Software update Octalarm alarm diallers again offers more options

Thursday 14 September 2023

There is a new software version (2.5.0) for Octalarm alarm daillers. Besides the usual fixes, a number of changes have been made: the battery life is now 3 years, system failure Multiple alarms now alarms per call list, system failure Nobody Scheduled is new, it is possible to define the pronunciation of words, in ARA-Pro Next you can link Dupline modules, in the duty roster module the start day of the shift can now be adjusted and you can easily put contacts absent (and present again). Furthermore, Octalarm Link is offered as an additional licence and Octalarm Connect now offers different subscription types.

All internet-connected diallers have received the update. We recommend installing a software update at all times.

The changes for you at a glance

Battery renewal period increased to 3 years (Touch | Pro | ARA)

Last year, we thoroughly tested a large bulk of batteries that had been returned to us at our request after 2 years of service in Octalarm alarms. The results have been discussed with Dutch agricultural insurers and they agree to extend the battery life to 3 years. With the new software update, the detector only alarms after 3 years that the maximum battery age has been reached.

System failures adjusted and extended

Multiple alarms now alerts by call list/service group (Touch | Pro | ARA)

The system failure Multiple Alarms alarms if 6 or more alarms are active at the same time. Until version 2.4.8, all alarms were counted and once the Multiple Alarms alarm was active, new alarms were not called out. For customers with multiple call lists/service groups, this could sometimes be annoying. Therefore, in version 2.5.0, the procedure for system failure Multiple alarms has been modified:

alarms are logged per call list/service group;
the dialler automatically alarms to the call list/service group where 6 or more alarms are active; so there is no longer a need to set up a call list/service group for this system failure.

So if there are now 6 or more alarms within one call list/service group active, a system failure Multiple Alarms is sent to that specific call list/service group. If there are then further alarms within the same call list/service group, they are still ignored. Since the people in that call list/service group are aware of the situation, this is not a problem.

New alarms linked to another call list/service group will be called with the new software version.

Change manual: 5.2 System failures | Multiple alarms

When 6 or more alarms within a call list/service group are active at the same time, the Octalarm alarm dialler reports this as 1 alarm. You will then receive the message: Multiple alarms. There are more than 5 alarms.

Combining the quantity of alarms in 1x keeps the call clear and does not compromise alarm handling.

New system failure Nobody Scheduled (Touch | Pro | ARA)

A new system fault has been added in software version 2.5.0: the alarm Nobody Scheduled. This system fault becomes active if there is nobody in the call list/service group or if all contacts within the duty schedule in the relevant service group are set to Absent (See Duty schedule module extended). This system fault reports out to the call list/service group Administrators.

Note: it is therefore necessary that there are contacts with the role Administrator in the alarm list AND that their phone number is entered.

Supplement manual: 5.2 System faults | Nobody scheduled

This system fault becomes active if

there is nobody in the relevant call list/service group (Touch | Pro | ARA);
all contacts in the relevant service group are set to absent (ARA and diallers with the duty schedule module).

Note: to ensure smooth handling of alarms, it is important that there are always enough contacts in a call list/service group.

The alarm diallers reports the system error Nobody Scheduled to the call list/service group Administrators.

Note: it is necessary to have contacts including a phone number with the role Administrator in the alarm dialler.

Setting Pronunciation (Touch | Pro | ARA)

It is possible to define the pronunciation of certain words. This allows you to make the dialler pronounce abbreviations correctly. For example, consider the abbreviation 'dep.' for 'department'. But also for words that are pronounced unclearly or incorrectly, the pronunciation can be improved by defining them phonetically.

Supplement manual: 6.2.7 Pronunciation

It is possible to define the pronunciation of certain words. This allows the reporter to better pronounce abbreviations or mispronounced texts, for example.

Set pronunciation

Go to `Settings`.
In the navigation, scroll to `Pronunciation`.
Press `Add`.
At Text: type the intended text, e.g. Adesys.
Under Pronunciation, type: the phonetic text, e.g. Adeesis.
Press `Add`.

Edit set pronunciation

Go to `Settings`.
In the navigation, scroll to `Pronunciation`.
Press the pen icon after the word to be modified.
Make the desired changes.
Press `Save`.

Delete set pronunciation

Go to `Settings`.
In the navigation, scroll to `Pronunciation`.
Press the trash icon behind the word to be deleted.
Press `Delete`.

Dupline module support (ARA)

With software version 2.5.0, it is possible to link Dupline I/O modules within ARA-Pro Next. Current limitations:

there is a limit of 25 linked I/O modules
the display of I/O modules on the display and on the portal is not yet ready

These limitations have been resolved in a subsequent release.

Note: when you first start using ARA, it is strongly recommended to get support from our engineering department for setting up ARA-Pro Next. When switching from ARA-Pro version 5 to ARA-Pro Next with database migration, support is even necessary. (This applies to large systems with a lot of Dupline I/O and/or an extensive duty schedule. Due to the database migration, not all settings need to be re-entered into ARA-Pro Next).

Therefore, no manual is currently available for ARA-Pro Next.

Duty schedule module extended (ARA and diallers with duty schedule module)

Change start day of shift

Until now, services in the duty schedule could only start on Mondays. With software version 2.5.0, you can decide on which day of the week the shift starts. However, shifts can still only start during the day and therefore not in the evening or night.

Custom manual

Manual duty schedule module

Easily set contacts as Absent (and Present again)

Anyone using the Duty schedule module and ARA-Pro Next from version 2.5.0 also has the option of setting contacts to Absent. If a contact is set to Absent, it is skipped when alarms are raised to the service group the contact is in.

As soon as the contact is available again, you need to set the status back to Present manually.

Note: it is important that there are always enough contacts in a service group so that someone else can be called if a contact is set to Absent.

Supplement manual: 4.2.3 Setting contact as Absent (or Present)

Set contact as Absent

From the main screen (dashboard), go to the contact screen.
Click on the relevant contact.
Under Status: press `Present`.
Press `Yes`.

There is now a red cross behind the relevant contact. Within the duty schedule, you will see that the contact has been crossed out (and will therefore not be accessed in case of alarms).

Reset contact to Presence

From the main screen (dashboard), go to the contact screen.
Click on the relevant contact.
Under Status: press `Absence`.
Press `Yes`.

Octalarm Link as additional licence (Pro)

The Octalarm-Touch Pro is specially designed for network-controlled alarms (Octalarm Link) via separate network interfaces (2^nd Ethernet port). In practice, the Touch Pro is very regularly connected contact-controlled. By offering network-controlled alarms as an additional licence, we have been able to lower the price of the Touch Pro dialler from July 2023. With this new software version, network-controlled alarming is now offered as an additional licence with the Touch Pro.

Octalarm Link is included as standard in ARA-Pro Next.

Connect in different subscription forms (Touch | Pro | ARA)

With the market launch of the Octalarm-Touch Pro and ARA-Pro Next, we see that the demand for the use of Octalarm Connect is also developing in different directions. On the one hand, network-driven alarms actually demand a larger bundle. On the other hand, we are increasingly receiving requests to be able to use only our VoIP telephony. This has led us to introduce different subscription variants of Octalarm Connect:

a basic variant Connect - the current Octalarm Connect
a VoIP only variant - only uses our VoIP servers and not GSM
an XL variant - for detectors that operate network-controlled

Want to know more about the changed subscription types? Subscription forms Octalarm Connect

Supplement 25-06-2024

New online environment 'Octalarm Documents'

Today we published Octalarm Documents: a completely new online environment for all types of Octalarm alarms (Touch | Pro | ARA).