7-43
Networking Guide for Cisco Unity Release 5.x (With Microsoft Exchange)
OL-13844-01
Chapter 7 VPIM Networking
VPIM Concepts and Definitions
VPIM Networking and Blind Addressing
Blind addressing is one of the methods that Cisco Unity provides for addressing VPIM messages to users
of another voice messaging system. Blind addressing allows Cisco Unity to address messages without
having specific information about the recipients on the remote voice messaging system (such as their
names and mailbox numbers). One of the steps to setting up blind addressing is to change the Blind
Addressing setting on the Primary Location > Addressing Options page to something other than None.
You also create a VPIM delivery location that corresponds to each voice messaging system with which
Cisco Unity communicates.
You provide the following key information for each delivery location:
• Dial ID—A unique number that identifies the location to Cisco Unity. This is the number that
subscribers dial when blind addressing messages to individuals who use the remote voice messaging
system.
• SMTP Domain Name—The Internet-addressable SMTP domain name that is used to construct
addresses for individuals who use the voice messaging system that corresponds to the delivery
location.
When blind addressing a message, subscribers dial a number that is made up of the delivery location Dial
ID and the mailbox number of the recipient. Before addressing the message, Cisco Unity parses the
number that the subscriber enters and searches for a matching delivery location. If Cisco Unity does not
find a matching location, it reports the error to the sender and does not address the message. If a matching
delivery location is found, Cisco Unity addresses the message without verifying that the remote mailbox
number exists. Cisco Unity does provide voice name confirmation that the delivery location exists before
addressing the message (assuming that a voice name was recorded for the delivery location).

Subscriber Experience with Blind Addressing

Subscribers can address messages by using the phone, ViewMail for Outlook, or the Cisco Unity Inbox.
To address a message by using ViewMail or the Cisco Unity Inbox, subscribers enter the address in the
following format:
[VPIM:<Delivery Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox Number>]
Note ViewMail requires the square brackets in the address.
Because your Cisco Unity server does not have access to the names, extensions, and recorded voice
names of the people who use the other voice messaging system, subscribers will encounter some
limitations with blind addressing:
• When addressing a message, the sender does not hear voice name confirmation. Cisco Unity cannot
verify that the entered number is correct, so subscribers may inadvertently address a message to the
wrong person or to a non-existent extension. However, subscribers will receive an NDR if the
number turns out to be an invalid extension.
• When addressing a message, subscribers cannot use spelled-name mode; subscribers address the
message only by using number mode, so they must know the delivery location Dial ID and the
mailbox number for the recipient.
• Blind addresses cannot be added to public distribution lists.
• When subscribers use the phone to listen to messages from someone at the VPIM location, the
conversation (also known as the telephone user interface, or TUI) cannot identify the sender.