Use the Announcements feature to play pre-recorded verbal messages to callers. You can also use announcements with music.

In Communication Manager 7.1.3 onwards, you can configure up to 9000 announcements for a single Avaya Aura® Media Server instance. Rest of the capacities around media announcement sources (MG/VAL board) remain unchanged.

For Communication Manager V11 or later, there are multiple telephone sessions. One session is associated with each active integrated announcement source. An announcement that is stored on an announcement source can play through any port on the announcement source.

Any announcement, except those announcements that are administered for barge-in (see Barge-in announcements), can play simultaneously through multiple ports. All ports can play the same announcement at the same time, and the system can connect multiple users to each of these announcements.

Audio files on the announcement source, gateway, or adjunct equipment can be grouped together based on two other features, Locally Sourced Announcements and Locally Sourced Music-on-Hold. For more information, see the Locally Sourced Announcements and Music-on-Hold feature.

The Announcements feature supports three general types of announcements:

• A delay announcement explains the reason for the delay and encourages the caller to wait.

• A forced announcement explains an emergency or a known service problem. Use a forced announcement when you anticipate numerous calls about a specific issue.

• An information announcement gives the caller instructions on how to proceed, information about the number called, or information that the caller might need.

Use the Announcements feature when:

• Direct Inward Dialing (DID) calls cannot be completed as dialed

• Incoming private-network-access calls cannot be completed as dialed

• Calls enter a split or a skill

• DDC, UCD, or direct-agent calls are in queue for an assigned interval

• ACD and Call Vectoring calls are in queue for an assigned interval

• The destination of a call is a recorded announcement extension

• The system routes a call to a vector that contains an announcement step

• An announcement extension is specified as a coverage point

• An announcement is the incoming destination of a trunk group

• The Hospitality Automatic Wakeup feature is in use

For information on music streaming from media server See chapter Music streaming configuration of the document Implementing and Administering Avaya Aura® Media Server.