Unified Messaging

it_consultant

Has anyone seen an implementation of Unified Messaging using Exchange 2007 or 2010. If so, what kind of phone system was in use?

darkerosxx

Might check this out... I'm about to try it out.

What is Microsoft Lync 2010?

chmorin

Can I say Cisco Unified Communication Manager? Or is that cheating? All I know is you can set it up to receive voicemail to your AD account linked to your outlook email.

it_consultant

I have a feeling that UM is supposed to totally replace a product like Cisco call manager. I'm just curious to see if anyone has actually used this feature. Generally speaking I think there is confusion about what the UM role is supposed to accomplish. Most companies that would consider it, like CHMORIN, already have a solution that integrates with outlook and AD.

Claymoore

Exchange UM wouldn't replace Call Manager, it would replace Cisco Unity voicemail. I've never done an integration, but last I heard Cisco was still working on updates to support Exchange 2010.

it_consultant

The unity voicemail was what was in my head but I typed call manager, thanks for straightening me out.

aordal

We have it set up with an avaya phone switch. Switch forwards VMs through a SIP gateway which forwards to exchange. We had to install a piece of software called MWI(Message Waiting Indicator) to control the VM lights on the phones. User's can both check their VM on their phone or play the .wmv which they recieve in their email.

it_consultant

I have an IP office switch too, I get an email in my box with my voicemail in a wmv file. There is no integration between exchange and the phone switch though. When you install the UM role in exchange you get all sorts of stuff in there, like dial plans etc. Can you manage UM functions through the EMC in your setup?

darkerosxx

I'm curious why you're not considering Microsoft's solutions, if you've looked at them, just from a 3rd-party "I'm curious" point of view?

it_consultant

I'm an exchange "guy", so I like to know how everything with the software works. This is the only thing I have not seen in an exchange implementation so I was wondering if anyone has the UM feature working and can give me some insight as to how it works, if it works well, do they see any advantage to using it etc etc.

aordal

Here are the pros and cons we see. We have alot of employees who are not in the office so when they do get a call on their office line they get a notification on their blackberry (via email) that they missed a call.

Cons are when we take down exchange for patching VMs are unavailable unless they already have the .wmv in their mailbox. Another is their voicemail greeting is the same greeting a fax machine receives when they are being faxed. Most people who fax them hear "Hi you've reached so and so's voice mail please leave a message." and disconnect their fax because they think they dialed the wrong number. The MWI software is hoaky in that the service randomly stops and its annoying to get it started again. Another con I've heard from some people is that they get alot of missed calls during the day while they are out of the office but no VM and their mailbox gets flooded with missed call notifications.

As far as setup goes there isnt much. You set up a dial plan which allows you to set dial codes, voice mail answering defaults, codecs, max voicemail time etc.. Then you setup your SIP gateway to point to both your phone switch and your exchange server. Then we forward calls from a DID to exchange. Each user is set up with an extension which is enabled on a per user basis.