TalkWorks Pro 3.0

TalkWorks Pro is a complete voicemail and fax messaging system. It automatically distinguishes between fax, voice and data calls, and routes them into the correct mailbox. It can handle simple systems based on a single mailbox, as well as complex, multi-level setups which require users to select options from a recorded menu system. Think of those answering systems which require you to press button after button!

Figure 1. TalkWorks' Telephone

TalkWorks is actually a much-enhanced version of WinFax Pro 9, since it not only adds voice capabilities to WinFax, but extends WinFax's faxing capabilities with support for Fax-On-Demand and Fax-Back. Most of WinFax's features, such as scheduling and broadcasting also apply to voice calls, and TalkWorks supports a variety of telephone company services, such as Caller ID, Call Waiting and Conference Calling. You'll also find a range of built-in reporting options to analyse your calls.

TalkWorks supports up to 2 phone lines (complete with modems), so you can choose to have separate lines for incoming and outgoing calls; alternatively, separate lines for fax and voice. It can automatically intercept data calls and send them to a communications program (e.g. pcAnywhere), so you won't need a dedicated phone line for remote computer connections either. And since it works over a network, all members of a workgroup can share

Before you begin setting up your messaging system, it's best to sit down and plan it, particularly if you're implementing a multi-level system. The user manual includes a planning guide and pro-formas to help with this task. The planning process involves such matters as -

Once you've done the planning, you can begin the setting up. This is quite straightforward, with a Wizard walking you through the steps, and a series of templates upon which you can base your own system. You can actually begin using TalkWorks immediately after installation, since the installation process sets up a default single mailbox ready for your use.

From the caller's point of view, calls to a TalkWorks system based upon a single mailbox result in standard answering machine behaviour - a recorded greeting and an opportunity to leave a message. In systems with multiple mailboxes, TalkWorks greets callers and offers a menu. After callers select an option, TalkWorks sends them to the appropriate mailbox where they can leave a message. Alternatively, it offers another menu. Infinite sub-menus are possible but you'll want to avoid offering callers so many choices that you infuriate them!

Once installed, TalkWorks' Controller sits in the system tray and monitors incoming and outgoing calls (assuming you've enabled Automatic Receive). You can check TalkWorks' status with a quick glance at the Controller icon; e.g. if it flashes, you have new messages. You can also set up TalkWorks to play a sound or display an onscreen message when calls come in. If you're not at your desk, TalkWorks can alert you in a bewildering variety of ways. It can page, fax or telephone you, re-route messages to other locations and even forward them to you by e-mail. TalkWorks can call up to 4 different numbers in its efforts to contact you, and you can retrieve messages remotely.

TalkWorks' main interface is the Telephone, which looks just like a real one and offers the same capabilities, including speed dial and call hold, complete with muzik. From here you can see what calls are in progress, listen to or view incoming calls, send faxes, and make or answer calls. TalkWorks' Message Manager mirrors most of the Telephone's functions, but logs outgoing as well as incoming calls and offers access to more functions; for instance, a fax cover designer.

The trickiest thing about TalkWorks, I found, was getting it to recognise my Auslinx Redback 33.6 as a voice modem. Despite downloading and installing the most current drivers available, TalkWorks stubbornly refused to believe my modem had voice capability. It wasn't until I changed the driver to a standard VoiceView type which ships with Windows 95 that TalkWorks conceded that my modem did have voice capability. From that point on, I experienced no further hiccups.

I started testing TalkWorks using a single voice/fax mailbox, then progressed to a three-level system incorporating a fax-on-demand mailbox. TalkWorks handled each incoming and outgoing call without a hitch and had no difficulty in distinguishing between fax and voice calls. It behaved impeccably when directing calls to mailboxes and when faxing information back to callers. Nor did I experience any problems with forwarding and notification. I didn't test telephone company-dependent features such as Caller ID or Call Waiting, however, and TalkWorks is capable of handling much more complex multi-level systems than that which I tested.

I found myself pleasantly surprised at how easy TalkWorks was to configure. The program setup screen looks quite bewildering, but it's not as complex as it looks, and the Wizard is a great help. The user manual is also easy to follow, although I do wish Symantec would cease that practice of putting their indexes in the middle instead of the back!

TalkWorks does have some disadvantages. The most obvious one, of impersonality (caller rage?), you can minimise by restricting the number of levels and options offered to callers. TalkWorks is also a 'dumb' system; it will do what you've programmed it to do, but if it meets an unexpected situation it won't recognise it. For instance, if TalkWorks calls to notify you of a waiting message but you're not at that number and someone else answers the call, TalkWorks considers it has successfully notified you and stops there. So the onus remains on you to check your mailboxes. TalkWorks also supports only minimal report customisation.

TalkWorks is a sophisticated messaging system which can grow with your business. It's easy to set up, can free your staff for other work, and save money that you'd otherwise spend on extra hardware and phone lines.

Street price around $200. If not available from your local software reseller, contact Symantec Australia ph (02) 9850 1104. Download an evaluation version of TalkWorks from http://www.symantec.com.au

Pentium 166 processor, Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation 4.0, 32 MB RAM, 100 MB free hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, SVGA video, sound card, compatible voice-capable modem.

Reprinted from the March 2000 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia