You can use Active Roles to view or configure the Unified Messaging (UM) properties of a user who is enabled for Unified Messaging. When you change a user’s UM properties, you can control the user’s access to various UM features. For example, you can enable or disable Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) or fax receiving.
To view or change the UM properties of a UM-enabled user
- Do one of the following, depending on whether you are using the Active Roles console or Web Interface:
- In the Active Roles console,
- In the Web Interface,
- Use the Unified Messaging Properties dialog box to view or change the following properties of the UM-enabled user:
- UM Mailbox Status This area shows the Unified Messaging (UM) lockout status of the user’s mailbox. Normally, the status is listed as Not locked out. The status of Locked Out indicates that the user is locked out of Unified Messaging due to a number of attempts to enter an incorrect Unified Messaging PIN in Outlook Voice Access.
- Unified Messaging mailbox policy This field shows the name of the Unified Messaging mailbox policy associated with the UM-enabled user.
- UM extensions This box displays the extension number and the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or E.164 address that are assigned to the UM-enabled user. The contents of this box depends upon the dial plan of the user’s Unified Messaging mailbox policy. With a Telephone Extension dial plan, only the extension number configured for the user appears in this box. With a SIP dial plan, the extension number and SIP address are listed. With an E.164 dial plan, the extension number and E.164 address are listed.
- Enable for Automatic Speech Recognition When selected, this option indicates that the UM-enabled user can access the mailbox by means of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). This option is selected by default, which allows the user to use voice commands when accessing the mailbox via Outlook Voice Access. Even if enabled for ASR, the user must still use the keypad to enter the extension number and PIN.
- Allow UM calls from non-users When selected, this option allows incoming calls from unauthenticated callers through an auto attendant to be transferred to the UM-enabled user. By default, this option is selected, allowing callers from outside your organization to be transferred to the user inside the organization.
If this option is not selected, then an external caller who tries to transfer to the user receives the following response from the UM system: “I'm sorry, I am unable to transfer the call to this user.” The caller is then transferred to the operator configured on the auto attendant.
This option does not affect callers who have signed in to their mailbox using Outlook Voice Access and are sending a voice message to the user.
- Allow the user to receive faxes When selected, this option allows the UM-enabled user to receive incoming faxes. By default, this option is selected. Unselect it if you do not want the user to receive incoming faxes.
This option is also configured on UM dial plans. If you select this option for a UM-enabled user, but the dial plan is configured to disallow fax receiving, the UM-enabled user is unable to receive faxes.
- Allow diverted calls without a caller ID to leave a message When selected, this option indicates that, for diverted calls without a caller ID, the caller is allowed to leave a message in the user’s mailbox. By default, this option is selected, which makes it possible for the UM-enabled user to accept anonymous calls.
- Allow users to configure call answering rules When selected, this option allows the UM-enabled user to create personal auto attendants. This option is available to users with mailbox on a server running Exchange 2013 or later which does not hold the role of a Unified Messaging server. If this option is disabled on the UM dial plan or on the UM mailbox policy, it is not available to UM-enabled users associated with that UM mailbox policy.
- Personal operator extension Use this field to specify the operator extension number for the user. This enables incoming calls for the UM-enabled user to be forwarded to the extension number that you specify in this field. By default, an extension number is not configured. The range for the extension number is from 1 through 20 characters.
Other types of operator extensions can be configured on dial plans and auto attendants. However, those extensions are normally meant for company-wide receptionists or operators. The personal operator extension setting could be used when an administrative assistant or personal assistant answers incoming calls before they are answered by the user.