Penn Flex Information and Resources

PennFlex Phone is the University’s cloud-based telephony service that supports campus business operations. In addition to enterprise-quality phone features, PennFlex Phone offers enhanced unified communications functionality, including a mobile and desktop app with messaging and audio/video conferencing.

Below are several benefits associated with the PennFlex service:

  • A wide selection of telephony features to meet a variety of diverse business needs
  • A mobile application that allows you to make and receive calls from your desktop, tablet, and/or smartphone
  • Voice mail transcription feature that provides the option to receive an email with a text transcription of voice messages
  • Enhanced support for modern SIP-based VoIP equipment
  • New e-fax service providing the ability to send and receive faxes via email or through a secure portal
  • Penn Flex is available to Faculty and Staff located in PSOM buildings.
  • Most users will have access to the Vonage Mobile Connect App.  Lines where the number is shared, in a public space, a conference room line, or lab line only a handset is available.

Eligibility

Penn Flex is available to faculty and staff whose offices and/or labs are located in University-managed buildings. Faculty and staff who work in UPHS facilities should use UPHS's phone services.

How do I Request this Service?

Click the appropriate option below to fill out a form to:

Instructions for Setting Up and Using the Service

Here are some User guides to getting started with Penn Flex:

Mobile app with WebEx.

User can make and take calls with their University line on their computers or smart devices.  

Please use the appropriate links below or scan the QR code to download the new Mobile App with Webex:

 

Download from iOS Button

 

Download from Google Play Android Button

 

Download from qr code

 

How do I sign in to Mobile App with Webex? 

To sign on, enter your pennkey@upenn.edu  as the Email Address. 

This should take you to the Penn WebLogin Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication. 

  • If Webex returns an error "Email is not associated with an account", Vonage will need to create the account and associate it with your Vonage account.  See Getting help with Penn Flex Service section below to troubleshoot.  
  • If you are able to login successfully but you are logged into the wrong account / phone number, Vonage will need to fix the account associations.  See Getting help with Penn Flex Service section below to troubleshoot. 
  • If Webex asks for username & password without taking you to Penn WebLogin or If Webex returns an error "pennkey@upenn.edu needs to be reactivated" or
    If Webex returns an error "Your account is not authorized. Please contact your administrator" after a successful Penn WebLogin,
    Then there may be a previous, personal Cisco Webex account registered under the pennkey@upenn.edu email address.  
    You would need to delete the account or change the email address for that account. 
    To delete your personal Webex account:
    1. Go to https://settings.webex.com and sign in using pennkey@upenn.edu
      1. If you do not remember your credentials, click "Reset your Password" after entering pennkey@upenn.edu and follow email directions.
      2. If you are taken to the Penn WebLogin page to enter your pennkey & password, then you don't have a personal account. See Getting help with Penn Flex Service section below to troubleshoot.
    2. Select the ellipsis on the top right of the identity card, then click Delete account > Ok
    3. Once your personal account is deleted, your Vonage Webex account should start working immediately.

  • If Mobile App with Webex asks for username and password without taking you to Penn WebLogin, you do not have a Webex account or your SSO login is not set up at Vonage properly.  See Getting help with Penn Flex Service section below to troubleshoot. 

  • If Mobile App with Webex asks for the Webex server address, you have installed the wrong Webex application. Please download the vanilla Webex app and not Webex Teams, Webex Calling, nor Webex Intune. 

You can begin using Mobile App with Webex to place and receive calls. ​See Getting help with Penn Flex Service section below for any questions or issues you may have concerning the installation or use of Mobile App with Webex. 

Who can I contact for more information?

If you have additional questions or need assistance, please submit a PennFlex support request or visit the Need Help section of the website.

 

Go to Enterprise portal and click "log in" to be redirected to Penn WebLogin Single Sign-on (SSO). (penn key authentication)

In the left pane, click on Voice Settings > Call Rejection Then click the "Add" button in the top right. You can add rules to reject numbers you want.

Adding rules here means:

Call Rejection allows you to reject calls that meet your pre-defined criteria. These callers will be given an announcement that you cannot be reached. Use this feature to prevent nuisance calls from people you would rather not talk to. The criteria for each Call Rejection entry can be a list of up to 12 phone numbers or digit patterns, specified called number(s), a specified time schedule, and a specified holiday schedule. All criteria for an entry must be true to reject the call.

Yes. When initially authenticating to the MobileConnect app with SSO, you can activate a "Trust this browser" checkbox in the login screen to avoid having to re-enter credentials for 30 days. However, this is not permanent. MobileConnect adheres to the current Penn WebLogin policy which mandates a 30-day expiration. This can impact immediate access to MobileConnect on the mobile device. Although some mobile operating systems do a better job at informing you when you need to reauthenticate, it's important to monitor your login status on MobileConnect. You may have to re-login if you reboot your mobile device as well.  Calls go directly to voicemail if the app is not authenticated, so we recommend checking the app's authentication/login occasionally, especially if you don't frequently use MobileConnect.

The prefix of 9 is no longer needed and cannot be used when making off-campus calls.

Yes, all users in the new phone system are configured to make international calls. 
The users will need to dial 011 + country code + city code + phone number.

If you call 911, the location to which the emergency responders are deployed is dependent upon where the call originates:

  • If you call from MobileConnect for Mobile, the location is determined by your cellular carrier because the app switches to your standard cellular phone plan when making 911 calls. 
  • If you call from MobileConnect for Desktop, the location is determined by your phone location.
  • If you call from a desk phone, the location is determined by the room where the phone is assigned.

To update your location please submit a helpdesk ticket

Yes, you can place a voice call using the Dialpad. From the main menu, tap Dialpad. Enter the valid extension or 10-digit number. Then select either the Video Call or Voice Call option button below the keypad.

  1. Go to the login page for Enterprise portal. 
  2. Under Login as an End user, click on the "Log in" Button.
  3. You will be presented with a Penn Key login page. Please user your Penn Key username and password to log in.
  4. Once you log in, in the left pane click on Voice Setting > Voicemail Settings.
  5. In the next screen, please click on "change" for Voicemail Password.
  6. In the New Password field, enter a numeric passcode.  Please note the passcode rules below:
    • Must be 6 digits in length
    • Cannot contain repetitive numbers (11111)
    • Cannot contain contiguous numbers (123456)
    • Cannot be the last password
    • Cannot contain the phone number, extension of the reverse.

  1. Go to the login page for Enterprise portal. 
  2. Under Login as an End user, click on the "Log in" Button.
  3. You will be presented with a Penn Key login page. Please user your Penn Key username and password to log in.
  4. Once you log in, in the left pane click on Voice Setting > Voicemail Settings.
  5. In the next screen, please click on "change" for Voicemail Password.
  6. In the New Password field, enter a numeric passcode.  Please note the passcode rules below:
    • Must be 6 digits in length
    • Cannot contain repetitive numbers (11111)
    • Cannot contain contiguous numbers (123456)
    • Cannot be the last password
    • Cannot contain the phone number, extension of the reverse.

  • From your PennFlex phone, you can enable/disable the Do Not Disturb feature by pressing the DND soft key on the phone.
  • From the MobileConnect Desktop Application, click the settings icon on the bottom left. Click the General drop-down menu and select Incoming Calls. The first option is to toggle DND on or off. You also have the option to turn on DND from the Calls menu in the Toolbar.
  • From the Mobile Application: From the main menu, tap Settings, and then tap on the toggle button to active/deactivate DND. 

Yes. From the main menu, tap the Directory and search for the person you want to call. Tap the contact’s name and you will be directed to the contact’s profile. From here, tap the Call icon. Then, select Voice Call. Please note, only those who migrated or on Early Access can search a person from the Directory to make a call. If they are not migrated, they will not be listed in the directory. Use the dial pad to place the call.

Voicemail messages will not migrate automatically.  On the morning of migration all messages and greetings in the old mailbox are zipped up and the primary owner can use PPS to download them.  The zip file will be available indefinitely for previous migrated number, so the user can go to PPS to download them.

If you have entered your voicemail PIN or password incorrectly enough times, your account will be locked.  Please refer to the "How Do I reset my password" section.