SMDI INTEGRATION

Simplified Message Desk Interface (SMDI) is an integration protocol defined by Bellcore and supported by the telephone company and certain PBXs (such as some by NEC) and integration devices. SMDI provides information about who is calling whom and why. It is an out of band signal that comes into a serial port on the PC. In Centrex SMDI, there is a modem connected to the CO from the computer. In a PBX environment, the serial link may come directly from the PBX to the PC, or it may pass through a hardware integration device. The information is then passed to the PC from the telephone switch. SMDI provides three important pieces of information:

• The called party
  
• The calling party
  
• The reason for the call (forwarded, no answer, busy, or direct)

The SMDI feature of CALLMaster can process that information and use it to perform a tight integration, route to mailboxes, etc. SMDI also provides for message waiting indication; in the PBX environment, that usually means message waiting lights; in the Centrex environment it means setting a stutter dial tone. Notification record for SMDI Message Waiting Light ON/Off is not required. The mailbox is used as default station ID. If a different station id is required, create a corresponding notification record with the desired station id in the Dialing Prefix field. The notification record will then be used.

For SMDI to work:

1. The COM ports table must be configured correctly. The com port # and the line settings are usually set to 1200 baud, E, 7, 1;
   
2. The system variable ‘Phone Manufacturer’ is set to ‘5’;
   
3. A cable must be connected from the computer’s serial port defined in step 1 above to the SMDI modem or PBX;
   
4. The SMDI modem or PBX must be set to transmit and receive the SMDI packets.
   
5. The SMDI MDT tags on each Phone Port must be set to match the incoming SMDI packet.