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Checking messages remotely on Unity VM 4.0.5

justin.allen
Level 1
Level 1

Is there anyway on Unity VM system, so when an end user calls in from a cell phone, they dont have to enter their extension just the password? I have it so the system calls the user on the cell and when that happens they dont want to have to enter their extension and password. They just want to enter their password only. the system should know who they are as it is calling them right?

Thanks

Justin

10 Replies 10

Rob Huffman
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Hi Justin,

You can setup the Cell# as an Alternate Extension for the Subscriber mailbox. Have a look;

Setting Up Alternate Devices

In addition to your primary extension, your Cisco Unity administrator may set up alternate extensions for you, and may also allow you to do so in the Cisco Unity Assistant. Administrators set up alternate extensions for various reasons, such as handling multiple line appearances on subscriber phones or simplifying message addressing for subscribers on different Cisco Unity servers.

You may want to use alternate extensions to make calling Cisco Unity from an alternate device, such as a cell phone, a home phone, or a phone at another work site more convenient. When you specify the phone number for an alternative device in the Cisco Unity Assistant, Cisco Unity handles all calls from that number in the same way that it handles calls from your primary extension (assuming that the alternate phone number is passed along to Cisco Unity from the phone system). This means that Cisco Unity associates the alternate phone number with your account, and when such phones are set to forward to Cisco Unity, callers can listen to your greeting, and leave messages for you, just as they would when dialing your primary extension.

Depending on how Cisco Unity is set up, you may be able to use the Personal Preferences page in the Cisco Unity Assistant to:

View the alternate extensions that your Cisco Unity administrator specified for you.

Specify phone numbers for up to five alternate devices, in addition to those that your Cisco Unity administrator specified for you.

Do the following procedure to set up alternate devices in the Cisco Unity Assistant.

To Set Up Alternate Devices

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Assistant, on the Preferences menu, click Personal.

Step 2 In the Alternate Devices table, enter an extension up to 30 characters in length in the Number field.

When entering numbers in the Alternate Devices table, consider the following:

Each alternate extension that you add must be unique; Cisco Unity will not accept an extension that is already assigned to another subscriber (either as a primary or alternate extension) or to another Cisco Unity entity (such as a public distribution list).

Enter digits 0 through 9. Do not use spaces, dashes, or parentheses.

Step 4 To specify another device, click the Add Row button and repeat Step 2 and Step 3.

Step 5 Click Save. The alternate devices you specified are enabled for all rows in the table.

From this good Unity doc;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_chapter09186a00806404ff.html#wp1125142

Hope this helps!

Rob

I did that I put in my cell number and that did not appear to help at all. It still prompted me for my extension and password. Any other ideas?

Use the Call Viewer tool from the Tools Depot on the Unity server and make sure that when you call in, your cell phone number shows correctly as the calling number. Maybe your phone system is manipulating the calling number somehow?

Yep the number that came in via the Call Viewer tool is the exact same number that is in my alt extension. Any other ideas how I could get this to work?

Thanks for taking the time to look at this.

Justin

Hi Justin,

Can you try setting up a phone with a brand new number (never been used if possible)

Add this new extension as an alternate extension and check to see if the sign-in works as expected.

I am wondering if you might be hitting this (maybe your cell # is entered somewhere else);

When entering numbers in the Alternate Devices table, consider the following:

Each alternate extension that you add must be unique; Cisco Unity will not accept an extension that is already assigned to another subscriber (either as a primary or alternate extension) or to another Cisco Unity entity (such as a public distribution list).

Hope this helps! Let us know.

Rob

Specifying an alternate number will only recognize the user when the *user* calls Unity from the alternate number.

I believe Justin is refering to *Unity* calling the user to notify the user that they have messages. In that case the user will have to enter their ID and Password.

Now days most people have their voice mailbox configured to send and SMS message or Text message to their cell phone. Then the user can just call Unity and auto logon with out having to dial their ID or password (configurable) if they have listed their cell phone as an alternate device.

I put an extension on my phone and pushed the VM button (envlope) to see what would happen. I found out Alt extension works if I push the VM button ( which dials ext 7600)on the phone. That will work great for the Lan. But if I have the system call me on any external phone( set in Message notification settings) it asks for the extension and password. If I daial in externally (xxx-xxx-4245) and my extension is in the alt extension page. I still get prompted for extension and password. Sooo I guess what I am trying to say is that the only time it does not prompt me for the extension is when I push the VM button. All other times it asks me for extension and password. Any Ideas?

Thanks

Justin

Justin, let me address both of your issues where you are having to put in both ID and password.

1. Unity calls your cell because of Message Notification. You will always have to put both the ID and Password in this scenario (This is probably intentional because the system can't guarantee that the correct person will always answer the phone).

2. Regarding the issue with you call in from your cell phone, this should work. I do have that working on mine (Unity 4.0.5). How is your call flow setup to get the outside call into unity? Is the call forwarded to the Unity Pilot number or does the call go directly to the Unity Pilot number? Make sure you have a Routing Rule for "Attempt Sign-in" (Not just "sign in") in the correct section of the Routing Rules page (Direct or Forward).

Justin.

Did you ever get this to work? I'm having the same issue.

So I get a notification on my cellphone that I have a VM. So I call my direct line, wait for it to roll to voicemail and then I hit * to bypass the greeting. I'm then prompted to enter ID and password.

I have checked the "Call Viewer" and the calling # is my cell phone which I have entered as a Alt Extension.

Someone has mentioned possibly setting up a dedicated "Back Door" #.

Any suggestions.

Check the Caller Input setting for the star key on your subscriber mailbox. If it's set to "Sign-in" change it to "Attempt Sign-in". "Attempt Sign-in" will try to match the caller id to a subscriber extension, or alternate extension, whereas "Sign-in" will always prompt for ID first.

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