What are sipgate Channels and how do I set them up?
Learn what sipgate Channels are and how to set up greetings, hold music, ringing rules, and call forwarding.
sipgate Channels offer a central platform for your team communication. Calls can be handled together as a team and distributed based on individually configurable routings.
A channel can be reached, for example, via one or more shared phone numbers. Using routing, you define when calls come in, which users receive them, and what happens if a call cannot be answered.
You can edit the individual components of routing directly in the routing overview and adjust them via drag & drop.
In this article, you will learn how to set up a channel and adapt the routing to your requirements.
An overview of the differences between channels and groups can be found in the article What should I choose: Channels or groups?
What types of channels are there?
At sipgate, a distinction is made between personal channels and shared channels are distinguished.
A personal channel belongs to a single user and reflects that user's personal reachability. This is where, for example, the user's own phone numbers, devices, and forwarding rules are managed.
A shared channel is used jointly by several users. Incoming calls can be distributed to the available users according to predefined rules. In addition, service hours, queues, announcements, and call forwarding can be set up, for example.
How do I set up a shared channel?
As an admin, you can set up one or more channels for your team.
Select the menu item on the homepage Channels .
In the overview, you can see your existing channels. Create a new channel and assign it a suitable name.
Then you can select the phone numbers under which the channel should be reachable. One or more phone numbers can be assigned to a channel. The phone numbers can later be changed in routing.
Then add the users who should handle calls for this channel. The team composition can be changed later at any time.
Once phone numbers and users have been set up, you can configure further call distribution directly in routing.
How does Visual Channel Routing work?
Routing shows the complete path of a call through the channel.
In the routing overview, you can see both the incoming routings to the channel and the subsequent distribution and possible outgoing forwarding.
Depending on the configuration, a call can take the following path, for example:
phone number → Time filter → greeting → call queue → Call distribution → User → forwarding or Announcement
Which elements are used can be defined individually.
How do I edit the routing via drag & drop?
The available routing functions can be found in the right-hand sidebar of the routing overview.
To add a new function, select the desired element and drag it into the routing while holding down the mouse button. As soon as you move the element over the routing, the positions where it can be inserted are highlighted in color.
Release the element at the desired position. You can then configure it directly.
Alternatively, you can click an element in the sidebar. The possible positions are then displayed in the routing. Select the desired position to insert the element there.
This operation is especially suitable for mobile devices, where the routing elements can first be selected by tapping and then inserted at the desired position.
In this way, you can among other things User, Announcements, Forwardings as well as Date- and Time filter insert into your routing.
How do I set up service hours?
With Date- and time filters you can define when your channel is reachable.
This allows you, for example, to define your regular service hours and set up a separate routing for calls outside these times.
For calls outside service hours, you can, for example, play an announcement or forward the call to another destination.
In addition, you can take special periods such as public holidays, company holidays, vacation, or training sessions into account using corresponding date filters.
How do I set up a greeting?
A greeting can be inserted into the routing before the actual call distribution by dragging the routing function from the right-hand sidebar while holding down the mouse button and dropping it onto the highlighted position provided for it.
For the greeting, you can use an existing announcement or upload your own audio file. You can also enter your own text via text-to-speech (TTS), which will be played automatically as an announcement.
How do I set up a queue?
If callers are to wait until a user is available, you can insert a queue into the routing.
In the settings, you can configure the hold music, among other things. Depending on the available configuration, you can select an existing audio file or upload your own audio file.
Channels can also without a queue be used. In this case, incoming calls are forwarded directly to the available users according to the set up call distribution.
How do I set the maximum waiting time?
For waiting calls, you can define how long they should wait at most for an available user.
If the call is not answered within this time, you can determine what happens next.
Depending on the routing, you can for example:
play an announcement,
forward the call, or
end the call.
How do I define which users a call rings on?
In routing, you define which users receive calls from the channel.
Depending on the available call distribution, incoming calls can be distributed to users in parallel or in a fixed order, for example.
For parallel ringing the call rings simultaneously for all available users.
With an fixed order you define in which order the users receive an incoming call.
When distributing by longest idle time the user who has not handled a call for the longest time receives a call preferentially.
Depending on the ringing rule selected, you can also set how long a call rings on a user before the next step of the routing is executed.
How does after-call work?
An after-call work time can be set up for users.
During this time, users can, for example, add notes to the previous conversation without immediately receiving another call from the channel.
After the after-call work time has elapsed, the user is available again for new channel calls.
How do I set up forwarding?
Forwardings can be inserted directly into the routing at the designated points.
This allows you to define, for example, what happens if a call is not answered within a certain time or a destination is busy.
As the forwarding destination, depending on the respective position in the routing, for example another user, channel, contact, or a voicemail can be used. Alternatively, an announcement can be played.
How do I manage users and devices in a channel?
As an admin, you can see within a channel which users are assigned to the channel and what status they currently have.
You can log users in or out for the channel and configure the end devices used for reachability.
Users can also log themselves in and out of a channel and manage their available end devices. Their respective status determines whether a user is included in call distribution.
How does a personal channel work?
In addition to shared channels, a user has a personal channel. This reflects the user's personal reachability.
In the routing overview, users can see their extension numbers and phone numbers as well as the configured devices and their current status.
Incoming calls
In incoming routing, you can see the phone numbers and extensions through which the user can be reached. You can also configure what should happen if a call is not answered.
User status and devices
In the middle area of the routing, you can see the user's current status and the devices used for telephony.
As an admin, you can log a user in or out. Users can also manage their status and end devices themselves.
Outgoing forwardings
In the last area of the routing, you configure forwardings that take effect, for example, when a line is busy.
Among other things, other users or channels can be used as destinations. Alternatively, an automatic announcement can be set up.
Using channels with the sipgate app
With the sipgate app, users can also conveniently use their channels in everyday work. There, among other things, channel calls can be handled and relevant information about their own reachability can be viewed.
Further information on using channels in the sipgate app can be found in our supplementary article.
How do I manage my status and devices in channels as a user?
As a user, you can define for yourself whether you are available for calls from a channel and which of your devices are used for this.
In the sipgate web app, you will find an overview of your current channel status as well as your routings. Here you can log in or out of a channel and manage the devices used for the channel.
Log in and out of the channel
You can also log in or out directly via a device configured for channels. To do so, select:
*2#
An audio announcement then confirms whether the log-in or log-out was successful.
What effects do DND and Busy on Busy have?
If you have activated Do Not Disturb (DND) or Busy on Busy (BOB) in the sipgate web app, these settings are taken into account for your reachability in the channel.
Note the difference between settings in the sipgate web app and settings directly on your end device:
If you activate DND in the sipgate web app, for example, this is taken into account for your reachability in the channel.
If, on the other hand, you activate DND directly on your end device, this change is not adopted in your channel status.
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