The multiple pickup groups functionality allows phone lines in the same IP Centrex environment to be grouped so that phone line owners within the group may answer each other's calls by merely dialing a group pickup prefix on their phones.
Let's assume that there are two offices working with shared secretarial services. First you must enable the Group Pickup feature, then configure two huntgroups and lastly configure the pickup groups within them.
To enable the group pickup feature, select Yes from the Group Pickup list.
Select Dialing Rules. For your current dialing rule, in the Service Feature Codes area, in the Group Pickup Prefix box, type 77. Click Save.
Select Huntgroups, and add two huntgroups.
To the first hunt group 88 (e.g. Sales Department) add the required extensions: 222, 333 and the secretary's 999 extension. Define hunt group 88 as primary for extensions 222 and 333. Make sure the Call Pickup Allowed is enabled for the hunt group.
To the second hunt group 99 (e.g. Support Department) add extensions 444, 555 and the secretary's 999 extension. Define hunt group 99 as primary for all these extensions – 444, 555 and 999. Make sure the Call Pickup Allowed is enabled for the hunt group.
With these settings the following scenario is possible:
There is an incoming call to the extension 222. The secretary (extension 999) dials *77 to pick up this call because extension 222 is in their primary group.
To pick up an incoming call to hunt group 99 (the Support department), the secretary dials *7799 (because 999 belongs to this hunt group. However, since 999 has a different primary group, they have to dial the group pickup prefix and the hunt group number).
If the incoming call rings only on extension 444, the secretary dials *77444 to pick it up. (because 999 and 444 belong to the same hunt group Support Department.)