Message Manager

Message Manager is a Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the INTUITY AUDIX system messages to be viewed on a PC screen through a local area network (LAN) or dial-up connection. Subscribers with Message Manager can create, send, and receive messages that contain multiple media types—voice, fax, text, or file attachments (attached software files).

The visual aspects of Message Manager distinguishes it from other voice messaging products. Message Manager allows you to view the name of the person who sent the message, a brief subject that describes the message, the time and date that the message was received, and the type of message that was received. This information helps subscribers prioritize how they access messages and develop mailing lists more easily.

Message Manager Release 4.6.1 is available in seven languages—English, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Dutch, and Italian. Additional languages are being considered for future releases.

Message Manager Release 5.0 offers an improved interface, with the ability to customize the main screen, create an unlimited number of personal folders, and improved text messaging. The text messaging can now be used to view HTML files, clicking URLs to open pages in a browser, multiple signatures files and spell-checking. Release 5.0 is available in English.

Topics include:

• Capabilities and Benefits
• Requirements to Run Message Manager
• Messaging Enhancements
• Planning Considerations

Capabilities and Benefits

Message Manager offers product capabilities that facilitate the way subscribers manage and organize their messages.

Capabilities

Message Manager includes the following basic capabilities:

• Visual display of the INTUITY AUDIX mailbox, with the ability to play or view any component, including voice through a simple GUI
• A Personal Phonebook for storing addresses and important information on a PC, independent of the INTUITY AUDIX server
• Support for playing and recording messages, greetings, and names on a PC sound card
• Remote access to your messages through a high-speed modem
• The ability to receive, create, and send voice, fax, text, messages and attached files
• Message annotation
• Nonsequential message retrieval
• Advanced playback controls
• Archiving INTUITY AUDIX messages to the PC hard drive
• Outcalling notification
• Support for multiple greetings
• The ability to send and receive email messages through Message Manager with Internet Messaging
• Ability to receive, forward, delete, print, or create fax messages
  
  

Note: For a more detailed description of Message Manager features, see Messaging Enhancements.

Requirements to Run Message Manager

Message Manager requires client software and minimum hardware standards and a LAN connection to the INTUITY AUDIX server.

Software and Hardware Requirements

Verify that you have the following minimum hardware and software:

• Minimum of a 486, 66 MHz PC with 16 MB of RAM and 19 MB of available hard disk storage (assuming a Personal Address Book with 400 entries).
  
  One exception is that additional RAM may be needed by your operating system for better performance (for example, 32 MB of RAM for Windows NT).
  
  
• VGA or higher monitor (color recommended)
• LAN interface card
• Windows Sockets (WINSOCK.DLL) access to TCP/IP (either through a NetWare Loadable Module or a TCP/IP protocol stack)
• Recommended: Mouse supported by Microsoft Windows
• Optional Equipment:
  • Speaker Phone
  • Telephone headset
  • A Microsoft Windows-compatible soundcard with speakers
  • A microphone, or a computer headset for hands-free operation

Message Manager 4.6.1 requires all of the above minimums and one of the following Microsoft Windows operating systems:

• NT Version 3.51, with Service Pack 5
• NT Version 4.0
• 95
• 98

Message Manager 5.0 requires all of the above minimums and one of the following Microsoft Windows operating systems:

• XP
• 2000 (Service Pack 2 or later)
• Millennium Edition (ME)
• NT 4.0 (Service Pack 6 or later)
• 98

LAN and the INTUITY AUDIX Server Requirements

Requirements for the local area network (LAN) include:

• LAN configuration that provides TCP/IP transport between the INTUITY AUDIX server and client PC (Ethernet networks such as the Novell Netware 3.11 operating system have been tested)
• Ethernet network with valid physical connection: 10BaseT twisted-pair for a DEFINITY AUDIX server, and either 10BaseT, 10Base2 (thin coax), or 10 Base5 (thick coax) for an INTUITY AUDIX server
• A customer-provided router or other device to convert token-ring protocol to the required Ethernet protocol if Message Manager is to communicate with a token-ring network

Internet Messaging Requirements

Message Manager uses Internet Messaging to send email over the Internet. Internet Messaging requires:

• INTUITY AUDIX LX R1
• Internet Messaging for INTUITY AUDIX software and site license
• Two dedicated trusted servers (automatically installed on a new INTUITY AUDIX LX)
• Professional Services (highly recommended) for consultation and implementation assistance

System Capacity

The following system capacities apply:

• Up to 4000 clients can be registered at one time. A client is registered when a subscriber starts the client application from a PC, which invokes a TCP/IP session. (Subscribers must exit the client application to "unregister" the client.)
• Up to 96 INTUITY AUDIX login sessions can be in progress at any one time, depending on the INTUITY platform used. An INTUITY AUDIX login session starts when a subscriber logs in to an INTUITY AUDIX mailbox from a PC. The INTUITY AUDIX server terminates a login session if a session has been inactive for the amount of time set in the LAN Session Timeout field on the System-Parameters IMAPI-Options screen. However, the client registration is still active and an INTUITY AUDIX login session is established automatically again when the client starts using INTUITY Message Manager.
• As many audio sessions as voice ports purchased can be in progress at any one time. This means that a subscriber is logged in to the INTUITY AUDIX (one of the up to 96 login sessions) and an audio session is active (for example, a subscriber is listening to a voice mail message). When the audio session is completed, INTUITY AUDIX disconnects the voice port. The client application remains one of the INTUITY AUDIX login sessions until the inactivity timeout takes effect or Message Manager is minimized or closed.

Messaging Enhancements

Every Message Manager release offers features that add to the efficiency of any work environment. These features are summarized in the section that follows.

New Message Notification

Subscribers of Message Manager receive a notification when a new message is received. This notification is either a small icon that appears in the toolbar or a pop-up window that appears on the PC screen.

From the main Message Manager screen, subscribers can view the:

• Media type component or components included in the message
• Sender of the message
• Subject of the message
• Time and date received
• Status of the message: priority, private, or partial delivery

Play or View a Message

After you select a folder, the messages stored within the folder are displayed. You can select one of the messages to be played or to view its contents. The following explains the options available for playing or viewing a message:

• Voice

The system plays the message through an audio connection or the sound card, depending on the selected option.

• Fax

The Fax Viewer displays the fax on the screen. You can read the fax on the screen or print its contents. You can also select the Message Manager fax print driver in any application to "print" or send a fax from Message Manager.

• Text

The Text Viewer displays the message on the screen. You can read the text on the screen or print its contents. If you receive email messages through Message Manager, the message is displayed as a text component. With Release 5.0, you can also view HTML files and click active URL links to open web pages in a browser.

• Attached Files

You can view several types of files. Once you select a file from the list, you can start the corresponding program and view the file or you can export the file to your own computer.

Reply to or Forward a Message

After you play or view a message, you might want to add your comments and respond to the sender or mail it to another INTUITY AUDIX subscriber:

• Reply to Sender

You can create a message to send back to the sender by using automatic addressing. Include any or all of the original message components, plus any new components.

• Forward

You can add your comments to the message you received and then send them and the original message to another INTUITY AUDIX subscriber or to an email address (if Internet Messaging is installed).

Send Messages to Multiple Recipients

You can create and send a message to one or several people, with one or more message components. You can decide to deliver the message as soon as possible or schedule the message for a later delivery time.

Addressing

You can send the message to just one person, a list of people, or to someone who has email on a remote system.

Send Faxes

The optional fax software for Message Manager is used to create and send a new fax message. After the fax is sent, you can use the Outgoing Folder to check the status of the fax.

Fax from Other Applications

Although faxes can be stored in and sent from Message Manager, you can also create and send a new fax from any other application that allows printing.

Create a Custom Fax Cover Page

You can use the Fax Cover Page Designer to add text or bitmap graphics to the fax cover page. You can also use the Designer to change the location and size of the Message Manager text display areas.

Send and Receive Email

If your server is set up for Internet Messaging, you can send and receive email messages. An email message is like any other Message Manager message, except that you address it differently from the way you address mail sent internally.

Use the Outgoing Folder

After a message is sent, you can check its delivery status by opening the Outgoing Folder. The Outgoing Folder lists all the messages you have sent, indicates the time they were sent, and confirms whether the recipient has received or accessed the message. In this folder, you can access more delivery information by double-clicking a message or by highlighting a message and selecting the View Delivery Report option under the Activity pull-down menu.

Build Personal Phonebook

You can use the Personal Phonebook in Message Manager to store "cards" with addresses, numbers and notes. Once entries are added to the Phonebook, you can quickly add them to an address list. The Personal Phonebook is stored on your PC and can be used while working offline.

Build INTUITY AUDIX Lists

With INTUITY AUDIX lists, you can store the addresses of sets of people to whom you want to send messages all at once, such as a project team or a corporate department. You can quickly address a message to an entire address list. INTUITY AUDIX lists are stored on the INTUITY AUDIX server and are not available offline.

Work Offline

If you work away from the office, you might want to edit messages you have received or compose new messages and then log in later and send the messages during a single telephone call. This procedure saves toll charges because an INTUITY AUDIX server connection is not required.

Minimize or Lock Message Manager

You can minimize Message Manager and still be notified of new messages throughout the day. Log in to Message Manager and minimize Message Manager. Later, you can restore the program to retrieve messages or to create and send new messages.

For enhanced security, Message Manager has a Lock feature. When you select the icon, the application is minimized and requires your INTUITY AUDIX password to be restored. Locking Message Manager prevents others from accessing your INTUITY AUDIX mailbox. This capability is inactive while you work offline.

Record Your Name or Greetings

When you install Message Manager, you can use your name and personal greeting that were recorded through the INTUITY AUDIX telephone interface. You can select a menu option to record your name or display a screen to record and manage greetings. The INTUITY AUDIX server uses the choices you make in Message Manager for playing names or greetings to your callers.

Outcalling

If you are away from the office, Message Manager can still notify you of new INTUITY AUDIX messages. Use the Outcalling feature to enter a telephone or pager number that the INTUITY AUDIX server dials to notify you of new messages.

Sound Card

Message Manager uses an audio connection to your telephone to play or record voice messages or greetings. You can also use your computer's sound card with speakers and a microphone. You can play or record your voice messages this way when you work offline.

Planning Considerations

An account representative works with the customer to determine the optimal configuration of software and hardware to meet present needs and future plans.

Planning the integration of Message Manager with the INTUITY AUDIX system can involve the customer's PC/LAN system administrator. Another important planning consideration is understanding that customers are responsible for installing Message Manager. Customers are responsible whether the installation is on a PC or on a server for access by subscribers over a LAN. The application can be installed from diskettes, from a CD, or from a LAN file server.

The following sections highlight some of the major considerations customers must be aware of to take full advantage of a multimedia messaging system, such as Message Manager.

Message Size

A multimedia message that is created through Message Manager can have a significant impact on the space allocated for subscriber mailboxes. The following table provides a comparison of message length to mailbox size:

LAN Impact

The INTUITY AUDIX system is viewed as a server on a LAN. The PC/LAN system administrator at a customer's site should handle LAN installation, administration, and troubleshooting.

Use the information in the table for Impact of Message Manager on LAN Traffic to calculate how much of the LAN traffic on a system is expected to be comprised of Message Manager messages (including messages with attached components) based on the messages a typical subscriber generates during a busy hour.

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