New Shaw Digital Phone Features Through *99

[shawguy]

Typed in *99 on my Shaw Digital Phone today and found it is finally working. Looks Like we have finally got the following new features:

- Ability to Change the number of rings before voicemail kicks in.
- Ability to shut off and turn off voicemail without going online or calling in.
- Ability to monitor the status of phone numbers that are busy using *66. I know we have had *69 and it would do this for years, but that was only good if that was the last person to call you, now its the last person you called. I missed this feature from MTS. And its Free unlike on MTS.
- Ability to block out any and all calls if you don't want to talk to someone or if you have to sleep at odd times of the day, or have a baby sleeping that you do not want to disturb. Nice feature, but not one I need at this time.
- Ability to have up to 4 more phones ring when someone calls your house using Simultaneous Ring.

And possibly more to come...But below is what you will hear when you dial *99;

Originally Posted by Shaw Digital Phone Menu Found using *99 on your phone

Welcome to the Shaw Telephone Feature Management System. Please listen to the following five options before making your choice;

- To Manage Voicemail press 1.
- For Voicemail status press 1.
- Voicemail is Enabled. To Disable press 2.

- To Change the number of rings before voicemail pickup press 2.
- Your Current Voicemail pickup is set to 4 rings. Please use the telephone keypad to select the number of rings before your voicemail picks up.

- To Manage Call Settings Press 2.
- For Busy Redial Press 1.
- Busy Redial is disabled. To Enable press 1.
(Busy Redial is *66 – YAY about Time. It will monitor the line for the next 30 mins. If you want to disable it before 30 mins, you can dial *86)

- To Manage Privacy Settings Press 3.
- For Do Not Disturb Press 1.
- Do Not Disturb is disabled. To Enable Press 1.
(Once Activated anyone who calls you will get the following: “We’re Sorry the Party you are calling does not wish to receive any calls”)

- For Anonymous Call Blocking press 2.
- Anonymous Call Blocking is disabled. To Enable Press 1.
(This is the same as using *77 and *87)

- To Manage Find Me Follow Me Press 4.
- For Simultaneous Ring press 1.
- Simultaneous Ring is Disabled.
- To Enable press 1.
- To Review telephone numbers in the simultaneous ring group press 3.
- To add a telephone number to simultaneous ring press 4.
- To remove a telephone number from simultaneous ring press 5.
(You can have up to 4 additional numbers stored in here that will ring at the same time as your home phone and who ever picks up first gets the call).

- To List your Currently enabled features press 9.
- Your Enabled Features are Voicemail. (Then Repeats the menu).

To repeat this menu press 0.
Press # at any time to return to the main menu.
Press * at any time to exit.

I did call Shaw and they stated that this is for Shaw Digital Phone customers with the Full Package (either $40 or $55 depending where you live) and its included to those customers free of charge. He stated that Digital Phone Basic ($20.95) does not get this, and I forgot to ask about the $29.95 package one.

Finally We got *66 - That is the one thing I missed from MTS. I find it odd though that you have to activate the feature before it will work, but none the less we have it.

Simultaneous Ring is nice too, and the ability to change the number of rings for voice mail I know is a selling feature for alot of people.

Just thought I would Share. What I would like to see now, is the ability to manage these features as part of the online manager through Shaw Customer Care....and also the ability to manage *60 (Call Block) through the online site and this new *99. But don't get me wrong this is awesome just having now.
Shawguy

P.S. When I called Shaw, they said its a soft launch right now which is why these are not mentioned on their website but will be soon.

[oggie]

i like DND folow you find me

[Gord Lacey]

Thanks Shawguy!

Now if only they'd order the voicemail messages properly. That STILL drives me crazy.

Gord

[Gord Lacey]

Find Me Follow Me is freakin' awesome. Now I don't have to forward/unforward my phone every time I go out (I'd usually forget to unforward it). For those that haven't tried it, here's how it works.

You set up another number to ring (in my case, my cell phone), and it'll ring along with your home phone. You answer the call on the cell, then your home phone stops ringing and can be used to make another call. If you're talking on your home phone then you'll get the beep from the incoming call, AND your cell will also ring. I love it!

Gord

[rube923]

Does this work today in all Shaw markets? Vancouver specifically? Any word when it will be officially launched?

[Shaw Guru]

As far as I know this has been rolled out for a couple months now in all Shaw Digital Phone launched markets.

[shawguy]

So why is it still not on the website?

[beanagee1]

My second phone rings after four rings on the primary phone. Then the secondary phone (cell phone) rings only twice before it goes to the voice mail for the primary phone. I would like the phones to ring at the same time and have a chance to answer my cell phone (four rings) before going to VM. Any suggestions?

Correction: It tried it again and it now rings after just one ring on the primary phone, so it goes to voice mail after three rings, which is acceptable.

[Mango]

These features don't work on business accounts yet. Fingers crossed that they will soon!

[rube923]

Can anyone confirm if this feature works on Digital Phone Lite, or is it only on the full Digital Phone service?

[Shaw Guru]

For Digital Phone service all of the * codes should work with the Full and Lite services however the basic service ($20.95/month) does not support the * features.

[googler]

Looks like its officially out now, just got an email telling me about the new features

[rube923]

One problem I've found with the FindMe/FollowMe service is that if you have DP Lite service, and are on the phone, callers get busy signal instead of Sim-ringing to your other devices.

This is a huge limitation. Sim ring should work whether or not the primary phone is in-use so calls can be taken on other devices.

Not sure if it works if you pay extra for the call-waiting option.

[Gord Lacey]

Yeah, that's a problem. I have the full bundle with call waiting and it doesn't do that for me - my cell phone rings if the house phone is being used. Handy for when my girlfriend is on the phone since she never switches over to the other line, and forgets to tell me that someone called. Now I know

Gord

[Shaw Guru]

Apparently for Digital Phone Lite customers the Find Me Follow Me service will not ring busy when on the phone but only if you subscribe to the Call Waiting service as well.