Answering machine & Fusion Voice Line

[DeAnna]

Considering moving my current account to Fusion Voice Line.
I want to know if FVL can function with a traditional answering machine connected to the land line?
i.e. would there be an option for the answering machine to pick up by an incoming call?
And if the answering machine is picking up, and another call comes in (busy signal) -- would the call to go to voice mail?
Thanks!

[dane]

Yes, you can use your answering machine, just as you have with your ATT land line service. But, it's either/or, either you use your answering machine, OR enable our voicemail, you can't really use both in a tidy way.

You kind of could - program your answering machine to answer after for example four rings, and ours to answer after six, for example, but honestly it'll be quite confusing as you'll have messages scattered across both platforms. I'd recommend settling on use of either your physical answering machine, OR our voicemail, and not both.

In many ways our voicemail is far better than a physical answering machine; it offers notification via SMS to your mobile, deliver of messages to your email, etc. The only thing it cannot do it "screen" calls, that old technique of waiting to see who is leaving a message before picking up. But, caller ID has made that less of a thing to do.

-Dane

[DeAnna]

Thanks, that was useful and quick!
Just want to make sure it WILL work on both platforms,
which is what I use now:
program one to answer after less rings than the other.
This way I can screen calls,
but if I'm on the phone (busy signal) -
would the Fusion Voice Mail pick up the call and allow a message to be left?
I wouldn't want folks to get a busy signal...
Thanks!

[dane]

Yes, that will work.

You can leave call waiting on (the default), and you'll see caller ID on call waiting, another form of screening, but will have to listen to the beeps until it rolls to voicemail. Or, you can turn call waiting off and it'll go to voicemail immediate.

-Dane