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Shared Lines ­ Overview & Frequently Asked Questions | AT&T Office@Hand
Article #6491

Shared Lines feature allows calls made to one phone number to be answered by multiple phone devices. Answered calls can easily be handed off to other phones sharing the same phone number. This feature is a commonly required function in many industries, such as retail, restaurant, warehouse, etc.

Overview
Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

Features

  • Allow calls and lines to be shared among multiple desk phones; answer calls on any phone.
  • Place a call on hold then pick up from another phone.
  • Supports up to 8 lines with 16 phones with any combination between (1 x 1) and (8 x 16).
  • Compatible with all AT&T Office@Hand Polycom phone devices.

Benefits

  • Efficiently distribute incoming calls within a specific group.
  • Easily reach a person at different phones without the need of call transfers.
  • Eliminate any missed calls. Simply answer calls on any phone.
  • Easy to add and modify a Shared Lines group over the cloud, anywhere, anytime.
  • Included for free to all AT&T Office@Hand Editions. No additional cost to pay for this function.
  • Better branding and communications. All outbound calls from a Shared Line group will have a consistent phone number instead of individual numbers or extensions.

Note: This free feature is available to all AT&T Office@Hand Editions and New Sign Ups. Additional cost may apply for new phone line and device purchases.

Use Case Scenario

Restaurant

A local restaurant has set up all phones to ring simultaneously at the front desk, the bar and the kitchen. A call comes in and all phones ring at the same time.

  • The hostess is busy in seating customers and away from the front desk.
  • The restaurant manager is at the bar. She answers the call at the bar by simply pressing the line key which is flashing on the phone.
  • The Manager greets the caller and then put the line on hold. The hostess is back at the front desk and notices that there is call on hold.
  • The hostess then picks up the line and assists the caller with his reservation.

Benefits: There will be no missed calls from your customers since you can answer incoming calls from any phone.

Retail

A local hardware store offers a toll-­free number for all incoming calls which is assigned to a group of 10 phones that share phone lines.

  • When call to this toll­-free number comes in, all 10 phones ring.
  • An available cashier answers a call in line #3 which a customer wants to check out the availability of a certain lawn mower.
  • The cashier then places the line #3 on hold and informs the colleague who is in charge at the garden section e.g. using the paging feature
  • The representative picks up the line #3 at the nearest phone and assists the customer immediately.

Benefits: You can increase communications efficiency by sharing lines and phones among peers.

The scenarios above are just a few examples of the many benefits of sharing lines in your Office@Hand account.

System Requirements

  • A digital line is required for each line in a Shared Line group.
  • Polycom desk phones only. No Cisco desk phone is supported.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is a Shared Lines group?
  2. Will it be additional cost to add this feature?
  3. Which AT&T Office@Hand service supports Shared Lines (BLA) feature?
  4. Is there a limit to using Shared Lines function?
  5. Do the number of lines and number of phones have to match?
  6. How many simultaneous calls can be made to a Shared Line group?
  7. Are phones in a Shared Line Group associated with a user?
  8. Which desk phone models support Shared Lines feature?
  9. Can Shared Lines be used on AT&T Office@Hand mobile apps?
  10. How many lines can be used in one Shared Line group?
  11. How many phone and devices can I add to one Shared Line group?
  12. How many Shared Line group can I set up with my organization?
  13. Can a same phone line used in different Shared Line groups?
  14. Can phones in a Shared Line group receive Paging or Intercom calls?
  15. Can I assign phones in different locations in the same Shared Line group?
  16. Can I add a direct line for a Shared Line group?
  17. Will there be additional costs for setting up a direct line?
  18. Do I need a direct phone number?
  19. Can I set up a general greeting for a Shared Line group?
  20. Can I block any numbers?
  21. What happens when all lines are busy?
  22. My phone is in a Shared Line group. What number will be shown on the caller ID if I make an outbound call?
  23. Can I set up the notification if I miss a call?
  24. Can I transfer a call to my colleague?
  25. Can phones in a Shared Line group park and un-park calls?
  26. Can I monitor the presence of a Shared Line?
  27. Can a desk phone belong to a user and also be a member of a Shared Line group?
  28. Can calls be made to specific phones if they belong to a Shared Line group?

 

    1. What is a Shared Lines group?
      A Shared Line group allows a business to set up a phone number in such a way that calls coming into the shared line can be answered in any of the devices sharing that line.
    2. Will it be additional cost to add this feature?
      Shared Lines is included in Standard, Premium, and Enterprise editions at no additional cost. Additional costs will apply when adding new phone lines and/or devices.
    3. Which AT&T Office@Hand service supports Shared Lines (BLA) feature?
      All AT&T Office@Hand Standard, Premium and Enterprise editions
    4. Is there a limit to using Shared Lines function?
      AT&T Office@Hand Office supports up to 8 lines and 16 desk phones per one group. It is recommended that all phones assigned in a Shared Line Group must be located in the same location.
    5. Do the number of lines and number of phones have to match?
      No. These numbers depend on your business needs. Any combination between (1 x 1) and (8 x 16) is permitted e.g. 2 x 4. In general the number of phones in a group will be at least the same or higher than the number of lines.
    6. How many simultaneous calls can be made to a Shared Line group?
      The number of simultaneous calls to a group corresponds to the number of lines assigned to a group e.g. a 4 line group supports up to 4 simultaneous calls (inbound or outbound)
    7. Are phones in a Shared Line Group associated with a user?
      No. Phones in such a group are shared devices and not associated with a particular user.
    8. Which desk phone models support Shared Lines feature?
      Polycom SPIP 321, SPIP 335, SPIP 550, SPIP 650HD, VVX 201-IP, VVX-310, VVX-311, VVX-350, VVX-410, VVX-411, VVX-450, VVX-500, VVX-501, VVX-600, VVX-601
      Yealink T33G, T42S, T43U, T46S, T46U, T48S, T48U, T53, T53W, T54W, T57W, T58W, VP59
    9. Can Shared Lines be used on AT&T Office@Hand mobile apps?
      No. Shared Lines is only available on desk phones.
    10. How many lines can be used in one Shared Line group?
      AT&T Office@Hand allows you to add up to 8 lines in one Shared Line group. However it depends on the number of lines supported by your phone devices. For example, if your phone devices only support 4 lines, the maximum lines that can be used are 4.
    11. How many phone and devices can I add to one Shared Line group?
      AT&T Office@Hand allows you to add up to 16 phones and devices in one Shared Line group.
    12. How many Shared Line group can I set up with my organization?
      There is virtually no limitation. However all phones in the same Shared Line group must be in the same location.
    13. Can a same phone line used in different Shared Line groups?
      No. A line can only belong to one Shared Line group.
    14. Can phones in a Shared Line group receive Paging or Intercom calls?
      No. This feature is not supported in this release. However, Paging and Intercom calls can be initiated from phones in such groups by using DTMF.
    15. Can I assign phones in different locations in the same Shared Line group?
      No. We recommend all the phones must be located at the same physical address due to the 911 emergency services requirements.
    16. Can I add a direct line for a Shared Line group?
      Yes. You can purchase a toll-free or local phone number for a Shared Line group.
    17. Will there be additional costs for setting up a direct line?
      Yes. A company can purchase a direct line (toll-­free, local or vanity) for better external communications.
    18. Do I need a direct phone number?
      It is a best practice for a business, but it is not required. You can dial any of the phone numbers in a Shared Lines group. All phone devices will ring at the same time.
    19. Can I set up a general greeting for a Shared Line group?
      Yes. You can set up a group greeting by either using default or customized greeting. A caller will hear the greeting before routed to a shared line within a group.
    20. Can I block any numbers?
      Yes. You can block calls and faxes coming from a specific number. You can specify the numbers and area codes, as well as calls/faxes with no caller ID and calls from pay phones.
    21. What happens when all lines are busy?
      A caller can be routed to the Group Voicemail or certain extension based on the settings.
    22. My phone is in a Shared Line group. What number will be shown on the caller ID if I make an outbound call?
      Your administrator sets up the outbound caller ID as a group ID or individual line based on your business needs.
    23. Can I set up the notification if I miss a call?
      Yes. You can setup your notifications on your online account.
    24. Can I transfer a call to my colleague?
      Yes. Calls answered in a Shared Line group can be transferred to other extensions in the same organization.
    25. Can phones in a Shared Line group park and un-park calls?
      Yes. You can park/un-park calls by using the Park soft key.
    26. Can I monitor the presence of a Shared Line Group on my phone?
      No. This feature is not yet supported in this release.
    27. Can a desk phone belong to a user and also be a member of a Shared Line group?
      No. This feature is not yet supported in this release.
    28. Can calls be made to specific phones if they belong to a Shared Line group?
      No. All phones in a group act in unison. It is not possible to make a phone call (regular or Intercom) to a specific individual phone that is a member of a group.

See Also:
AT&T Office@Hand Service Expansion Frequently Asked Questions

Key Words: Shared Lines, Shared, Lines, Overview, Department Administration, 6491, 11162