PPS Proxy Usage Tips

What is a proxy?

A proxy is another person who can manage your PennNet Phone account by logging into PPS with their own PennKey  and password. You assign or remove a proxy from your account using the Proxy Access feature in PPS. For troubleshooting purposes, your Local Support Provider (LSP) also has access to your account.

What can your proxy do?

Your designated proxy can view and change your telephone settings for Call Forwarding, Do Not Disturb, and Caller ID. If your school, department, or center has provided you with voice mail, your proxy can also view and change your voice mail delivery method, play back controls, and reset your voice mail password.

The person who wants to grant access to their account information is called the owner. The person who is given access to an account is called the proxy. When you login to PPS you can easily see who has proxy acess to your account. The owner can add or remove a proxy form your account at any time, but a proxy cannot add or remove proxies for your account.

Assigning and accepting proxy access

Assigning or acting as a proxy implies that there is a level of confidentiality between the account owner and the proxy. Use of PPS and other Penn PennNet Phone services by account owners and proxies is governed by various University, school, and departmental policies and regulations. More information about Penn’s University information security policies, privacy policies, network policies, and guidelines is available at Computing Policies and Guidelines .

Account owners are responsible for reviewing and keeping their proxy list up to date.

When to use proxies

You might want to use a proxy if you need someone to adjust your telephone or voice mail settings on an ad hoc or ongoing basis. For example, you might want to give someone proxy access to your account while you are on vacation or if you are unexpectedly called away from the office. Deans, Directors, Department Heads, and other University administrators may also want to use a proxy if they customarily have their voice mail handled by a member of their department. See also “Alternatives to using a proxy” in this page.

How to give someone access to your account

To grant access to your account, you will need the person’s (proxy’s) PennKey so they can log in using their own PennKey and password. Remember, while it is OK to know another’s PennKey, PennKey passwords should never be shared. Sharing passwords is a violation of Penn's Policy on Acceptable Use in the Electronic Computing Environment .

Follow these instructions to designate a proxy for your account:

1. Log in to PPS on the web using your PennKey and password.
2. At the Home page, click on Proxy Access in the left navigation column.
3. At the Proxy Access Settings window, select the phone number of the account you want the proxy to manage from the Phone Number to Manage dropdown menu.
4. Type the PennKey of the person you want to give proxy rights to in the Add a Proxy: box.
5. Click the Add PennKey button. The user’s PennKey is added to the Proxies listing, and PPS gives the user access to your account information.
6. Click Log Out to exit the account.

Removing another person’s access to your account

1. Log in to PPS on the web using your PennKey and password.
2. At the Home page, click on Proxy Access in the left navigation column.
3. At the Proxy Access Settings window, select the phone number of the account you want to update from the
4. Phone Number to Manage dropdown menu.
5. From the Remove a Proxy dropdown menu, select the user whose access you want to remove.
6. Click Remove PennKey. The user’s PennKey disappears from the Proxies listing, and PPS removes his/her access to your account information.
7. Click Log Out to exit the account.

Logging into account for which you are proxy

Once you have been given proxy access, follow these instructions to log into the account:

1. Log in to PPS on the web using your PennKey and password.
2. Click on PennNet Phone and Voice Mail in the left navigation column.
3. On the PennNet Phone and Voice Mail page, select the account owner’s phone number from the Phone Number to View or Update Information dropdown menu. The phone number you selected appears at the top of the page and the page displays the current settings for the account.
4. When you have finished updating the account, click Submit. Changes take place immediately.
5. Click Log Out to exit the account.

Alternatives to using a proxy

Use the following alternatives if you need help managing incoming calls and voice mail but do not want to assign a proxy.

• Change your voice mail delivery method to Email and Telephone, and then enter the email address of the person who will manage your voice mail in the Email Address for Voice Mail Delivery field. This will enable the person to listen to your messages when they access their email account; it will also provide you with a copy of incoming calls. You will still need to log into your voice mailbox and manage these calls (listen, save, delete) on your return.
  
  
• Use Call Forward All. You can redirect incoming calls to another telephone (on campus, off campus, or cellular). Remember, call forwarding can only be activated via PPS. You cannot activate call forwarding from your handset.