UM (Unified Messaging)

The following steps must be performed to configure Unified Messaging.

System settings > UM > General
Specify if the XPhone Connect Server only accepts fax or text messages from certain email servers and if they are routed via an email server to the XPhone Connect Server.
System settings > UM > Gateway
The first dialling parameter specified in the initial setup wizard is already allocated here.
System settings > UM > Fax > General
Enter the address area for the fax address here.
System settings > UM > Fax > General > Economy rate and redial
Specify a time window for sending of faxes here, for example if you want to relieve channels.
System settings > UM > Fax > General > Junk faxes
You can configure a filter that deletes unwanted incoming faxes (based on the sender number or station ID).
System settings > UM > Fax > Printer
Here, you can configure for which fax number a printout is prepared at a locally set up printer.
System settings > UM > SMS > General
Enter the SMS address area here.
System settings > UM > Text message > Routing
The configuration of SMS routing is done here.
System settings > UM > Text message > Gateways
The configuration of the SMS provider is done here.
System settings > UM > Voicemail > General > Telephony gateway routing
In the field Telephone gateway routing enter the telephone number used by the users as joint rerouting destination for voicemail.
System settings > UM > Voicemail > General > Call-Transfer
The type of call transfer is configured here.
System settings > UM > Voicemail > Greetings
After installation, several pre-configured greetings are available here. Greetings comprise several building blocks and can be combined flexibly.
System settings > UM > Voicemail > Auto Attendants
Here you can create new Auto Attendants and select already created greetings for them that allow the caller to be connected with additional calling partners / ACDs (for example, after pressing 1, 2, 3, etc.).
System settings > UM > Voicemail > MWI
Here, you can select the interface with which the MWI (message waiting indication) is activated for new voicemails.
System settings > UM > Services
Subsequently, restart all UM services.

When using UM features with Microsoft Outlook

Installation XPhone Connect Client - incl. Outlook Plugin The Microsoft Outlook PlugIn is installed together with the XPhone Connect Client.
Microsoft Exchange startup guide On the Exchange Server side, settings are necessary.

Voicemail / Auto Attendants

Voicemail features

The XPhone Connect Voicemail system knows the meetings, holidays and bank holidays of an employee and presents each caller with the appropriate message without requiring you to handle it. The employee receives voice messages by e-mail or can access them conventionally by phone.

Individual features are listed and described below:

Feature	Description
Receiving voicemails
Receiving voicemails in inbox as e-mails with WAV attachment	Voicemails can be received as an e-mail attachment. This requires either the connection to the in-house mail system via SMTP (e.g. Exchange or Domino Server) or the connection of the SMTP server of an e-mail provider via a user account that allows sending with this provider.
Receiving in the XPhone Connect Client	As an alternative to sending e-mails, voicemails can also be received and listened to in the XPhone Connect Client. An integrated voicemail player allows listening via the sound output of the PC or via telephone.
Mailbox LED at the system telephone (MWI)	When a new voicemail is left, the MWI lamp at the system telephone of the respective user can be switched on. The LED is switched off again as soon as he makes a remote enquiry.
Integrated voicemail player for PC / telephone	An integrated voicemail player is available to the employee in the XPhone Connect Client and in the Microsoft Outlook plug-in. Not only does it allow playback at the sound output of the PC but also via telephone.
Playback via Windows Media Player	Voicemails can also be played back using the standard programme of the PC.

Personal greetings

Feature	Description
Centrally defined standard greetings	Depending on the authorisation, a user is authorised to set and record up to 9 greetings himself. Otherwise, the company-wide greetings are used.
Greetings recording using the telephone / connect windows client	Personalised greetings of a user can be recorded via telephone or web recorder.
Greetings upload & download (WAV format)	Depending on the CI of a company, professional greetings in wav format can be uploaded.
Professional greetings included in the delivery	Professional greetings blocks are available for the most important greetings versions.
Option Don’t leave a message	In certain departments or in the event of longer absences, it may be useful to play only an information greeting without recording a message.
Option DTMF analysis with call routing	A caller can start a configured action by pressing button 1. The following actions are available for this: No action Hang up Record caller’s message Transfer to your representative Transfer to your home office number Transfer to your mobile number Transfer to your home phone number

Company-wide greetings

Feature	Description
For presence-controlled greeting	If an employee is in a meeting or on a break, the appropriate greeting is set for the employee. These greetings can be the same company-wide. The return date of the called participant can be played.
For public holidays / business hours / times of day	A greeting can be composed of several blocks that can be re-arranged depending on the situation. For example, a caller will be greeted differently in the morning than a caller calling during the day or outside of business hours.
For international greetings (e.g. in English)	The greeting of a voicemail can adapt to the caller. If, for example, a caller is recognised by his country code, he will be greeted in the corresponding language. The corresponding country code must be defined, recorded and set in advance.
Automatic activation for all users (e.g. for public holidays)	Greetings can be defined and activated company-wide for public holidays, annual leave, sickness, meetings or stand-ins in case of absence. The same professionally recorded greetings apply for all users. It is possible to save user names individually. In this way, a company-wide CI for greetings can be easily realised and personal greetings can be deactivated completely. The configuration is done centrally, a user does not have to be present. For example, if a user is on holidays, a professionally recorded greeting is played automatically in the company CI depending on the configuration.
Greeting simulator for tests	A test can be run to see if the greeting is correctly activated, imported and configured. You can simulate date, time and caller number and test if the greeting was played correctly. The button selection can also be tested via DTMF.
Option DTMF analysis with call routing	Depending on the configuration, callers can forward themselves via DTMF button selection. For example: “[…] If you would like to be forwarded to central office, please press 9. […]“.
Multi-level greetings	Depending on the configuration, callers can forward themselves via DTMF button selection. It is possible to branch out greetings so that another greeting is played after an initial greeting to offer further options, if required. Example: “[…] If you would like to be forwarded to the service, please press 5 […]” … if the caller presses 3, another greeting is played: “[…] If you would like to report a service incidence, please press 1. If you would like to know the status of an existing service enquiry, please press 2, … […]”.
Functions via remote telephone access
Voice menu with DTMF control	Remote enquiry is language-based and remotely controlled by DTMF sounds.
Remote enquiry / Deleting messages	Messages can be checked and even deleted remotely. In this way, field staff have the possibility to go through their messages before returning to the office.
Connecting to the caller	If the caller sent his number, the employee can also use the function “Connect to caller”. In this case, it is not necessary to enter the telephone number again but a direct connection is made.
Navigation between messages	Similar to a music player, you can scroll forwards and backwards through messages.
Selecting / Re-recording a greeting	Using remote dialling in, it is possible to modify or even re-record personal messages.
Access restriction with PIN code	If an employee wants to check voicemails remotely or from an external telephone, a PIN code is required, which must be entered via DTMF using the keyboard.
Dialling in directly with phone number recognition	An XPhone Connect user can be recognised by his telephone number and can be admitted to the voicemail menu.

General

Feature	Description
UM settings with XPhone Connect Client or Outlook add-on	Settings for UM can be made directly at the XPhone Connect Client or in the Outlook plug-in.
Single message store for UM messages	UM messages are stored in one central place.
Central configuration / configuration groups	A configuration group is allocated to users in the form of a central configuration. Settings are summarised in a configuration group. Greetings can be provided, for example, for each department. For example, a different greeting is played for customer service on public holidays than for other employees/departments.

Safety features

Feature	Description
PIN policies	By specifying PIN policies you can prevent the assignment of simple PINs (e.g.: 0000,1234,4321, etc.) see VM PIN.
Detecting brute force attacks when an incorrect PIN is entered several times	If an incorrect PIN is entered several times, the user is locked automatically.
Connection with caller can be deactivated	If a user listens to his own messages, he can be connected with the corresponding caller. This is especially practical if the user listens to the message remotely. He does not have to enter the caller’s number again. However, if a foreigner knows the remote enquiry PIN of a user, he can make phone calls that are charged to the company. Therefore, the feature “Connect to caller” can be deactivated.

Safety notes for the voicemail system

The voicemail boxes are not directly activated by the users but can be used immediately as soon as the voicemail number and voicemail license were assigned to the user. This generally happens automatically. Remote access to the voicemail box via the telephone is also activated automatically if the option Allow remote access under User management > [location] > Settings > Voicemail > Remote access was activated. In this case, the user can check and configure his voicemail box by telephone.

Remote access of the mailbox via telephone permits, e.g. listening to voice messages with the option to call the sender of the voice message back. This option is only available when Allow Connecting with caller is set in the settings: User management > Location/Configuration group > Settings > Voicemail > Remote access.

Warning

Only activate the option Allow Connection with caller if you really need it. You can also activate this option for certain user groups only. Alternatively, you can deactivate this option and use the function SMS notification when the caller left a new voicemail (see User management > Location/configuration group > Settings > Voicemail > SMS reception notification). In this case, the caller’s telephone number is sent by text message and the user can dial it directly on his mobile phone. This is due to the fact that significant costs can be incurred by a “hacker attack” on the voicemail boxes by the Allow Connecting with caller option. This process works in that the hacker leaves a message on the mailbox and a number (usually with an international dial code) is transmitted. Then he usually dials into the VM menu with a suppressed number or a different number to the one transmitted for the voice message (ways and means of finding out the correct PIN can not be prevented), listens to the messages left there and connects to the caller (himself). From this moment on, the connection thus set up can be used for any calls.

Remote access via telephone is protected with voicemail PIN. You can use the UM > Voicemail > General > Voicemail PIN setting to decide the minimum length PINs must comply with. New PINs are generated individually and randomly, and sent in plain text by e-mail to the user who can then change the PIN in line with the guidelines. Increasing, decreasing and identical digits such as 1111. 1234. 4321 are not allowed as PINs. See Voicemail PIN.

Two direct access numbers can be used for conveniently accessing the voicemail remotely via the telephone: one telephone number is the user’s voicemail number, the other direct access number is preset with the user’s mobile number (see User management > Location/configuration group > User > Change user > Voicemail). If a call was made to the user’s voicemail box and the direct access number was transmitted as caller, the user will be authenticated and will receive access to the voicemail with or even without entering the PIN, depending on the option Enquiry with direct access number: Enforce PIN in the settings: User management > Location/configuration group > Settings > Voicemail > Remote access.

Warning

Protect your users’ voicemail boxes from unwanted remote access with the option Enquiry with direct access number: Enforce PIN in the settings: User management > Location > Settings > Voicemail > Remote access.

The voicemail service monitors incorrect entries of voicemail PINs for each user and blocks the user account if an attempt is made to track the PIN (see UM > Voicemail > General > Advanced settings: LockVoicemailUser). In this case, remote access to the user’s voicemail box via telephone is also blocked. However, callers can continue to leave voice messages.

Warning

Activate the option Logging > UM services > Administrator alarm and you will receive alarm notifications by e-mail.
Also activate the option Logging > UM services > Logging of connection data to track the telephone connections to and from voicemail, if required.
If you receive notification of a brute force attack on a voicemail box, first block the affected user account if it was not blocked automatically by the system.
- Procedure: User management > [Location] > User > [User] > Change user > User account
  - Activate the check box Block user here, enter a short description and Save the settings.
  - Check then if the user himself entered his PIN incorrectly several times.
If required, you can block remote access to all users’ voicemail boxes for a certain period of time, especially when several users are affected by spying attempts.
- Procedure: User management > Location/Configuration group > Settings > Voicemail
  - Deactivate the Allow remote access check box and Save the setting.
Have new PINs generated for the corresponding users
- Procedure: User management > Location/Configuration group
  - select the corresponding users and open Other actions > Reset voicemail PIN
You can also increase the minimum PIN length and request your users to change the PINs.
- Procedure: UM > Voicemail > General > Voicemail PIN
  - In Minimum length of a voicemail PIN, set the new value and Save it.
Deactivate the option User management > Location/Configuration group > Settings > Voicemail > Remote access > Allow Connection with caller.
If you are victim to spying attempts or even telephone hackers, always consult the police and file charges against unknown.

Music on hold (MoH)

XPhone Connect Server installs several WAV audio files for use as music on hold. These audio files may be used in an XPhone Connect Server installation without any time restrictions, world-wide and license-free. The audio files are installed in the installation directory under VoiceMailWorkflows\System\MOH\Install.

Five music titles without a greeting, five music titles with a German greeting and five music titles with greetings in German, English and French are supplied. The following messages have been selected as greetings:

Bitte haben Sie einen Moment Geduld. Sie werden gleich verbunden.
Please hold the line. You will be connected shortly.
Un instant s’il vous plait. Votre appel va être traité.

The audio files are available in two different formats and two volumes:

CCITT A-Law, 8 kHz, 8 Bit for use in the XPhone Connect Server
PCM, 8 kHz, 16 Bit for use in XCAPI.

Please note that the music on hold described here is only used for XPhone Connect Voicemail or XPhone Connect Auto Attendant, i.e. it is only played when the caller is forwarded via voicemail or Auto Attendant. The PBX remains responsible in all other cases.

Music on hold in the XPhone Connect Server

XPhone Connect Server can play music for a participant on hold. Do this by selecting the ECT with own MOH – Controlled connection by dialling and connecting setting in the XPhone Connect Server (see Settings > UM > Voicemail > General > Call transfer). In this case, the installed DefaultMOH.wav audio file from the VoiceMaiWorkflows\System\MOH\Install directory is played as music on hold.

If you wish to have other music on hold, copy the corresponding audio file into the superordinate VoiceMaiWorkflows\System\MOH directory and rename the copied audio file DefaultMOH.wav In this case, the audio file you have selected is played instead of the pre-installed MOH file from the VoiceMaiWorkflows\System\MOH\Install directory.

The DefaultMOH.wav audio file is played several times in a row and without breaks as required.

Please note that the audio file for music on hold in the XPhone Connect Server must be available in CCITT A-Law, 8 kHz format.

The operating mode ECT with own MOH - Controlled call setup by dialing and connecting is in principle suitable for all CAPI connections, especially if no music on hold is supported by the PBX when transferring the call.

Music on hold in XCAPI

XCAPI can play music on hold to waiting participants during the hold process. Four methods are available for this (see XCAPI configuration in Expert mode, Controller settings > Service features > Hold > Music on Hold).

The playlist is a possible source for music on hold. You can indicate one or more WAV files to be played in succession. If you wish to use one of the audio files supplied as music on hold in XCAPI, select the respective file in PCM format in XCAPI as the source.

Please note that the music on hold in XCAPI can only be played during the hold process. The waiting participant is only put on hold if the ECT – Controlled connection by holding, dialling and connecting setting is selected in the XPhone UC Server (see Settings > UM > Voicemail > General > Call transfer).

Fax

Server-side fax rendering

Server-side fax rendering with Microsoft Office

Server-side fax rendering is the conversion of a document into a format that can be sent by fax. This document describes how this function can be set up together with XPhone Connect Unified Messaging and Microsoft Office.

If server-side rendering for Microsoft Office is set up, Office documents such as DOC, XLS or PPT files can be sent to the fax server as email attachments. It converts all attached documents into a fax message and sends it.

In addition to server-side rendering, XPhone Connect Unified Messaging also supports client-side rendering, which avoids some problems of the server-based option. You should carefully consider which option to select. The following overview can help you make the right decision:

Criterion	Server-side	Client-side
Document preview	No	Yes
Resource requirements	Computing time and memory required on the server	Computing time and memory required on the client
Cost of licenses for applications	MS Office license(s) are required on the server	MS Office license(s) are required on the client
Reliability for manually created documents	Medium (principally)	High, because user can manually control and intervene as needed

Server-side rendering is recommended in the following cases:

On the client (in addition to the email client), no software is to be installed (especially no fax printer).
The used email client is not supported directly by XPhone Connect Unified Messaging (e.g. Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook Web Access, Eudora, Thunderbird).
The format of the documents to be sent by fax is well know because they always come form the same (tested) templates. This is especially true of documents that are created automatically or semi-automatically (e.g. orders / order confirmations from operational ERP systems).

Installing Microsoft Office

All actions described here can only be performed on the XPhone Connect Server.

Install Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint from Microsoft Office.
Changing the XPhone Connect UM Mail2Fax service to a service account with local admin rights
Start all installed applications and confirm message boxes.
Under Word options > General deactivate the check box for Show start screen when starting this application.

Troubleshooting

Testing server-side rendering

If problems occur when rendering faxes on the server, you should monitor the printing application’s behaviour on your monitor. To do this, proceed as follows:

Stop the UM Mail2Fax service.
Log in on the user account set up for server-side rendering. This is the account on which the UM Mail2Fax service has run up to now and on which the rendering applications were set up.
Start UM Mail2Fax with the command line cmd): <Path>\IVMail2Fax –Debug
Now send a text fax and monitor the screen. Usually, one or more message boxes will appear; they interfere with the printing process. Correct the cause for the message boxes with a suitable configuration of the application or by adapting the document.

You can find additional useful information in the log file Mail2Fax_<Date>.log in the log directory of the UM services.

Problems due to insufficient privileges

The Mail2Fax service can’t convert (render) the document types into the required fax format. This affects Microsoft Office documents in particular.

The log file shows that the service aborts either after a time-out of 2 minutes or directly with an error message which describes why the document could not be rendered:

M2F CPF error: [13] Document C:\..\Spool\faxwork\test.doc could not be rendered! (returned error: -2147024891)
M2F CCF error: [13] Convert C:\… \Spool\faxwork\test.doc failed
M2F CCF error: [13] Converting attachments failed

With a time-out:

M2F CCF info: [116] Attachments = _PLAIN_MailText.txt, Dieselofferte.doc
M2F CPF error: [116] Did not receive event from rendering engine --> Job could not be proceeded.
M2F CCF error: [116] Convert C:\…\Spool\faxwork\Dieselofferte.doc failed
M2F CCF error: [116] Convert attachments failed

When logging into the system on the same account that was defined during the installation of XPhone Connect UM and then starting the Mail2fax service with the DOS command line (mail2fax –debug), the service works without problem.

Reason

The installation sequence was incorrect. Proceed as follows:

Create the administrator account for the Mail2Fax service (unless the local administrator account is to be used)
Install the rendering application (Microsoft Office…)
Install XPhone Connect

If the administrator account is created after the rendering applications, it may not have sufficient privileges for this application. This can be done later following these instructions.

Solution

XPhone Connect controls some applications used for document rendering with the COM interface. Microsoft Office products in particular are controlled with this method (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

To solve the problem, the DCOM settings of the non-functional applications are controlled and corrected, if required:

Start with Start > Run: DCOMCNFG

Before the actual configuration window opens, you may have to respond to some error notifications on incorrectly configured modules with No:
Then the configuration dialogue for COM-registered applications and their security settings opens:
Now select the applications one by one that do not work correctly with XPhone Connect. Open page Properties… (Properties):
Check the access and start permissions.
1. Access permissions:
  
  For Access permissions select the option User-defined. Open the permissions screen with Edit. Make sure that the account you specified for the Mail2Fax service is authorised:
  
  Other accounts will generally be listed as well. Do not modify these.
2. Launch permissions: Proceed as you did for access permissions.

Difference between the original document and the fax document

Problem: The document sent as fax differs largely from the original document.

Reason

Unlike faxes that are sent by the local fax printer driver, documents that are sent directly are opened by the original program on the UM Server and then converted into the fax format. If the settings in the user’s system do not correspond with the settings on the UM Server, fonts can change, page breaks can be shifted and images can be in a different place.

Solution

Make sure that the server requirements correspond with the users’ workstations. Check especially:

Are the used fonts installed on the server?
Is a different version of the application used on the server?
Are the page settings (size, format, margins…) identical in both locations?

If you cannot see any differences, the users can bypass the problem by installing the local printer driver. This way, they would convert the documents into fax documents already at their workstation so that they do not need to be changed by the UM Server (client-side rendering).

UM Troubleshooting and diagnostics

Diagnostics happens on two levels:

CAPI level
Network level

CAPI level

Normally, the CAPI level is only affected by an error as a result of an SIP or network problem. However, diagnostics is done much more simply and quickly on the SIP level. Proceed as follows:

Close all UM services of the XPhone Connect Server using the Windows Service Manager:

The XPhone Connect UM services are easily recognised by the prefix “UM” in the Service Manager of the operating system. Only these services must be considered in connection with the CAPI service; the service generally does not have to be ended or started.
Start the programme XTest via the start menu of the operating system (Start > Programs > XCAPI > XCAPI XTest).
Under Extras > Settings, specify a sender telephone number routed via the SIP trunk, e.g.:
Now run test scenarios for outgoing and incoming calls via fax and voice. After successful completion of the tests, close the XTEST programme and restart the XPhone Connect services.

Hint

If you forget to close the XTEST programme, incoming calls are accepted by the test programme and do not get to the XPhone Connect UM services.

Network level

If the system does not show any function, diagnostics at the network level is recommended. We recommend the tool Wireshark for this: Wireshark After the start, select the used network card and set the capture filter to the IP address of the machine on which XCAPI is installed; activate the SIP port filter:

ip.addr==<x.x.x.x> && tcp port sip (<x.x.x.x> must be replaced by the IP address)

Have you found an mistake on this page?

Please send us a hint about this error by mail to doku@c4b.de. Thank you very much!