Voice Messaging

In Intuity AUDIX system, voice messaging is provided by AUDIX software on the system. Subscribers can record a spoken message, address it, and then send it to other Intuity AUDIX voice messaging subscribers or to Internet email users (if Internet Messaging has been purchased for the system). These users can receive the message on their local machine or on networked Intuity AUDIX systems.

Subscribers instruct the Intuity AUDIX voice messaging system by pressing the keys on their touchtone telephones in response to detailed voice prompts from the system.

The Intuity AUDIX system software uses a high-quality voice-encoding algorithm known as Code-Excited Linear Prediction (CELP). CELP captures the nuances and subtle inflections of the human voice, which is an integral part of person-to-person communication.

 

Note: Subscribers who have access to Intuity Message Manager can accomplish the same messaging functions from their PCs as described in� Internet Messaging.

Topics include:

• Voice Messaging Features
• Voice Messaging Requirements
• Voice Messaging Feature Operation
• Voice Messaging Languages
• Voice Messaging Planning Considerations
• Voice Messaging Security

Voice Messaging Features

Voice Messaging provides the customer with four primary features:

• Voice Messaging
• Call Answer
• Automated Attendant
• Bulletin Board

Voice Messaging

Voice Messaging is similar to an electronic mail system in that messages can be sent to others without needing to call the recipient directly. The message is then stored in the recipient's voice mailbox or PC (email or Message Manager) mailbox, if applicable. Recipients can access stored messages at their convenience.

Voice Messaging enables the subscriber to:

• Send messages to other AUDIX and email or Message Manager subscribers.
• Listen to messages received from other AUDIX and email or Message Manager subscribers.
• Forward messages received with comments attached.
• Reply to messages received from other AUDIX and email or Message Manager subscribers.
• Create mailing lists containing up to 250 recipients.

In addition to these basic capabilities, Voice Messaging also enables the subscriber to:

• Automatically place a call from Intuity AUDIX to the subscriber when there are messages waiting.
• Specify the telephone number to be called by Intuity AUDIX when messages are waiting (can be an office, home, cellular telephone, or pager).

Call Answer

Call Answer enables subscribers to:

• Have the AUDIX system answer incoming telephone calls.
• Create personal greetings that Intuity AUDIX voice messaging uses to answer incoming calls.

In addition to these basic capabilities, Call Answer also enables the subscriber to:

• Disable call answer so that a caller hears a greeting but cannot leave a message.
• Customize a set of standard greetings.
• Record up to nine different personal greetings using the Multiple Personal Greeting feature.
• Play a single greeting for all calls or assign various personal greetings to play in response to different types of calls, for example, internal and external, busy and no answer, or out-of-hours.

Automated Attendant

An automated attendant is an interactive telephone answering system. It answers incoming calls with a prerecorded announcement and routes the calls based on the caller's response to menus and prompts.

The system administrator sets up an automated attendant so that callers hear a menu of options. Callers then press the button on their telephone keypad that corresponds to the menu option they want, and the automated attendant executes the selected option. Those calling from rotary telephones are typically told that they can hold or call another number to speak with a live attendant.

An automated attendant menu system, or menu tree, can be designed to contain subordinate layers of menus or bulletin boards. These submenus, or nested menus, play additional options that can include a choice leading to another nested menu.

The voiced menu options that callers hear are actually personal greetings that the subscriber records for the automated attendant's extension. The text of the message can be changed just as easily as any personal greeting can. The Multiple Personal Greetings feature can be used to provide different menus and options for different types of callers.

If the Intuity AUDIX system has multiple language sets available, the menu options can include a choice that routes callers to a submenu voiced entirely in another language. The Multiple Personal Greetings feature can also be used to record menus in various languages. For more information, see Automated Attendants and Bulletin Boards.

Bulletin Board

A bulletin board is an electronic message system that callers can access to hear messages. Callers dial the bulletin board telephone number, and the system answers and presents a recorded message. The major difference between a bulletin board and an automated attendant is that a bulletin board does not have an option to route to a live attendant. For more information, see Automated Attendants and Bulletin Boards.

Voice Messaging Requirements

Voice Messaging is part of the base configuration of the Intuity AUDIX system. Therefore, with at least one voice card and switch integration, its requirements have already been met. The Voice Messaging software can accommodate more subscribers and messaging traffic through the addition of speech storage hours on the hard disk drives and through pairs of voice ports on voice cards. See� System Components and Capacities for additional options.

Voice Messaging Feature Operation

With Voice Messaging — Voice Mail, Call Answer, Multimedia Automated Attendant, and Bulletin Board — use similar base functions to perform messaging operations. This section describes those operations.

 

Note: The discussions of Voice Mail and Call Answer in this section assume that the person being called and the person retrieving messages are administered on the system as subscribers and are administered on the switch with primary call coverage to the Intuity AUDIX system.

Voice Mail Operation

Voice Mail allows subscribers to send and retrieve messages. Voice Mail operates in the following manner:

1. The subscriber dials the Intuity AUDIX system hunt group extension.
2. The switch locates a free analog line.
3. The call is transferred to the identified analog line.
4. The subscriber logs in using his or her password, listens to the messages in the mailbox, and hangs up.
5. The Intuity AUDIX system signals over the data link to turn off the Message Waiting Indicator (MWI).
6. The analog line is made available for another call to the AUDIX Voice Mail.

Call Answer Operation

Call Answer answers an incoming call when a dialed extension is busy or not answered.

Call Answer for Data Communications Interface unit (DCIU) Switches

See How Call Answer Works with a DCIU Integration.

For DCIU switches, the Call Answer operates in the following manner:

1. The subscriber's call coverage assignment within the switch sends the call to the Intuity AUDIX hunt group. The switch and software locate a free analog line (voice channel) within the hunt group and connect the call to the Intuity AUDIX.
2. At the same time, the switch sends information about the call, such as the extension number called, through the Intuity AUDIX system digital connection on the GPSC-AT/E switch integration card.
3. When the Intuity AUDIX system is connected over the analog line, it opens the appropriate mailbox (based on the data received over the digital link) and plays the subscriber's greeting.
4. When the caller hangs up, the Intuity AUDIX system closes the mailbox and sends a signal via the data link to activate the MWI.
5. The analog line is then made available for another call to the Intuity AUDIX software application.

Call Answer with a Switch Integration Device (SID)

See How Call Answer Works with a SID Integration.

For switches that are used with a Switch Integration Device (SID), the Call Answer feature operates in the following manner:

1. The call coverage assignment within the switch sends the call information to the SID.
2. The SID assembles call information from the switch into the Simplified Message Desk Interface (SMDI) protocol.
3. The SID finds and seizes an available analog line and sends call information to the switch integration software inside the Intuity AUDIX system.
4. The switch then transfers the call to the identified analog line.

Automated Attendant

Automated Attendant (automated attendant) answers incoming calls with a recorded announcement and routes calls based on a caller's response to menus and prompts. An automated attendant is administered on the Intuity AUDIX system as a special kind of user. It is a mailbox with unique capabilities to route calls using nested menus and commands.

1. The caller dials the automated attendant extension.
2. The automated attendant's extension call coverage assignment on the switch is administered to be forwarded immediately to the Intuity AUDIX system.
3. When the Intuity AUDIX system is contacted, it opens the automated attendant mailbox and plays the automated attendant's menu. The menu that is voiced is actually the personal greeting for that mailbox.
4. The actions each automated attendant performs when specific keys are pressed are administered by the system administrator. An automated attendant can be administered to transfer the caller to another extension or voice mailbox, play an informational message, or go to a subordinate menu of options.
5. When the caller hangs up or transfers to another extension, the Intuity AUDIX system closes the mailbox.
6. The analog line is then made available for another call to the Intuity AUDIX software application.

Just as with a regular subscriber's mailbox, multiple people can access the automated attendant at the same time.

Bulletin Board

The Bulletin Board feature answers incoming calls and plays recorded messages. Callers cannot leave messages or transfer to a live attendant.

1. The caller dials the bulletin board extension.
2. The bulletin board's extension call coverage assignment on the switch is administered to be forwarded immediately to the Intuity AUDIX system.
3. When the Intuity AUDIX system is contacted, it opens the bulletin board mailbox and plays the bulletin board's message. The message that is voiced is actually the personal greeting for that mailbox.
4. When the bulletin board is finished playing its message it disconnects the caller and the analog line is made available for another call to the AUDIX feature package.

Voice Messaging Languages

The AUDIX Voice Messaging application is provided with a standard American English announcement set. This announcement set can be replaced or augmented with one of an ever-expanding number of options, including non-English languages and Teletypewriter (TTY) for the hearing impaired. Account representatives have the most recent list.

Multilingual Support

With the optional multilingual feature, a subscriber can install up to nine languages on the Intuity AUDIX system and operate them simultaneously. Callers can interact with the AUDIX system using different languages. For example, callers can follow voice prompts in languages that may or may not match the language of the people they are calling.

Subscribers can record personal greetings in two different languages. Any prompts are also in the selected languages.

Customized Announcements

Announcements are composed of sets of spoken instructions or voice prompts in the AUDIX Voice Messaging application. Some examples of announcements are:

• "To access your mailbox, press star R."
• "To record messages, press 1. To get messages, press 2. To administer your personal greeting, press 3."

A system administrator can change any of the announcements and customize them to suit individual business needs. This ability applies regardless of the language being used.

Voice Messaging Planning Considerations

To operate Voice Mail and Call Answer, the system requires:

• Hours of speech — provided by the hard disk drives and sold in 5-hour increments.
• Voice ports — provided by the IVC6 card interface with the voice channels. Each IVC6 card provides two ports with three logical channels per port.
• Switch link (for integration with all switches other than the MERLIN LEGEND) — provides the called number information from the switch to AUDIX, allowing AUDIX to respond appropriately to an incoming call.

The account representative works with the customer to determine the optimal configuration of software and hardware to meet the customer's present needs and future plans. See System Components and Capacities topic which contains information comparing system capacities and capabilities for when various features are running on the platform.

Voice Messaging Security

Customers are responsible for configuring their Intuity AUDIX system to minimize unauthorized use. Three major areas of concern apply to voice messaging:

• The switch
• Logins and passwords
• Transfers and outcalling

The following list briefly describes some topics to consider and actions to take to secure the system. Each of these and other points are covered in depth in the Security Handbook. See Security topics which discusses security for all Intuity AUDIX features.

Switch Administration

In addition to restricting toll areas and creating lists of disallowed and allowed numbers, customers should consider implementing the following switch administration options when configuring an Intuity AUDIX system:

• Restrict outward dialing. When outcalling is used only to alert on-premise subscribers who do not have AUDIX MWIs on their telephones, assign an outward-restricted Class of Restriction (COR) to the AUDIX ports.
• Block use of Trunk Access Codes (TACs). Station-to-trunk restrictions can be assigned to disallow stations from dialing specific outside trunks. Callers then cannot transfer out of AUDIX to an outside facility using TACs.
• Assign low Facilities Restriction Levels (FRLs). The switch treats all the PBX ports used by voice mail systems as stations. Therefore, each voice mail port can be assigned a Class of Service (COS)/COR with an associated FRL. FRLs range from 0 to 7, with each number representing a different level of restriction. The higher the FRL number, the greater the calling privileges. For the purposes of AUDIX administration, all FRLs between AUDIX and the switch should be the same low FRL.

Automated Attendant

When an automated attendant answers a call, the caller is generally given several options. On some PBXs, button 9 is used to access the dial tone. If the system is not properly configured, a caller who presses 9 is passed back to the PBX. The PBX reacts to the 9 as a request for a dial tone. The hacker then enters the digits of any local, long-distance, or international telephone number, and the call is completed. To reduce the risk of this scenario occurring, customers should administer their switch as suggested in Switch Administration.

Voice Port Administration

Some measures that can minimize the security risk include:

• Restricting outward dialing. A voice port with outward restriction cannot make any outside calls unless an allowed number list is administered for specific area codes and/or exchanges.
• Restricting toll areas. Toll calls cannot be made from a voice port with toll restriction, but local calls can be made. However, toll restriction can prevent or limit outcalling and AMIS networking.
• Creating lists of disallowed and allowed numbers. When a voice port is unrestricted or has no toll restriction, a disallowed number list can be used to prevent calls to specific numbers or exchanges within all area codes. When a voice port is outward or toll restricted, an allowed number list allows calls to specific area codes or exchanges.
• Restricting AMIS networking number ranges. To increase security for AMIS analog networking, including the fax message delivery service, restrict the number ranges that can be used to address messages.
• Administering Transfer Security to restrict subscriber or digit ranges allowed for fax call delivery machines.

Logins and Passwords

Intuity AUDIX provides new levels of login and password security. These include new subscribers and system administrator login compliance guidelines, and trusted server login.

The system does not allow the use of the following types of passwords:

• The same number as the extension (for example, extension 34555 cannot use password 34555)
• Repeated digits (for example, 77777)
• Consecutive digits (for example, 12345)

You can administer the Intuity AUDIX system to "age" user passwords so that after the administered time has elapsed, users must select a new password.

• System administrator compliance guidelines. All of the user compliance guidelines apply, including password aging for both the system administrator (sa) and voice mail (vm) logins.
• Trusted server logins. You control trusted server access to the Intuity AUDIX server by administering a password that must, in turn, also be administered on the trusted server by that server's administrator. Additionally, there is a secondary level of trusted server access security called the IMAPI password. While administration of this secondary password is optional, it is strongly recommended to help ensure system security.

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