames

Clicking the name of a blue timeframe or the pencil will bring up the edit window. Blue Time Frames are owned by your user only.

Basic Users cannot edit Shared time frames in black - these can only be edited by Office Managers or Ally technicians.

 * Once a time frame is created, it cannot be renamed. You would need to delete and recreate the time frame with a new name if needed. Timeframes cannot be deleted if they are being used on a User's Answering Rules.

The type of timeframe can be edited, as well as the dates and/or times it is set for by clicking the name or the pencil to the far right.

 * Timeframes will only take effect when applied to the answering rules of a user.

Add/Edit a Time Frame

Always

Always timeframes will always be active if they are above the default or other configured timeframes on the user.

Ex. "ReachUC Forward" time frame in the Answering Rules example

Days and Times

Days of the week and times allows you to set weekly recurring time frames, such as your business hours, lunch hours, or work from home hours if you are a hybrid employee.

Select the radio buttons to choose which days you want to set the time frame for, then use the sliders to select the range of time you want the time frame to be active.

You can select the green plus on the far right of each day to split the times; ex. you work split days. 

In the below example, the Test hours will ring M-Th 9am to 5pm, and Friday 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 5pm. 

 

Music on Hold

Please be aware that copyrighted music should only be added if the business has secured the proper licensing.

We recommend utilizing royalty free music if you do not wish to secure licensing. Ally can provide options for royalty free music.

If you have not added music on hold, then the system will use the domain's default music on hold.

Adding music on hold in your Basic User portal means that callers will only hear this music if your user places the caller on hold. 

 

 

 

Reporting (Call History)

Name: Inbound Caller ID name - depends on the caller if this is set. It is not in the case of the first call underlined in red, but is in the case of the second call underlined in blue.

Date: Date and time of the call

Duration: Length of the call

From User: This will display if you place an internal call.

To User: Shows what internal extension was called.

PAC: This is negligible. This refers to the account code and is information that will only be helpful to Ally in the event troubleshooting is needed. 

Listen: Listen to recorded calls (if call recording is enabled for the user).

Download: Download recorded calls (if call recording is enabled for the user).

Edit Contact: Will only work if the contact had been added previously.

Add Contact: Will give you the option to create a new contact or add to an existing contact.

Filtering Call History

Select the Filters Button in the top left of your Call History to narrow your call history search.