Cisco Systems 5.x manual Additional Functionality, Networked System Broadcast Messages

Chapter 8 Using VPIM for Networking with Cisco Unity Express or Other Cisco Unity Systems

Additional Functionality

Additional Functionality

In addition to the standard functionality available when using the VPIM protocol to exchange voice messages with remote voice messaging systems, certain extended functionality is available when Cisco Unity is connected via VPIM to other Cisco Unity or Cisco Unity Express servers. The following section provides further information.

Networked System Broadcast Messages

System broadcast messages are recorded announcements sent to everyone in an organization (or to particular location(s) within an organization). System broadcast messages are played immediately after subscribers log on to Cisco Unity by phone—even before they hear message counts for new and saved messages. Subscribers must listen to each system broadcast message in its entirety before Cisco Unity allows them to hear new and saved messages or to change setup options. They cannot fast-forward or skip a system broadcast message.

Note System broadcast messages do not light message waiting indicators (MWIs) on subscriber phones, nor do they cause distinctive dial tones to notify subscribers of a new message when they pick up their desk phone receiver. System broadcast messages also do not trigger message notifications for alternative devices, such as a pager or another phone.

A system broadcast message can be sent to all subscribers on one or more Cisco Unity servers that access the same subscriber directory, by addressing the message to the delivery location Dial ID of the desired server. For more information, see the “Setting Up System Broadcast Messaging for Sending to All Subscribers in the Directory (Optional)” section on page 2-10.

In organizations where there are multiple Cisco Unity servers that access different directories, system broadcast messages can be sent to all subscribers in the organization (or to all subscribers associated with specific sets of digitally networked servers) by setting up public distribution lists that include VPIM subscribers representing each location where subscribers should receive the message. A similar approach can also be used to include all subscribers on a Cisco Unity Express server in the distribution of a system broadcast message.

Note A system broadcast message sent to one or more VPIM locations contains special attributes that mark the message as a system broadcast, and a start date and an end date that indicate when the message should be made available to subscribers. This feature is intended for use with remote Cisco Unity and Cisco Unity Express locations that support these attributes. If the message is addressed to other types of remote locations by adding VPIM subscribers from those locations to the public distribution list, or if the public distribution list contains Cisco Unity, Internet, AMIS, or Bridge subscribers, these attributes will be ignored by those distribution list members, and they will receive the message as a regular voice message.

Addressing System Broadcast Messages to Multiple Servers

Depending on how multiple Cisco Unity and Cisco Unity Express servers are connected, system broadcast messages can be addressed to all subscribers on all servers, or to all subscribers on a subset of servers in the organization. Figure 8-4illustrates addressing in an organization with multiple networks of servers connected via VPIM.

Networking Guide for Cisco Unity Release 5.x (With Microsoft Exchange)

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