Creating Unity Connection VM account for a hunt group

[Stuart Cross]

Hello, 

I need to create a voicemail box for a hunt group so that everyone in the hunt group will get a notification when there has been a voicemail left for the group.

The voicemail notification we want is in the form of the MWI lamp being activated for all of the extensions in the group.  How can I achieve this on Unity Connection?  Version is 8.5

Thanks 

[andrewokeefe]

Hi Stuart

The way we do this is to create a System distribution List, then under the edit button you can add you members. Once you have done that create a System call handler, here you can add your hunt group number under the extension field, then go to edit and edit message settings and under the section  Message Recipient      select distribution list and then select your system distribution list you created earlier.

[Stuart Cross]

Thanks Andrew, 

I will test this out.

Stuart

[Stuart Cross]

It seems even though this method works.....Distribution List => Add Members => Create Call Handler associated to Hunt Pilot on CUCM and tied to Distribution list.  This means everyone gets the VM (MWI and Email notification).  However Because it goes to individual users accounts, They all have to listen to the message before all MWIs turn off.  People in the hunt group won't necessarily know when the other has listened to the VM and have acted upon it.  I tested this with a hunt group although everyone gets the message, it can create problems for the users.  I guess this is a personal opinion.

The is a way around this.

All users in the hunt-group will need to have a the same email account, a group email account in AD.  This account can then be tied to the hunt-group number in Unity.  All users will see the email containing the voicemail and when its listened too they will know as it's been read.

If you want MWI working as well as email.  You will have to first create a second line on all users phones belonging to the hunt-group. Example, 5111.  Then create an account on Unity for 5111 tied to the hunt-group shared email inbox.  Then go through the same steps above, Distribution List => Add Members => Create Call Handler associated to Hunt Pilot on CUCM and tied to Distribution list.  Note you add 5111 as a member in the distribution list. Now everyone in the hunt group will get MWI notification (because 5111 is shared on all phones) and an email will be sent to the group inbox also.  The group will also have an account the can dial into.  All around this gave a much better user experience.

Thanks all for your help.

[Stuart Cross]

Hi Andrew, 

This seems to work perfectly, MWI and an email notification!

Thanks

[Ronak Agarwal]

Hi Stuart,

You can also try this:

CUCM:
Under the hunt pilot config for that hunt group, find "Forward Hunt No Answer" and "Forward Hunt Busy" and enter the voicemail pilot number as well as the correct CSS.

Once the call reaches unity,

Navigate to Call management > Call Routing > Forwarded Routing Rules. Create a new rule with these parameters...Dialed Number Equals XXXX (xxxx is the hunt group number). In the Send Call to section choose a user's mailbox (in your case, you will have to create a hunt pilot user with a mailbox).

Then you have to add all the phones in the group as alternative extensions and then in the message section add them at the bottom one at a time for the MWI

Steps to create mailbox in unity:

To Add an End User Account (User with a Voice Mailbox)

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, click Users.

Step 2 On the Search Users page, click Add New. The New User page opens.

Step 3 In the User Type list, click User With Mailbox.

Step 4 In the Based on Template list, click VoiceMailUserTemplate.

Step 5 Enter information in the following two required fields, which are marked with an asterisk (*):

•Alias

•Extension

Step 6 Enter information in the optional fields, as applicable. (For field information, on the Help menu, click This Page.)

Note that the SMTP Address field is optional in the sense that if you do not enter a value, Connection uses the alias to form the SMTP address. However, the SMTP address cannot include non-ASCII characters. Thus, if the user alias contains non-ASCII characters, you must provide an acceptable SMTP address.

Step 7 Click Save. The user account is created, and the Edit User Basics page opens.

Step 8 Enter additional information, as applicable. If you change any settings on the page, click Save.

Step 9 As needed, from the pages on the Edit menu, modify the account to enable features or functionality that were not already enabled in the template or COS. If you make changes on a page, click Save before going to another page.

Let me know if this helps.

Regards,

Ronak Agarwal

[Stuart Cross]

Hi Ronak, 

I can't see where to add them for MWI?

Thanks

Stuart

[Ronak Agarwal]

Stuart,

Go to the end user in unity, open it and click edit, then select Alternate extensions.

Add all the extension there.

Regards,

Ronak Agarwal