Managing Ring Groups

Overview

A ring group lets you bundle multiple extensions into a single virtual number. When someone calls that number, the system distributes the call to all group members based on your chosen ring strategy — ensuring calls are answered quickly and no inquiry goes unnoticed. Ring groups are ideal for departments like Sales, Support, or Accounting.

Prerequisites

• Administrator access to the Virtual-Call Cloud PBX
• At least two extensions must already exist

Create a Ring Group

1. Log in to the Virtual-Call Cloud PBX admin portal.
2. Navigate to Call Features > Ring Group.
3. Click Add.
4. Configure the basic settings:
   • Number — Enter a virtual number that callers (or inbound routes) will use to reach this group. The default range is 6300–6399.
   • Name — Give the group a descriptive name (e.g., "Sales Team" or "Support Hotline").
5. Select a Ring Strategy (see section below).
6. Set the Ring Timeout (s) — How many seconds the system waits before trying the next member or routing the call to the failover destination. Available for all strategies except Custom.
7. Add Members by selecting extensions from the available list. If you chose Custom as ring strategy, you can configure individual delay and timeout values per member.
8. Select a Failover Destination — Where to route the call if no one answers (see section below).
9. Click Save and Apply.

Ring Strategies

Choose the strategy that best fits your team's workflow:

Optional Settings

• Join Announcement — A prompt played to the caller once before ringing begins. You can choose to play the full announcement before members start ringing.
• Ringback Tone — A custom prompt played to the caller while waiting for someone to answer (plays after the Join Announcement).
• Music on Hold — Music played to the caller if the call is put on hold.
• UC Client Distinctive Ringtone — Assign a specific ringtone for ring group calls on the Virtual-Call UC Client. This helps members distinguish group calls from direct calls.
• Record Missed Calls — Log unanswered ring group calls. Email notifications can be configured for group members to alert them about missed calls.

Failover Destination

If no member answers within the ring timeout, the call is routed to the failover destination. Available options:

• Hang Up — End the call.
• Extension — Route to a specific extension.
• Extension Voicemail — Route to an extension's voicemail box.
• Group Voicemail — Route to a shared voicemail box (ring group, queue, or custom group).
• IVR — Route to a voice menu.
• Ring Group — Route to another ring group.
• Queue — Route to a call queue.
• External Number — Route to an external phone number.
• Play Prompt and Exit — Play a custom message, then hang up.

Time Conditions

You can configure a ring group to handle calls differently outside business hours or during holidays:

1. Enable the Time Condition option on the ring group.
2. Select the applicable Time Zone. The business hours and holidays defined under Call Control > Business Hours and Holidays for that time zone will apply.
3. Set the Outside Business Hours Destination — Where to route calls received outside defined business hours.
4. Set the Holidays Destination — Where to route calls received on defined holidays.
5. Optionally, enable Ignore the Holiday Destination to use business hours rules even during holidays.
6. Optionally, enable Play Holiday Prompt During Holidays to play a holiday greeting before routing the call.

Example

Scenario: A company wants its sales team (3 members) to share incoming calls. During business hours, all phones should ring simultaneously. After hours, calls should go to voicemail.

1. Create a ring group with number 6300, name "Sales Team".
2. Set ring strategy to Ring All with a ring timeout of 20 seconds.
3. Add the three sales extensions as members.
4. Set failover destination to Group Voicemail.
5. Enable Time Condition, select the correct time zone, and set the outside-business-hours destination to Group Voicemail.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting