Unified Messaging Capabilities Immanent at UC
by Diana Noelcke
The University of Cincinnati's new voice mail product, purchased and implemented in 2004, came with many new features to make the system a true Unified Messaging platform. With feedback from our user community, a test bed of users, and the technical support of our vendor, UCit has tweaked and designed the Unified features of the system so that it now integrates with both email systems offered by UCit, Microsoft Exchange (UCMail) and Mirapoint (Bearcat Online).
As with the old voice mail system, users may select the Class of Service they want, based on the features they need. Today, we offer three classes of service: Basic, Standard, and Plus. Soon, we will be adding an additional, feature-rich, Unified Class of Service.
| [Total] |
Basic |
Standard |
Plus |
Unified |
| Messages |
Up to 20 |
Up to 25 |
Up to 50 |
Up to 50 |
| Length |
three minute messages |
five minute messages |
five minute messages |
six minute messages |
| Saved Message Time |
10 Days |
20 Days |
20 Days |
30 Days |
| Future Delivery |
No |
20 Days |
30 Days |
30 days |
| Paging |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Groups |
No |
5 |
15 |
50 |
| Outcall Notification |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Non-User
Message Delivery |
No |
No |
Yes
(campus/local) |
Yes |
New Features
coming soon! |
Basic |
Standard |
Plus |
Unified |
| Web Interface |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Find Me Follow Me |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Email Features |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Fax Features |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Scheduled Greetings |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Personal Address Book |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Distribution List |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Some of the new features being added to the various classes of service are as follow:
| The Web interface |
lets you set and change features for your mailbox, via the web. |
| Find Me Follow Me |
lets you set a list of numbers the system will call if you are out of the office, but would like calls forwarded to a cell or other phone. |
| Email Features |
allow you to receive your voice mail via email. You can listen to your voice mail via your computer. Or have the voice mail system read your email messages to you over the phone! |
| FAX Features |
let you receive and forward FAXes from your mailbox. |
| Scheduled Greetings |
lets you set times when the system plays certain greetings for your callers. |
| The Personal Address Book |
lets you create a listing of your personal contacts, which will allow you to hear and review each entry's information. |
| The Distribution List |
lets you create a group listing of phone numbers to which to send messages. |
UCit-developed, user-friendly guides for each Class of Service will be available prior to the rollout of the new services in mid-Spring. At that time, we will also have a Unified Promo for you! (Check the UCit home page; an announcement of the guides' availability is imminent.)
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