* Ingredients of unified messaging include PBX and e-mail integration
Continuing our discussion about “must-haves” for any unified messaging system, today we’ll add to the list of required features.
* PBX integration. Naturally, since many voicemail messages originate as a phone call into the company’s PBX, easy PBX integration is a must for deploying a unified messaging system. PBX integration options should include TDM- and IP-based PBXs, allowing users to maintain their needed PBX features. With this integration, the PBX provides signaling to and from the public switched telephone network. The ability to support TDM and IP-based systems simultaneously is preferred.
* E-mail integration. Any vendor offering a unified messaging system must support Microsoft and IBM at a minimum, and should also support Novell. E-mail system interoperability can be especially advantageous as a way to solve multi-vendor systems in the face of mergers and acquisitions.
* GUI and TUI. Both the graphical user interface (GUI) and telephony user interface (TUI) come standard as part of any unified messaging package. But how the interfaces are presented to the user and how they can be customized varies widely from vendor to vendor. For example, some unified messaging systems support only a touch-tone keypad command – a distinct limitation given that telephony users would prefer to speak their system commands. User and company selective customization and GUI screens should also be supported.
* Security. Like any other network element or application, companies who implement unified messaging should provide network and application layer security. Standard application security measures, such as user authentication for local and remote access, must be included. Network-level security should include interoperability with firewalls and needed encryption or Secure Sockets Layer methods.
* Management. Some vendors supply stand-alone network management systems, while others supply network management that is integrated with other network elements like the PBX, e-mail servers, and security appliances. The choice for stand-alone vs. integrated network management can be determined by customers based on their overall communications requirements.
If you’d like to know more about what to shop for in a unified messaging system, check out Larry’s white paper on the subject at: https://www.webtorials.com/main/resource/papers/nortel/paper17.htm
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