Messaging enables users to manage all of their messages, in particular emails and voicemails, in one place. Since the main messaging platform is typically email, IP Office Preferred Edition enables voicemails to be managed via the email system in order to keep all messages synchronized through one user interface. Essential Edition also enables some basic messaging through the ability to forward voicemail messages to the user’s email inbox.
Voicemail in general provides a telephone answering machine with a personalized greeting on every employee's desk and allows callers to leave spoken messages when the user cannot answer a telephone call. Voicemail messages are retrieved either locally or remotely via any telephone (users are prompted for a PIN if they are using any telephone other than their allocated extension or a trusted location e.g. mobile telephone).
The voicemail server is multi-lingual and can offer different prompts depending on the user's preferred language, independently of the default system setup. Similarly, external callers can hear prompts in their own language depending on their incoming call route (e.g. based on caller ID).
Voicemail options available are:
In environments like retail or home office, where space, noise or cost considerations rule out using a PC for voicemail, Embedded Voicemail will be the favored option for an entry-level voicemail service. As built-in functionality of the IP500 and IP500 V2 hardware it requires no separate server. The Embedded Voicemail is enabled by purchasing the IP Office Essential Edition.
Key features of Embedded Voicemail include:
IP Office VoiceMail Pro is enabled by the IP Office Preferred Edition and is the most advanced messaging and call flow application for IP Office systems. It can handle up to 40 simultaneous calls depending on license and system settings. Each user has the option of turning their voicemail on or off. When on, the system automatically answers their telephone when they are not available to take a call, plays a personal greeting, and records a message.
When a message has been left, the user will see a message-waiting lamp lit on their telephone and can press a retrieval button to collect their messages.
VoiceMail Pro can also ring the user to deliver any new messages. Voicemail messages are time and date stamped and the caller's number recorded. VoiceMail Pro can be configured to delete read messages automatically, unless the user chooses to save the message permanently.
Voicemails can be collected remotely by dialing into the VoiceMail Pro server. If the number the user is dialing from is recognized (home number or mobile/cell phone for example), the user will listen to their voicemail straight away. If the source number is not recognized, the user will be prompted for a mailbox number and a PIN code for that mailbox, before they can listen to their voicemail. Users have the ability to set and change their own PIN codes.
When a voicemail needs to be forwarded to other users, VoiceMail Pro provides many options:
All options are available in a choice of languages; both spoken voice prompts and graphical programming interfaces and have the choice of IP Office TUI and INTUITY emulation TUI.
At the heart of VoiceMail Pro is the ability to construct call flows from a series of different building blocks. These building blocks allow automation over tasks like answer a call, listen for tone-dialed digits, make a call etc. VoiceMail Pro call flows allow far more than just guiding a user to the group or extension they require. Call flows allow VoiceMail Pro to dial back users as soon as a voicemail message is left for them, it provides remote access to phone forwarding settings should a user wish to change their Forwarding or Follow Me number from an external telephone. VoiceMail Pro provides message handling for individuals or groups, audio information to callers so assisting the operator during periods of heavy call activity and links to business applications through services such as Text-to-Speech. VoiceMail Pro provides a full telephony applications environment where call flows can be set up and interact in real time with business workflow – callers can interact via menus and data entry and VoiceMail Pro applications can speak back results. For example, users can listen to their email messages through the telephone.
Integration with email systems is provided by the VoiceMail Pro Unified Messaging Service (UMS) which is delivered to eligible users as part of the Office Worker, Teleworker or Power User license. It enables VoiceMail Pro to interact with email systems to provide a synchronization of voicemails and their status (new/unread, read, deleted, saved) between all user devices like desk phones, mobile cell phones, the UMS web interface, one-X Portal for IP Office, the email client and other devices that are synchronized with the user’s email account.
A single PC based VoiceMail Pro server can provide voicemail services to multiple IP Office systems in a Small Community Network over the LAN, WAN or a Frame Relay network. This is referred to as 'Centralized Voicemail' and can reduce costs, while facilitating communication between IP Office sites. For resilience, should the main site fail, the Centralized Voicemail will automatically reconnect to an alternative IP Office site.
VoiceMail Pro offers much more than just a pure voicemail system. Other helpful, convenient, cost and time saving options are: