Unified Messaging Features

Unified Messaging Features

Unified Messaging in Exchange Server 2007 gives users features such as:

• Call Answering - Call answering includes answering an incoming call on behalf of a user, playing their personal greeting, recording a message, and submitting it for delivery to their Inbox as an e-mail message.
• Fax Receiving - Fax receiving is the process of submitting a fax message for delivery to the Inbox. The fax receiving feature lets users receive fax messages in their Inbox.
• Subscriber Access - The subscriber access feature enables dial-in access for company users. Company users or subscribers who are dialing into the Unified Messaging system can access their mailbox using Outlook Voice Access. Subscribers who use Outlook Voice Access can access the Unified Messaging system by using the telephone keypad or voice inputs.

Key Features in Hosted Unified Messaging

Features you need to consider in planing your Hosted Unified Messaing deployment include:

Auto Attendants - In telephony or Unified Messaging environments, an automated attendant or auto attendant menu system transfers callers to the extension of a user or department without the intervention of a receptionist or an operator. In many auto attendant systems, a receptionist or operator can be reached by pressing or saying zero. The automated attendant is a feature on most modern Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and Unified Messaging solutions.

Hunt Groups - In a telephony network, a hunt group is defined as a set of extension numbers that are grouped as a single logical unit. When an incoming call is received, the PBX or IP-PBX uses the hunt group or group of extensions that are defined to "hunt" for an available or open line, extension, or channel that can be used to receive the call.

Dial Plans - Although Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging has many Active Directory directory service objects that must be created and configured during deployment, Unified Messaging dial plan objects are the central component of the Unified Messaging system. A Unified Messaging dial plan object is an Exchange Server 2007 organization-wide object that is created in Active Directory. The Unified Messaging dial plan is an Active Directory container object that logically represents sets or groupings of PBXs that share common user extension numbers. For Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration hosted OUs will function as PBX demarks.

IP Gateways - Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging relies on the ability of the IP/VoIP gateway to translate Time Division Multiplex (TDM) or telephony circuit-switched based protocols, such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or Q signaling QSIG , from a PBX to protocols based on VoIP or IP, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP), or T.38 for real-time facsimile transport.

Mailbox Policies - Unified Messaging Active Directory mailbox policies are required when you enable users for Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging. They are useful for applying and standardizing Unified Messaging configuration settings for Unified Messaging-enabled users. You create Unified Messaging mailbox policies to apply a common set of policies or security settings to a collection of Unified Messaging-enabled mailboxes

Unified Messaging Servers - The Unified Messaging Active Directory computer objects are the connection between your organization's telephony infrastructure and the Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging Active Directory networking environment.

Outlook Voice Access - There are two Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging user interfaces available to Unified Messaging-enabled subscribers: the telephone user interface (TUI) and the voice user interface (VUI). In Exchange Server 2007, these two interfaces together are called Outlook Voice Access. A subscriber can use Outlook Voice Access when they access the Unified Messaging system from an external or internal telephone. They can use Outlook Voice Access to access their Exchange Server 2007 mailbox, including their personal e-mail, voice messages, and calendar information.