Using Optional Conversation 1 with Cisco Unity Version 4.0(3)

Table Of Contents

White Paper: Using Optional Conversation 1 with Cisco Unity Version 4.0(3)

Contents

Overview of Optional Conversation 1

Message-Retrieval Menus on the Cisco Unity at a Glance for Optional Conversation 1 Card

Activating Optional Conversation 1

New and Changed Support—Release 4.0(3)

Cisco Unity Phone Menus Card Renamed

New Wallet Card Available

New and Changed Functionality—Version 4.0(x)

Change How Cisco Unity Handles Messages That Are Interrupted by Disconnected Calls

Change How Cisco Unity Saves New Messages That Subscribers Skip During Message Playback

Change the Order for Addressing and Recording

Confirm-Delete Prompt Changed

Decrease Volume Control

Enable 12- or 24-Hour Time Stamps for Subscriber Messages

Enable Alternate Greeting Notification

FlexStack

Live Reply ("Call the Subscriber")

Offer Subscribers Additional Caller Information During Message Playback

Reply to All

Separate Menus for Greetings Options and Transfer Options in the Cisco Unity Conversation

Streamlined Message-Playback Conversation

Upgrade Notes

Limitations

Caveats

Open Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1—Cisco Unity Release 4.0(3)

Resolved Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1—Release 4.0(3)

Related Cisco Unity Documentation

White Paper: Using Optional Conversation 1 with Cisco Unity Version 4.0(3)

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Published September 5, 2003

This document describes Optional Conversation 1 and how to use it with Cisco Unity version 4.0(3). Also included in this document is a procedure for activating Optional Conversation 1 and a list of caveats associated with it.

Contents

•Overview of Optional Conversation 1

•Message-Retrieval Menus on the Cisco Unity at a Glance for Optional Conversation 1 Card

•Activating Optional Conversation 1

•New and Changed Support—Release 4.0(3)

•New and Changed Functionality—Version 4.0(x)

•Upgrade Notes

•Limitations

•Caveats

•Related Cisco Unity Documentation

Overview of Optional Conversation 1

A Cisco Unity conversation is a set of prerecorded prompts and menu options that Cisco Unity plays over the phone to subscribers when they retrieve, send, and manage messages, and as they change their Cisco Unity settings. Cisco Unity Optional Conversation 1 provides an alternative to the standard conversation, which is the system default. 

You may choose to use Optional Conversation 1 because the options in its message-retrieval menus more closely resemble the options that subscribers in your organization are familiar with. Other menus—those that unidentified callers and Cisco Unity subscribers use to send and manage messages, as well as the menus that subscribers use to change their Cisco Unity settings—are the same as those in the Cisco Unity standard conversation.

The Cisco Unity at a Glance for Optional Conversation 1 card provides a diagram of the Cisco Unity phone conversation and is intended for subscriber use. Versions of the card for Cisco Unity with IBM Lotus Domino and for Cisco Unity with Microsoft Exchange are available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_list.html.

To activate Optional Conversation 1, see the "Activating Optional Conversation 1" section for instructions.

Message-Retrieval Menus on the Cisco Unity at a Glance for Optional Conversation 1 Card

The diagram on the back of the Cisco Unity at a Glance for Optional Conversation 1 card illustrates the main menus that subscribers hear as they interact with Optional Conversation 1. The top row of the diagram depicts the following message-retrieval menus:

•Message Type—This menu allows subscribers to choose the type of messages that they want to hear. The Message Type menu can be enabled or disabled. When the menu is disabled, Cisco Unity plays messages in the order that the administrator or subscriber has specified in the Cisco Unity Administrator or in the Cisco Unity Assistant.

•During Message—This menu lists the options that are available to subscribers as Cisco Unity plays the message header, time stamp (if specified), message body, and message footer (if specified). In the message header, Cisco Unity plays the name of the message sender and the message number. The time stamp is the date and time that the message was sent. In the message body, Cisco Unity plays: recorded voice messages, receipts, e-mail messages (if subscribers use the text-to-speech option), and the message summaries of fax messages (if subscribers use the fax option). In the message footer, Cisco Unity plays the time stamp.

•After Message—This menu lists the options that are available to subscribers after Cisco Unity plays the message header, time stamp (if specified), message body, and message footer (if specified).

Cisco Unity administrators enable or disable the Message Type menu and specify whether subscribers hear the time stamp before or after message playback on the subscriber template and individual subscriber pages in the Cisco Unity Administrator. Subscribers can do so by using the Cisco Unity Assistant. Note that when the time stamp is set to play after the message, it becomes the message footer.

Versions of the Cisco Unity at a Glance for Optional Conversation 1 card for Cisco Unity with IBM Lotus Domino and for Cisco Unity with Microsoft Exchange are available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_list.html.

Activating Optional Conversation 1

To activate Optional Conversation 1 for individual subscribers or for a specific group of subscribers, you use the conversation settings on the applicable subscriber or template pages in the Cisco Unity Administrator.

As with the standard conversation, subscribers have the option of using either full or brief menus with Optional Conversation 1. Cisco Unity administrators specify menu-style preferences on the subscriber template and individual subscriber pages in the Cisco Unity Administrator; subscribers can do so by phone or by using the Cisco Unity Assistant.

If you choose to activate Optional Conversation 1, consider the following:

•As with the standard conversation, deleting or customizing Cisco Unity prompts is not supported.

•Changes you make to subscriber settings in the Cisco Unity Administrator are preserved after failover and upgrades; you do not need to reactivate Optional Conversation 1 in either instance.

•For open and resolved caveats associated with Optional Conversation 1, see the "Caveats" section.

You can use the following procedures to activate Optional Conversation 1 for a group of subscribers and for individual subscribers:

•Do the procedure "To Activate Optional Conversation 1 in a Subscriber Template" to activate Optional Conversation 1 for a group of subscribers that you plan to create. (Changes to settings in a template do not affect any of the existing subscriber accounts that were based on that template.)

•Do the procedure "To Activate Optional Conversation 1 for an Existing Subscriber" to specify Optional Conversation 1 for a single, existing subscriber. (If you want to activate Optional Conversation 1 for an existing group of subscribers, use the Bulk Edit tool available in Tools Depot. Refer to Help for details.)

To Activate Optional Conversation 1 in a Subscriber Template

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Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to any Subscribers > Subscriber Template page, and find the template that you want to modify.

Step 2 Browse to the Conversation page.

Step 3 Under Phone Menu Options, click Optional Conversation 1 on the Conversation Style menu.

Step 4 Click the Save icon.

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To Activate Optional Conversation 1 for an Existing Subscriber

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Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to any Subscribers > Subscribers page and find the subscriber whose conversation style you want to change.

Step 2 Browse to the Conversation page.

Step 3 Under Phone Menu Options, click Optional Conversation 1 on the Conversation Style menu.

Step 4 Click the Save icon.

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New and Changed Support—Release 4.0(3)

Cisco Unity Phone Menus Card Renamed

The Cisco Unity Phone Menus card is now called Cisco Unity at a Glance. The card contains a map of the Cisco Unity phone conversation, and provides instructions for logging on to Cisco Unity by phone and for accessing the Cisco Personal Communications Assistant. Versions are available for the standard conversation and for Optional Conversation 1.

The card is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_list.html.

New Wallet Card Available

Cisco Unity Phone Menus and Shortcuts is a wallet-sized card that lists the most frequently used Cisco Unity menus and shortcut key sequences for managing messages and personal options by phone. Versions are available for the standard conversation and for Optional Conversation 1.

The card is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_list.html.

Do the following procedure to print the card from a local printer and to fold it correctly. (Preprinted cards are not available from Cisco Systems.)

To Print Cisco Unity Phone Menus and Shortcuts

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Step 1 Open the PDF file.

Step 2 On the File menu, click Print.

Step 3 In the Print dialog box, in the Printer section, check the Print As Image check box.

Step 4 Click Properties.

Step 5 In the Document Properties dialog box, click the Layout tab.

Step 6 In the Orientation section, click Landscape.

Step 7 In the Print on Both Sides (Duplex) section, click Flip on Short Edge.

Step 8 Click Advanced.

Step 9 In the Advanced Options dialog box, in the Paper Size list, click Letter (8.5 by 11 inches).

Step 10 Click OK twice to close the Advanced Options and Document Properties dialog boxes.

Step 11 In the Print dialog box, click OK to print the wallet card.

Step 12 Fold the printed document in half.

Step 13 Fold the document again so that the title panel just covers the Main Menu panel.

Step 14 Cut away excess paper from the top, right side, and bottom.

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New and Changed Functionality—Version 4.0(x)

Change How Cisco Unity Handles Messages That Are Interrupted by Disconnected Calls

You can change how Cisco Unity handles messages that are interrupted by disconnected calls as subscribers are in the process of sending, replying to, or forwarding messages. By using the Advanced Settings Tool to change the registry, you can set Cisco Unity so that interrupted messages are deleted rather than sent.

The registry change is applied systemwide to all subscribers associated with the Cisco Unity server, and it affects both the standard conversation and Optional Conversation 1.

For details, refer to the "Default Accounts and Message Handling" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 4.0(3). (The Domino version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/dom/index.htm. The Exchange version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/ex/index.htm.)

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(3).

Change How Cisco Unity Saves New Messages That Subscribers Skip During Message Playback

By using the Advanced Settings Tool, you can customize Optional Conversation 1 so that Cisco Unity saves new messages that subscribers skip by pressing the # key during message playback as saved messages rather than as new messages. Subscribers in your organization may prefer this so that when they call Cisco Unity to check for new messages, they hear only newly arrived messages, and not the messages that they skipped earlier.

The customization does not affect the standard conversation.

For details, refer to the "Cisco Unity Conversation" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 4.0(3). (The Domino version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/dom/index.htm. The Exchange version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/ex/index.htm.)

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(3).

Change the Order for Addressing and Recording

The Cisco Unity subscriber conversation can be customized to change the order in which Cisco Unity prompts subscribers to address and record when they send or forward messages to other subscribers or distribution lists. By default, when a subscriber sends or forwards a message, Cisco Unity first prompts the subscriber to address the message and then prompts the subscriber to record the message or to record an introduction for a forwarded message.

By using the Advanced Settings Tool to change the registry, you can customize the subscriber conversation so that Cisco Unity prompts subscribers to record a message or introduction before prompting them to address it. The registry change is applied systemwide to all subscribers associated with the Cisco Unity server and affects both the standard conversation and Optional Conversation 1.

For details, refer to the "Cisco Unity Conversation" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 4.0(3). (The Domino version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/dom/index.htm. The Exchange version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/ex/index.htm.)

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(3).

Confirm-Delete Prompt Changed

When the Confirm Delete option is enabled by using the Advanced Setting Tool, Cisco Unity plays the following prompt after subscribers press 7 to delete a message: "Are you sure you want to delete this message? To delete the message, press 1. To cancel, press 2."

In previous releases, Cisco Unity played the prompt: "Are you sure you want to delete this message? To delete it, press 7. Press any other key to cancel the action."

The change was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(2) and is related to the resolution of defect CSCdz75891. (For details, see the "Resolved Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1—Release 4.0(3)" section.)

Decrease Volume Control

During message playback, subscribers can press 7 to decrease volume. In previous releases, subscribers could only press 9 to increase playback volume or press 8 to reset it.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(1). Note that volume control is not supported for all integrations.

Enable 12- or 24-Hour Time Stamps for Subscriber Messages

You can select the time format used for the message time stamps that subscribers hear when they listen to their messages over the phone. The following options are available on the Conversation pages in the Cisco Unity Administrator for subscriber templates and individual subscribers:

System Default	Subscribers hear message time stamps in the time format specified in the Use 24-Hour Time Format for Conversation and Schedules field on the System > Configuration > Settings page in the Cisco Unity Administrator. (By default, the check box is unchecked, which means Cisco Unity uses the 12-hour clock format.)
12-Hour Clock	Subscribers hear 1:00 p.m. when listening to the time stamp for a message left at 1:00 p.m.
24-Hour Clock	Subscribers hear 1300 when listening to the time stamp for a message left at 1:00 p.m.

Subscribers can also set their own time-stamp preferences in the Cisco Unity Assistant.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(1).

Enable Alternate Greeting Notification

You can customize the conversation so that Cisco Unity plays a prompt to notify subscribers when they have their alternate greeting turned on. When you enable the alternate greeting notification, Cisco Unity plays the notification immediately after subscribers log on to Cisco Unity by phone, and then plays a menu from which subscribers can choose to leave their alternate greeting on, turn it off, or play the greeting.

You can enable Cisco Unity to play the alternate greeting notification when you specify settings on the Conversation pages for subscriber templates and individual subscribers in the Cisco Unity Administrator. You can also use the Bulk Edit utility to enable Cisco Unity to play the notification for multiple subscribers at once. (Note that subscribers cannot enable or disable the alternate greeting notification; only administrators can do this.)

The customization affects both the standard conversation and Optional Conversation 1.

For information on specifying this and other conversation settings, refer to the "Subscriber Template Conversation Settings" and the "Subscriber Conversation Settings" sections in the "Subscriber Template Settings" and "Subscriber Settings" chapters, respectively, of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 4.0(3). (The Domino version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/dom/index.htm. The Exchange version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/ex/index.htm.)

For information on specifying this and other conversation settings in the Bulk Edit utility, refer to Bulk Edit Help.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(3).

FlexStack

The Conversation pages in the Cisco Unity Administrator for subscriber templates and individual subscribers are redesigned to offer administrators more flexibility when specifying message-playback preferences for subscribers. To customize the order in which Cisco Unity plays new and old messages, you can first sort them by message type (e.g. urgent faxes, urgent voice messages, normal e-mails, etc.), and then indicate whether the newest or oldest messages are played first.

In addition, Cisco Unity administrators can specify whether Cisco Unity plays the Message Type menu for subscribers when they check messages by phone. The Message Type menu allows subscribers to choose the type of messages that they want to hear.

Subscribers can use the Cisco Unity Assistant to change their own message-playback preferences, and to specify whether they want to use the Message Type menu.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(1).

Live Reply ("Call the Subscriber")

Live reply allows subscribers who listen to their messages by phone to respond to a message from another subscriber by calling them. When live reply is enabled and subscribers are using Optional Conversation 1, subscribers listening to messages by phone can reply to a subscriber message by pressing 8-8 to have Cisco Unity call the subscriber directly.

Cisco Unity dials the extension of the subscriber who left the message only when:

•The subscriber who left the message is homed on the same Cisco Unity server as the subscriber attempting to reply.

•The Transfer Incoming Calls to Subscriber's Phone setting for the subscriber who left the message is set to ring an extension or another number. (The Transfer Incoming Calls to Subscriber's Phone field is on the Subscribers > Subscribers > Call Transfer page in the Cisco Unity Administrator.)

Live reply is a class of service feature. For information on enabling it for subscribers, refer to the "Class of Service Messages Settings" section in the "Class of Service Settings" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide. The guide is available on Cisco.com at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_administration_guide_books_list.html.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(1).

Offer Subscribers Additional Caller Information During Message Playback

By using the Bulk Edit utility (available in Tools Depot), you can customize the Cisco Unity subscriber conversation so that it provides subscribers with additional information about each caller who left a message before it plays the message. You can provide individual subscribers or a specific group of subscribers with additional information on one or both of the types of callers who leave messages:

•For messages left by identified subscribers (including call handlers), you can specify that Cisco Unity plays both the recorded name (if available) and the primary extension before playing the message.

•For messages left by unidentified callers, you can specify that Cisco Unity plays the phone number (if available) of the caller before playing the message.

If you choose to provide Cisco Unity subscribers with additional caller information before message playback, consider the following requirements:

•Subscribers hear sender information before Cisco Unity plays each message only if their accounts are configured to play it. Either a Cisco Unity administrator or a subscriber can specify message playback preferences.

•In addition, to allow Cisco Unity to provide the phone number (ANI or caller ID) information on unidentified callers, your phone system must support sending such information to Cisco Unity.

The customization affects both the standard conversation and Optional Conversation 1.

For details, refer to the "Cisco Unity Conversation" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 4.0(3). (The Domino version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/dom/index.htm. The Exchange version of the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/ex/index.htm.)

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(3).

Reply to All

After Cisco Unity plays a message, subscribers can press 8-2 to reply to all message recipients. In previous releases, subscribers could reply only to the message sender.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(1).

Separate Menus for Greetings Options and Transfer Options in the Cisco Unity Conversation

Greeting options and transfer options are separate menus to reduce the amount of menu navigation for subscribers. The change affects both the standard conversation and Optional Conversation 1.

For a diagram of the phone menus, refer to the Cisco Unity at a Glance cards at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_list.html.

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(3).

Streamlined Message-Playback Conversation

The Cisco Unity conversation has been enhanced in the following ways:

•Some prompts were revised to eliminate confusing phrases and to provide clearer instructions.

•Message header, body, and footer were combined into one phrase to allow subscribers to access the During Message menu more quickly and easily.

•Some prompts were added to confirm subscriber actions (for example, Cisco Unity now plays "Marked new," "Saved," and "Deleted").

This feature was introduced in Cisco Unity version 4.0(1).

Upgrade Notes

When you upgrade from a previous version of Cisco Unity (including maintenance-release upgrades) to Cisco Unity version 4.0(3), the standard conversation is automatically activated for all subscribers. Therefore, you will need to reactivate Optional Conversation 1 after an upgrade. To do so, use either the Conversation settings on the template and subscriber pages in the Cisco Unity Administrator or the Bulk Edit utility to select the conversation style for individual subscribers or for particular group of subscribers. In previous releases, you could specify only a single conversation style for all subscribers associated with a Cisco Unity server by using the Advanced Settings tool to change the registry.

Limitations

With Optional Conversation 1, only the message-retrieval menus differ from those in the Cisco Unity standard conversation. Other menus are the same.

Caveats

This section describes select Cisco Unity caveats associated with Optional Conversation 1.

If you have an account with Cisco.com, you can use Bug Toolkit to find more information on the caveats in this section, in addition to caveats of any severity for any release. Bug Toolkit is available at the website http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/Support/Bugtool/launch_bugtool.pl.

Open Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1—Cisco Unity Release 4.0(3)

Table 1 Cisco Unity Release 4.0(3) Open Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1 

Caveat Number	Description
CSCdy79000	Cisco Unity does not respond when subscribers press keys during the Message Playback menu Help. Workaround Tell subscribers to wait for the Help prompts to finish playing before attempting another action.
CSCdy57817 CSCdz82257	When subscribers play e-mail messages, some touchtone keys that are available for use during message playback do not behave as expected. There is no workaround.

Resolved Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1—Release 4.0(3)

Table 2 Cisco Unity Release 4.0(3) Resolved Caveats Associated with Optional Conversation 1 

Caveat Number	Description
CSCea43935	When subscribers increase or decrease the volume level as Cisco Unity plays a message over the phone, Cisco Unity does not reset the volume level back to normal once it stops playing the message. Instead, Cisco Unity plays all subsequent prompts and menus at the specified volume level.
CSCdz76603	When subscribers use triple-key presses during message playback, Cisco Unity does not respond as expected. For example, when subscribers press 3-3-9, the message that they are listening to is not saved.
CSCdz71498	When subscribers press 0-0 either while listening to a new message or after message playback, Cisco Unity correctly transfers the call to the Operator call handler, but does not save the message as a new message. Instead, the message is saved as an old message.
CSCdz42374	When subscribers play e-mail messages, some touchtone keys that are available for use during message playback do not behave as expected.
CSCdy75884	For Pause/resume Help, Cisco Unity incorrectly plays the prompts used for the standard conversation: "You have paused playback. To continue the playback, press 8 again. To reverse, press 7. To fast forward, press 9. To cancel playback, press *. For an operator, press 0." Instead, Cisco Unity should play: "You have paused playback. To continue the playback, press 2 again. To reverse, press 1. To fast forward, press 3. To cancel playback, press *. For an operator, press 0."

Related Cisco Unity Documentation

The following Cisco Unity documents are available on Cisco.com at the listed URLs:

•Release 4.0(3) versions of the Cisco Unity User Guide, Cisco Unity at a Glance, and Cisco Unity Phone Menus and Shortcuts at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_user_guide_list.html.

•Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 4.0(3): Domino version at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/dom/index.htm; Exchange version at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag403/ex/index.htm.

For descriptions and URLs of other Cisco Unity documentation on Cisco.com, refer to About Cisco Unity Documentation at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/about/aboutdoc.htm. (The document is also shipped with Cisco Unity.)

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Copyright © 2003 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.