Deploy Your Iris AI Assistant
Learn how to effectively deploy your Iris AI Assistant within your call routing so that Iris can start handling calls.
Table of Contents
If you have enabled Iris and have had Iris train itself, you will be taken to its Call Inbox. The Call Inbox will show a prompt that states that calls will need to be forwarded to Iris. This means that Iris will need to be set as a destination for calls so that it can start handling calls.
Click this prompt's Deploy instructions button to view the Deploy tab.

In the Deploy Iris section, there will be a list of steps to follow to implement Iris within your business' call routing.

OPTIONAL: Submit a Request to Have Iris Deployed
If you would prefer that our Technical Support team deploy Iris, an authorized Point of Contact (POC) can contact our technical support team by calling (469) 429-2500, emailing support@spectrumvoip.com, or sending in a ticket using our support website:
https://www.spectrumvoip.com/support/.
IMPORTANT: Before Iris can be implemented by our Support team, an admin user for your Stratus account will need to enable Iris.
If this still needs to be done, follow the guide below to learn more about enabling an Iris subscription:
Try Out the Iris AI Assistant with a Trial
If you have any billing questions or would like to speak with our Billing team, you can do so by calling (469) 429-2500 and selecting Option 2 or emailing billing@spectrumvoip.com.
Our Billing team also offers a Billing web portal for managing your billing information and invoices. For help logging into the web portal, let our Billing team know.
In your request for support setting up Iris, include the following information:
• Your name and a good contact number to call for any questions or updates.
• If Iris will be set as the destination for calls during a specific time or at all times.
– If Iris will only receive calls during specific times/events, what times/events will Iris be active for?
• If Iris should be the destination for unanswered calls in a call queue.
– If so, provide names or extension numbers of the call queues.
• If Iris should not come up with her own greeting, provide a script for a welcome message that you prefer.
• Will Iris be used for the whole business, a specific location, or a specific user.
– If Iris will only be used for a specific location, provide the phone number of the location(s) that needs this change.
– If Iris will only be used for specific users, provide a list of those users' name and extension numbers.
• Should Iris be able to transfer callers to specific departments and users?
– If so, provide a list of the users/call queues that should receive the transfer and the keyword that should said.
– For example, Iris should send callers to the Sales queue when the word “Sales” is said by a caller.
• Will the Directory of Iris need to be enabled so that Iris can transfer calls to users a caller asks for by name?
– If so, should any users be hidden from this directory?
f a call queue or user is receiving transfers, should calls be sent to a specific destination during specific times for the user?
– If so, provide the time(s) that calls should be forwarded and the destination calls should be forwarded to.
– For example, Iris transfers for Bob should go to his personal mailbox outside of his normal office hours (Mon-Fri 8-5).
Step 1: Create a User for Iris
In order for Iris to be able to receive and route calls, a user will need to be created for it. This can be done by clicking the Create user button

Clicking this button will have a user named “Iris AI Assistant” created with the extension number 40000.

Once this user is created, its answering rules will automatically be set to have calls it receives directly forwarded to your Iris agent's Vee address.

✔ Since these changes were made automatically, steps 1 and 2 of the Deploy Iris list will now be completed.

Optional: Set a Backup Destination for Iris
To make sure calls are routed to an alternate destination if Iris ever experiences issues, you can add a destination for “When Unanswered” in the Iris AI Assistant's answering rule.
To do this…
- On the Users page, search for the Iris AI Assistant user.
- Click the Edit
icon next to the Iris AI Assistant user and select Answering Rules.
- Click the Edit
icon next to the Default answering rule.
- In the Edit Answering Rule menu, select When unanswered and type the extension number or name of the destination to send calls to if Iris is unavailable.
- Click the Save button.
✔ You should now see an additional "Forward when unanswered" condition added to the Default answering rule.

Step 2: Forward Calls to Iris
Different businesses can have very differing call flows to meet their unique needs. It is recommended to review how your business' calls route before deciding how Iris should be implemented.
More Info: To learn more about the different ways businesses may have their call routing set up, read the guide below:
Making Sense of Call Routing: A Visual Routing Admin Guide
To review how you can manage and adjust your call routing, read this guide below:
Stratus Basic Inbound Call Routing Guide
Method 1: As a Destination for Calls During a Specific Time
Some companies may prefer that Iris only be used during a specific time, such as their business hours or times they are busy (e.g., meetings, lunches, etc.). This can be done by adjusting the answering rules of a user or Inbound Routing User, which are utilized to perform time-of-day routing.
- Navigate to the Users page.
- Use the search bar to find the user that receives calls from your main phone number.

Quick Tip: For a whole business or a specific site/location, an Inbound Routing User is usually the first destination for calls to a phone number. This routing user's sole purpose is to handle the time-of-day routing of the business/site.
To review your phone numbers and check the destinations for calls going to them, navigate to the Inventory page.

- Click the Edit
icon next to the user and select Answering Rules.
- Click the Edit
icon next to the answering rule of a specific time frame where Iris should handle calls.
- In Call Forwarding section of the Edit menu, select User - 40000 (Iris AI Assistant) for the Always box.
- Click the Save button.
- Repeat steps 4-6 for any other answering rules that need to be updated.
- Place a test call to your phone number during the time Iris is active to confirm calls are routing as intended.
Method 2: For Unanswered Calls from a Call Queue
Some business may prefer to have an AI Agent used as a last resort for when all of their team members are busy. To do this, Iris can be set as a queue's destination for unanswered calls.
- Navigate to the Call Queues page.
-
Click the name of the queue or the Edit
icon next to the queue needing adjustment.
- Go to the In Queue Options tab.
- Adjust the following to set Iris as the destination for unanswered calls:
- Queue Ring Timeout (sec) - If needed, use the slider to adjust how long agents in the queue should ring (in seconds) before a call is counted as unanswered.
- If unanswered - Make sure Forward to destination is selected.
-
Forward Destination - Type and select User - 40000 (Iris AI Assistant).
- Click the Save button.
- If needed, repeat steps 2-5 for any other call queues needing this change.
- Place a test call to the queue and have your team not answer your call to check that your unanswered call routes to Iris.
Method 3: As the Only Destination for a Phone Number
If you are not concerned with your business needing time-of-day routing, you can set a phone number you own to solely route calls to Iris.
- Navigate to the Inventory page of the web portal to view your list of phone numbers.
- Click the phone number or the Edit
icon next to the phone number that needs adjustment.
- in the Edit menu, adjust the following to set Iris as the phone number's destination for calls.
- Treatment - Select User.
- User - Type and select 40000 (Iris AI Assistant).
-
Notes - If needed, add any special notes about this phone number.
- Click the Save button.
- If needed, repeat steps 2-4 for any other phone numbers needing this change.
- Place a test call to the phone numbers that were changed to confirm that Iris is in use.