AUDATA CONNECT Software User Guide

Connect / Audata Connect The name of the Product. Audata Connect refers to both the application / user interface and the telephony infrastructure that supports it.

Audata The name of the Company. Audata is pronounced like “or-data” and is a portmanteau of “Audience” and “Data”.
VOIP Voice over IP.

Conference A call involving three or more participants (including the user).
Screening The process of pre-interviewing callers for a broadcast to gather information and determine their suitability to put on-air.

Web Application The Connect application that runs in a web browser such as Google Chrome.
Desktop Application The Connect application that is installed on a computer.

MFA Multi-Factor Authentication: additional authentication steps such as a onetime password (OTP) to increase security for a users account.
Contact A phone number saved in the system, typically also stored with information such as a name for the phone number.

Device One of two different services that can be used independently to make and receive calls in Audata Connect. Think of the two devices like two different phones.
Device Selector The toggle buttons at the top of the Connect interface which allow the user to select the active Device.

Audio Device / Audio Interface An audio interface used by the computer to process sound output and input. Examples include physical sound cards, virtual devices, and external / USB audio interfaces.
Phone Line A service / phone number that can be used by the public to make calls to the Connect system.

Live Programming A live audio feed, usually the pre-delay program feed of a radio station, which is streamed to callers when on-hold, giving them context of the on-air conversation when their call is answered.
Pre-Delay The on-air or “program” audio of a radio station before any delay is applied, such as a delay / dump system.

Chat Tool for in-app, internal, text-based communication between Connect users, such as messages between a producer and a presenter.
Station An individual Connect service, with a dedicated phone number.

Call Card The visual interface with which incoming and outgoing calls are represented in the Connect user interface.

Getting Started

About Audata Connect
Audata Connect is a cloud telephony service designed for media & entertainment: specifically the Broadcasting and Podcasting industries. It provides an interface for multiple users to screen and manage callers collaboratively, in real-time, for a live on-air broadcast. Unlike conventional broadcast phone systems that also require hardware (like hybrids) and on-premises phone services, Audata Connect also includes the entire infrastructure required to start taking calls, from beginning to end: entirely over IP (the Internet).

Choosing a Client: Web vs. Desktop
Audata Connect oﬀers user-facing applications for taking, screening, managing calls in both a web application (which runs in the web browser), and an installable desktop application for compatible Windows PCs.

You don’t need to run your entire organisation on a single platform (e.g. exclusively the web application, or exclusively the desktop application). Both clients are completely interoperable with one another.

For broadcast radio environments, we personally recommend the Desktop client for the in-studio environment directly connected to your broadcast audio pipeline. For producers or other users who are screening / managing callers (but not putting them to air), we recommend the web client.

The below table highlights the key diﬀerences between the Audata Connect Web and Desktop (PC) applications.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Desktop	Oﬀers 2 independent audio input and output channels (e.g. 2 caller faders). Allows live program audio to be captured & streamed to the cloud for Music-on-hold (MOH). Note: only one client needs to be running to provide this capability for each station.	Requires installation. Requires updates (auto-updates are enabled). Requires authentication to be generated from the web application. Only supports Windows OS.
Web	No installation required. Can be accessed remotely. Works on any modern web browser, across any OS.	• Only supports 1 active audio input and 1 active audio output channel.

Minimum System Requirements

INTERNET CONNECTIVITY REQUIREMENTS
For good quality audio connection, Audata Connect recommends the minimum following connection metrics:

Bandwidth (Uplink/Downlink) 100kbps / 100kbps
Latency (RTT)< 200ms
Jitter < 30ms
Packet Loss < 3%

CONNECT WEB

Modern web browser:
- Chrome (recommended)
- Edge (supported)
- Firefox (supported)
Audio Input & Output Device (if calls are to be taken on-device)

Both Windows-default and ASIO audio devices are usually supported by Audata Connect, as long as they are accessible by the OS and the web browser.

CONNECT DESKTOP

Windows 7 or later
512 MB memory or greater

Both Windows-default and ASIO audio devices are usually supported by Audata Connect, however a high quality interface is always recommended for the broadcast audio feed.

Authentication

CONNECT WEB
Audata Connect uses Audata ID for authentication and authorisation, for both the web and desktop clients. This means each individual user requires a login / Audata ID.

This can be an Audata ID managed by your Audata administrator using the Audata admin panel, or a single sign-on (SSO) account managed by your ICT team.

To access the Audata Connect web application:

Navigate to https://connect.audata.io
Login with your Audata or Single Sign-On (SSO) credentials.
If prompted, click the Connect tile from the app launch screen.

CONNECT DESKTOP
The Audata Connect Desktop application can be installed on a Windows PC.

The latest version of Audata Connect for Windows can be found at the URL below: https://www.audata.io/en/articles/other/audata-connect-desktop-downloads

To login to Audata Connect Desktop:

Install the desktop application on your PC.
Open the Audata Connect web application.
Sign in as an authorised user.

Click the user icon in the top right corner of the screen.
Click Login to Connect Desktop.

If Connect Desktop is properly installed on your PC, this should trigger it to open and will authenticate it with the same session being used on the web version.

Multi-Factor Authentication
Users can enable SMS-based Multi-Factor Authentication on their individual Audata account, providing they are not signing in with SAML.

ENABLING MFA

In the left sidebar, click Multi-Factor Authentication
Click Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
If your mobile phone number is not already saved on your account, you will be prompted to enter it. Enter your phone number WITH the international country code, but WITHOUT the + symbol. Click Continue.

Click Send One-Time Password.
Enter the one-time password which was sent to your mobile.
Click Continue.

Multi-factor authentication is now enabled for your account.

DISABLING MFA

In the left sidebar, click Multi-Factor Authentication
Click Disable Multi-Factor Authentication
Click Send One-Time Password.

Enter the one-time password which was sent to your mobile.
Click Continue.
Multi-factor authentication is now disabled for your account.

Single Sign-On
Audata supports authentication via SAML. Your system administrator must configure SAML authentication for the entire organisation. For assistance or information, contact Audata Support.

Call Interface

Overview
Below is a screenshot of the main Connect interface:

Outbound dial button.
Phone book button.
Device selectors.

Start / End conference button.
Phone Line management button.
Clock.

Help button.
Settings button.
User button.

Chat panel.
Primary call queue.
On-air call queue.

Caller details panel.
Station selector.

Making Calls

PLACING A NEW CALL

Select the correct Device using the Device Selector at the top of the screen. The current selected Device (either 1 or 2) will be the Device used to place the outbound call.
Press the Outbound Dial button in the top left corner of the main caller screen.

Type the number you wish to call using your computer keyboard, or the on-screen dial pad.
Press the Call button.
A new Outbound Call Card will appear in the Primary Call Queue, and will start dialing in the selected Device.

Above: the outbound call modal.

MANAGING AN OUTBOUND CALL
Once a new outbound call has been placed, it will appear in the Device Selector and Primary Call Queue as shown below:

Caller Name
Caller Location
Pin Call Button

Hold Call Button
End Call / Hang Up Button
Call Card

Active User Name (the user who is currently speaking to the caller)

Taking Calls
Incoming calls will appear in the Primary Call queue, on the left half of the main call board. Each call is represented by a “Call Card”:

An incoming call card.
The Caller details.
Answer call button.

Hang up / reject call button.

When answering a Call, the Call will be answered in the active device, as per the Device Selector at the top of the screen.

ANSWERING MULTIPLE CALLS
To answer two calls on two diﬀerent devices:

Select Device 1 using the Device Selector at the top of the screen.
Click the Answer button for the first call.
Select Device 2 using the Device Selector at the top of the screen.

Click the Answer button for the second call.

Both calls will be answered, each on its own device.

Call Statuses
The Status of a Call in the queue is indicated by the colours, and icons, displayed on the card. Below is a reference of diﬀerent types of Call Cards, and the status that each represents.

The Call Queues
Incoming or outgoing calls automatically appear in the left, “Incoming Calls” side of the user interface, also known as the Primary Call Queue.
The right hand side of the screen is the “On-Air Queue”. This Queue allows users to select calls for on-air use, and control their order. This is achieved via a drag-and-drop interface, which is designed to work with either a mouse or a touchscreen “drag” interaction.

To move a call from the Primary Queue into the On-Air queue, click and drag anywhere on the Call Card and move it across to the Queue. You can also change the order of Call Cards in the On-Air Queue using the same method.

Caller Details
Clicking on any part of a Call Card (except for the buttons, such as Answer, Hold, or Hang Up) will reveal the Caller details in the right sidebar panel.

The details shown are:

Caller Name
Caller Phone Number

Copy Phone Number button (copies the number to the clipboard)
Caller Location
Call Description / Topic / Point

Caller History

The Call Description field is saved against the Call, and not the Caller, meaning that it won’t be retained for future calls with that Caller.

Pinning Calls
Calls can be “Pinned” so that in the event that the call is accidentally disconnected, or drops out, the Connect operator can quickly call them back.

To Pin a call, click the Pin button in the active device selector:

In the event that a pinned call drops out, or is disconnected by the other party, the Call Card will remain in the Queue and appear like the below:

Pressing the Call Back Button (1) will initiate a new outbound call to that number.
To dismiss the pinned call, press the UNPIN button (2). Pinned calls which are hung up by the Connect user are also unpinned – they only remain in the queue as a pinned call if they are disconnected remotely.

Phone Book

Using the Phone Book
The Phone Book allows your station to save contacts so you can dial them easily.

You don’t need to add a contact to the Phone Book to save their name. Caller Names and Locations are automatically saved against their phone number.

To access the Phone Book, click / tap the “Phone Book” button in the top left of the screen.
The below is a reference to the Phone Book interface.

Contact Search field.
New / Add Contact button.

Contact List.
Contact Name & Phone Number.
Station which the Contact belongs to.
Dial Contact button.
Edit Contact button.
Delete Contact button.
Contact Information.

Personal Contacts
When saving a Contact in the Phone Book, there is an option to make the contact Personal, by toggling the Make Contact Personal switch to the ON, or right, position.

Contacts with are Personal can only be viewed by the user who created them, allowing users to save contact details which may be only relevant to them, or may be sensitive / privileged, without sharing the Contact with other users.

Conferencing

Introduction
Conferencing allows two or more calls to be conferenced together, all on a single Device. Any Station may have a single Conference Call active at any one time.

Creating a Conference
If the current Station does not have an active Conference Call, the “Start Conference” button will be displayed at the top of the screen, to the immediate right of the Device Selectors. Click or tap the Start Conference button to initiate a conference call.

The Conference will automatically be answered in the selected Device, and the word “Conference” will appear in the Device Selector at the top of the screen. Unlike regular calls, a Conference can not be pinned or put on hold.
The Conference Call Card is a special type of Call Card which can contain multiple Call Cards which are members of the Conference:

Number of participants in the Conference.
Name of the User who currently has the conference active.
End Conference button.
Conference Call Card.
The Conference call shown in the Device Selector.

Adding Calls to a Conference
When the active Device Selector selected at the top of the screen contains a Conference, you will notice the “Answer” buttons on incoming Call Cards changes from a “pick up” icon to a “plus” icon:

This indicates that when clicked or tapped, it will answer the call, and immediately add the call to the active conference.
You can also drag & drop call cards into a Conference Call Card to add them to the Conference, and drag & drop them out of the Conference Call Card to remove them from the Conference.

Removing Calls from a Conference
Call Cards within a Conference Call card have both a Hang Up button, and a “Remove from Conference” button, as shown below:

The Remove button (1) will remove the call from the active conference, and place the call on hold. It will not hang up on the caller.
The Hang Up button (2) will remove that call from the Conference and disconnect / hang up on that call. It will not end the Conference.

Ending a Conference Call
There are 3 ways to end an active Conference Call:

If you are the active user for a Conference Call, clicking the Hang Up button on the Device
Selector for the Conference call will end the Conference.
All users for the Station can click the End Conference button to end the active conference.
All users for the Station can also click the hang up / end conference button on the Conference Call Card itself, which will end the Conference.

The behaviour of calls within a Conference when the Conference is ended is Customisable by the User (see User Settings). Any active Calls within the Conference when it is terminated can either be placed back into the queue and put on hold, or terminated.

Live Chat
The Chat tool allows internal, text-based communication between Connect users of the same station. Depending on the users selected layout (see User Settings), the Chat panel is either fixed on the left side of the screen, or is accessed by clicking the Chat bubble in the bottom right hand corner.

To send a new message, type the message in the text box at the bottom of the chat panel, and click the Send (paper plane) icon, or press Enter / Return.
Each Station has its own chat channel. Only one channel / station can be active for the user at one time. The Chat channel / station can be selected in the Settings window (see User Settings).

User Settings
To open the User Settings modal, click the Settings (cog) icon in the top right corner of the main call screen.

Customization
The below options are available in the Customization tab:

Enable Device Input Mute Determines whether the Mute button is displayed for the user in the Device Selector.
Switching Call Behaviour Determines how active calls will be handled if another call is answered on the same / active device.

The options are:

Place the current call on hold
End the current call

Conference End Behaviour Determines how active calls within a conference are handled when the conference is ended. The options are:

Place conference calls on hold (all calls will be removed from the Conference, returned to the primary queue, and placed on hold).
End all calls (all calls will be ended when the conference ends).

Maximum Callers Allows the user to set the maximum number of incoming call cards they want to display in their inbound primary queue. Note that it doesn’t prevent Connect from allowing incoming calls which exceed this number, it simply hides them from the operator.

Dark Mode Toggles between the Light and Dark user interface.

Customize View Allows the user to choose the Studio or Producer layout. The main diﬀerence in layouts is that in Studio layout, the chat panel is fixed to the left side of the screen and always visible. In the Producer layout, the chat panel is revealed by clicking the chat bubble in the bottom right of the screen.

Station
Station allows the User to select which Station(s) they have active in the Connect interface.

The options are:

Active Stations Allows multiple selections.
Sets which stations are shown in the call screening interface.
Chat Station Allows a single selection only.
Sets the active channel / station for the Live Chat feature.

Audio Devices

Audio Devices allows the user to configure which audio input / output source(s) they wish to use for Connect. Unlike User settings, these options are saved for the web browser, or PC being used for Connect, and will aﬀect all users.
The options vary depending on which version of Connect is being used (Web or Desktop). The Web version supports only a single input and output device, due to restrictions with web browsers:

Phone Lines
The Phone Lines button shows all your active / selected Stations:

The name of the Station / Service.
Toggle switch to enable or disable incoming calls for this Station.
Clear button to dump all calls in the Primary Queue for this Station.

Live Programming

Overview

Live Programming is a Connect feature that allows callers on hold to hear your stations pre-delay program feed, similarly to a conventional on-premises hybrid setup. This is done by using a local Connect Desktop client to stream an audio source (typically your pre-delay program feed) to the cloud, where Connect will use it for your caller Music On Hold (MOH).
The purpose of Live Programming is to allow callers on hold to hear your program content, providing context for when their call is answered on air.
You only need to configure one machine to supply the Live Programming feed, and it will be available for all callers for that station, regardless of which device their calls are answered on. This could be a physical PC with an audio interface, or a virtual machine with access to a virtual audio device on your network.

Installation & Setup

Select an appropriate machine that has access to a system audio input of your pre-delay program bus. We recommend using a studio PC or a virtual machine with access to the audio channel for your pre-delay feed.
Install the latest version of the Audata® Connect for Windows client.
Open the Start menu, type “Run” and press Enter.
In the Run dialog, type %appdata% and press Enter. This should open the File Explorer in the Roaming directory for the current user.
Open the “audata-connect” directory.
In this directory, open the file config.json in a text editor such as Notepad.
Next to “LiveProgramming”:, change the value to true.
Save the file and close the text editor.
Restart the Audata® Connect for Windows client.
Click the Settings (cog) icon in the top right corner and choose the Audio Devices tab.
From the Live Programming Input device drop-down, select the input device you wish to use.

Administration

The Administration panel is only available in the web version of Connect (not the Desktop client). To access it, when signed in as an Administrator, click the User icon in the top right corner of the screen, then click Admin Dashboard.

Dashboard
The Dashboard shows key information about your Audata Connect usage. Here’s a breakdown of what it includes:

Station selector – only one station can be active at a time.
Menu.
Monthly call statistics.
Hourly call statistics.

Callers
Callers shows a table of the entire Caller database for the Station selected. This is every contact in the Phone Book, and anybody who has called, or been called by, the station.

Importing & Exporting Callers
From the Callers screen, you can Import or Export caller data for your station.

IMPORTING CALLERS
To import callers, first prepare a CSV file containing the Caller data you wish to import. The fields / columns you can import are:

number (required) A phone number in full E.164 format (e.g. + symbol and country code)
name A name for the contact.
company A company name for the contact.
country The country for the contact as a two-letter ISO code, lowercase.
location A location name for the contact.
description An additional description for the contact.

Once you have prepared a CSV with your data,

Click CSV Import.
In the Import Data window, drag and drop a CSV file or click the prompt to select one.
If your CSV has a Header row, select the “Data has headers” checkbox.
Click Choose Columns.
Drag and drop columns to match the fields you wish to use for the import.
Click Import.

EXPORTING CALLERS
To export callers, click the CSV Export button in the Callers page.

Integrations
Integrations allow you to integrate Audata Connect with supported Audata and third-party applications.
Phone Line
If setting up a station in Connect for the first time, the Phone Line tab will allow you to search for and provision a phone number for your station. Once provisioned, this page shows a log of recent calls for that number.
Caller IDs
The Caller IDs tab allows setup and automated verification of additional phone numbers which you can use as outbound caller IDs, using CLI Overstamping, in countries where this is available.
Regulations around CLI Overstamping vary from region to region, and we recommend contacting Audata Support for any questions about how it might aﬀect your outbound calls.
Settings
The Settings tab provides additional configuration options for the Station you have selected. These options are listed below:
Priority Line Priority Line sets this Station / service as a “Hotline” – whenever this service receives any incoming call, the Station Selector will flash and animate to indicate the incoming call to users.
Maximum Dialling Duration The amount of time before Connect will automatically terminate an inbound call that hasn’t been answered.
Hold Audio URL A full URL to an MP3 or WAV file which will be played to callers on hold (unless Live Programming is set up and active). This URL must point to a static file: live streams are not supported
Lines Closed Audio URL A full URL to an MP3 or WAV file which will be played to callers if the lines are closed (either no users are signed in to take their call, or the service has been toggled off in the Phone Lines panel). This file is played to callers, and then the call is terminated. This URL must point to a static file: live streams are not supported.
Call Forwarding Phone Number A phone number in full international (E.164) format where calls will be transferred if they can not be answered in Connect: either because the Phone Line has been set to disabled, or because no users are signed in to take calls. This will override the Lines Closed Audio URL if a value is provided.

Installation & Setup

Basic Installation

AUDATA CONNECT WEB
No installation is required for Audata Web, however we recommend some of the below steps to set up Connect prior to use:

Creating a shortcut / bookmark to connect.audata.io to allow users to easily access the application.
Ensuring the browser has granted microphone / audio access for the Connect web application, and doesn’t need to request it each time.
Configuring the Audio Devices (see User Settings) for the browser.
Ensuring the web browser is Google Chrome (recommended) and is the latest version.

AUDATA CONNECT DESKTOP

Run the installer for Audata Connect.
Follow the installation prompts.
Visit the Audata Connect web application and click the user icon in the top right corner.
Click Login to Connect Desktop.

Audata Connect Desktop will automatically check for available updates and install them on startup. To install updates, simply restart the application.

Troubleshooting

This section provides quick solutions for common issues you might encounter when running or setting up Audata Connect. By following the steps in this guide, you can troubleshoot most issues on your own. If you still encounter difficulties, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team or your ICT department for further assistance.

General Tips

WEB APPLICATION GENERAL TIPS

Web Application – Use Chrome Browser: Ensure you are using Google Chrome. Other browsers may not be fully supported.
Update Chrome: Make sure your Chrome browser is up-to-date. Outdated versions can cause compatibility issues. To check for updates:
1. Click on the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of Chrome.
2. Navigate to Help > About Google Chrome. Chrome will automatically check for updates and install them if available.
Check Internet Connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection. Poor connectivity can lead to various issues, including slow performance or inability to access features.

DESKTOP APPLICATION GENERAL TIPS

Restart the Application: If you encounter any issues, close the app completely and then reopen it. This simple step can resolve many problems.
Check Internet Connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection. Poor connectivity can lead to various issues, including slow performance or inability to access features.

Common Issues and Solutions

UNABLE TO MAKE OR RECEIVE CALLS

Check Microphone Permissions: Ensure your browser has permission to use the microphone.
1. In Chrome, click the lock icon next to the URL in the address bar.
2. Ensure that Microphone is set to “Allow”.
3. Check that the correct input and output devices are selected in your system settings.

On Windows, go to Settings > System > Sound.
On macOS, go to System Preferences > Sound.

Network Blocking IP Range: Your network might be blocking the required IP range for voice communication. You can find the necessary IP ranges in the Twilio Network Connectivity Requirements.

AUTHENTICATION AND ACCESS ISSUES
Reset Authentication: Clearing your cookies for Audata Connect should resolve most authentication issues. If you want access to Audata Connect but haven’t been set up with access, please contact your organisation’s ICT team for help.
This documentation should help you resolve common issues. If you continue to experience problems, please contact support for further assistance.

Support
The Audata Customer Success team is always happy to help you with support requests, general how-to’s, or assistance in getting the most value from your Audata solutions.
To find the best Support contact options for your region, visit https://www.audata.io/en/support.

FAQ

What are the recommended internet connectivity requirements for using Audata Connect?
- For good quality audio connection, Audata Connect recommends a bandwidth of over 100kbps for both uplink and downlink, latency below 200ms, jitter below 30ms, and packet loss below 3%.
Can I use both the web and desktop clients interchangeably?
- Yes, both the Audata Connect web and desktop applications are completely interoperable with each other, allowing users to switch between them as needed.

Documents / Resources

audata AUDATA CONNECT Software [pdf] User Guide
AUDATA CONNECT Software, CONNECT Software, Software

References

User Manual

AUDATA CONNECT Software

Product Information