Voicemail

Voicemail is a centralized system of managing telephone messages for a large group of people. The term is also used more broadly to denote any system of conveying voice message, including the answering machine.

In its simplest form it has only the functions of an answering machine, using a standard telephone handset for the user interface but it can use a centralized, computerized system rather than equipment at the individual telephone. Voicemail systems can be much more sophisticated than answering machines in that they can:

• Answer many phones at the same time.
• Store incoming voice messages in personalized mailboxes associated with the user’s phone number.
• Enable users to forward received messages to another voice mailbox.
• Send messages to one or more other user voice mailboxes.
• Add a voice introduction to a forwarded message.
• Store voice messages for future delivery.
• Make calls to a telephone or paging service to notify the user a message has arrived in his/her mailbox.
• Provide message notification by SMS, a special dial tone or using Caller ID signaling.
• Transfer callers to another phone number for personal assistance.
• Play different message greetings to different callers.

Voicemail’s introduction enabled people to leave lengthy, secure and detailed messages in natural voice, working hand-in-hand with corporate phone systems. The adoption of voicemail in corporations improved the flow of communications and saved huge amounts of money.

Voicemail has two main modes of operation: telephone answering and voice messaging. Telephone answering mode answers outside calls and takes a message from any outside caller (either because the extension was busy or rang no-answer). Voice messaging enables any subscriber (someone with a mailbox number) to send messages directly to any or many subscribers’ mailboxes without first calling them.

One of the advantages of a PBX (private branch exchange/ telephone exchange) is its ability to forward calls. If a person is using his phone or does not answer it, calls to his extension are forwarded automatically by the PBX to another extension, presumably someone (like a secretary) who can answer the call and take a message. With a voicemail system installed, the PBX is programmed to forward busy or unanswered extensions to a machine, the voicemail system.

Suppose an outside caller calls someone in a company. For example; if Fred’s phone rings "no answer" or "busy", the PBX will forward the call to the voicemail system. Somehow the PBX needs to tell the voicemail system that Fred’s phone is the one that the call is being forwarded to so that the voicemail system can answer with Fred’s personal greeting. Without this information, the voicemail system would have no idea whose phone it was answering. Once a message is left, the voicemail system illuminates the message waiting light on Fred’s phone. It does this by sending a signal to the PBX to tell it which light to light. When Fred returns to his desk and calls the voicemail system (or calls in remotely) he is presented only with the messages in his personal mailbox even though thousands of messages belonging to other people are stored on the same system. Once the messages are played, the voicemail system signals the PBX to turn off the message waiting light on Fred’s phone.

IP Telephony and VoIP

The rapid evolution of communications technology is more than just a “paper-or-plastic” proposition. In more literal terms, the present communications infrastructure around the world is being ripped out and replaced with a completely new type of IP-based technology to carry voice and other types of communications that were previously carried on slow and expensive circuit-switched networks.

The new technologies are also permitting new types of communications that did not exist before, or are themselves being transformed. Voice technologies are being moved from dedicated networks and integrated with corporate data networks. Voice communications are being integrated with other communications technologies such as instant messaging, audio/video conferencing and email.

VoIP is communications technology that brings with it several new capabilities that have changed the way in which the telephone call is done. VoIP means voice transmitted over a data network and is often spoken in the same breath with another term, IP Telephony. IP Telephony makes use of the popular and familiar IP networking protocols to combine both voice and data in a single network. Simply put, your voice is converted into data packets and transmitted over a network.

So what does this mean for you and your business? IP Telephony can help you lower costs by moving all of your communications to a single manageable network. Site-to-site call costs are eliminated and teamwork is vastly improved. Management and administration get significantly streamlined and simplified. Overall, this forms the foundation for you to bring all applications together, enabling you to link people, products, office sites and customers in more efficient, more effective ways.

Business Telephone Systems by On Line Systems

The telephone is an extremely important piece of equipment and a good phone system is at the centre of any smoothly run company. In today’s modern corporate environment it is impossible to do business without them. Good phone systems enable you to stay in touch with your staff and your customers at all times, helping to improve the profitability and efficiency of your company.

By using your business telephone systems to take advantage of features such as voice mail and call forwarding, you will be able manage all incoming calls and direct callers to the correct department. By implementing one of the many multi line phone systems available, your customers will be able to call on more than one line, increasing the efficiency of your office. You can even set up some phone systems with distinctive ring tones, again allowing you to direct certain callers to other departments within your company.

Some handsets for many phone systems can be easily programmed to suit the individual needs of a user. You will be able to make use of speed dialling by programming frequently used telephone numbers into the handset, thus increasing the efficiency of your phone system.

Most business telephone systems offer functions that give your business flexibility in making and receiving telephone calls. These functions can help improve communication within your business and with your customers.

One of the simplest telephone functions is voicemail, which allows callers to leave messages while you're away from the phone or on another call. Voicemail allows information to be acted upon in the absence of a conversation - it can speed your work up and retain business you might otherwise have lost. Voicemails can be stored, redirected and accessed remotely. You should be aware that leaving voicemail on for long periods of time can be a major irritation to customers. If you are likely to be unavailable for any length of time, consider using call re-direction.

DDI makes it quicker for customers to reach the person they're calling. Whether or not you want DDI is an important factor in deciding whether to use analogue or digital phone lines. Analogue DDI is available, but not as widely as digital DDI using ISDN (integrated services digital network) - the modern digital telephony service that replaced the older analogue service.

Think about the kind of individual handsets you need:
• cordless units let you move between different departments or around a site
• hands-free units allow employees to type and write while on the phone
• some phones have microphones and speakers for conference calls

If you search the internet there are many different types of phone systems available. You need to do your research thoroughly and take great care on deliberating which phone system to purchase. The internet is a great source of information on different types of phone systems. Good phone systems can present customers with an excellent professional image of your company as well bringing many additional benefits to your office.