IST-CNS Unified Communications

Frequently Asked Questions from the Voicemail Survey

We received excellent questions in our Voicemail Survey in December 2004. We thought a FAQ would allow us to share the answers with everyone.

Where are the online help pages for the current voicemail system?
How do I reset my voicemail password?
Can I rewind, forward or skip portions of a message?
How do I quickly set alternate greetings?
How can I store more messages for a longer period of time?
How do I get a message indicator?
How do I forward my calls?
Why are voicemail messages delayed?
Can I enter prompts without listening to the system messages?
How can I keep a message "new"?
How can I get auto-redial on my phone?
Is there a toll-free number I can use to check messages?
How can I quickly access my messages?
Can I add to the end of a message?
How can I hear who the message is from?
Why do I receive new voicemail messages without the phone ringing?
How do I create and use a group?
What are announcement-only mailboxes?
How can I create a message tree?
How do I change the instruction length?
If we combine email and voicemail, do we lose all message capability when the email system goes down?
Why can't I change my own pager notification number?
What will this new service cost?
How do I mark a voicemail message as urgent?
Won't everyone hear my voicemail messages if I play them on the computer?

Where are the online help pages for the current voicemail system?
You can find on-line voicemail help at the CNS Voicemail Page, along with a handy diagram or map of the button prompts. You can find a description of many features at the Centrex Telephone Information page. You can also visit our Customer Services page for more information.
How do I reset my voicemail password?
Please contact the CNS Trouble and Repair desk at 642-9053.
Can I rewind, forward or skip portions of a message?
Yes, you can! The following set of key presses is useful in all situations when you are hearing a message being played or are recording a message.
- Press [1] to repeat a message.
- Press [6] to repeat the envelope information of a message.
- Press [7] to back up 10 seconds in the message.
- Press [7][7] to back up to the beginning of the message.
- Press [8] to pause for 20 seconds, press again to resume listening or recording.
- Press [9] to jump ahead 10 seconds in a message.
- Press [9][9] to jump to the end of a message.
- Press [#] to skip to the next message.
How do I quickly set alternate greetings?
To record an alternate greeting,
1. Dial into the voicemail system
2. Press [4] from the Main Menu, and then press [22]. You do not have to wait for the prompts to play.
3. Press [5] to begin recording a new personal greeting and [#] when you're done. You do not have to listen to your old alternate recording. You can press [5] immediately.
4. To accept this greeting, press [#] again or [5] to rerecord.
5. Pressing [#] activates the alternate personal greeting you just changed, and callers will hear it until you turn it off.
To summarize, from the main menu, it's [4225] - record your greeting - [##]. You can read more detailed instructions at the CNS's Voicemail Instruction Page.
How can I store more messages?
CNS currently offers four tiers of service; Basic, Plus, Enhanced and Custom. All classes of service have the following features:
- Access to messages from any location at any time
- Multiple messages may be left at the same time
- Share a single line with up to five mail boxes
- Extension mailboxes share the primary number
- Non-Receipt notification after 14 days
UC Berkeley offers the following voice mail classes of service:
- VOICE MAIL BASIC
  - Maximum 10 Stored Messages
  - Message retention of 14 days
- VOICE MAIL BASIC EXTENSION
  - Maximum 10 Stored Messages
  - Message retention of 14 days
- VOICE MAIL PLUS
  - Maximum 20 Stored Messages
  - Message retention of 14 days
- VOICE MAIL PLUS EXTENSION
  - Maximum 20 Stored Messages
  - Message retention of 14 days
- VOICE MAIL ENHANCED
  - Maximum 30 Stored Messages
  - Message retention of 14 days
  - Pager Notification
- VOICE MAIL ENHANCED EXTENSION
  - Maximum 30 Stored Messages
  - Message retention of 14 days
  - Pager Notification
If you would like to add or change your voicemail service, please submit a CNS Shopping Cart order.
The new Unified Communications service will have a different storage model. Standard voicemail will have a limit on the number of messages you can store at once. However, the Unified Messaging and Unified Communication Services will enable you to forward your messages to your email. You can keep your voicemail messages for as long as you desire in your email folders.
How do I get a message indicator?
Message indicators can be a lit diamond on your phone set, an external light, or stutter dial tone. Only certain sets have a message indicator lamp built into them. In addition to having the equipment, you must also request to add the message waiting lamp feature on your telephone line. You can do this through the CNS Shopping Cart. If you have equipment which has a message waiting indicator, select "I don't see my item" and request "activate message waiting lamp". If you are unsure whether your phone equipment has a message waiting indicator, select "I don't see my item" and request "consultation on message waiting lamp". Be sure to include the phone number to which you want this feature added. There may be a processing fee for adding this service. There is no fee for consultation.
How do I forward my calls?
There are three types of call forwarding: two are set up by the CNS consultant and one is set up by the owner of the phone. This one is called "Call Forward Variable". This feature must be activated and deactivated from the same telephone. Call Forward Variable may be limited to campus only or may be unlimited. You must request this feature to be added to your phone line before you can use it. You can do this through the CNS Shopping Cart. Select "I don't see my item" and request "call forward variable". Be sure to include the phone number to which you want this feature added. There may be a processing fee for adding this service.
To activate:
- Lift handset
- Hear dial tone
- Dial [12#]
- Hear special dial tone
- Dial the phone number (including [9] if dialing an off-campus number) to which calls are to be forwarded
- Hear confirmation tone
- Hang up
To deactivate:
- Lift handset
- Hear dial tone
- Dial [72]
- Hear confirmation tone
- Hang up
There are additional instructions at the analog features page.
Why are voicemail messages delayed?
We apologize for this situation. Delayed messages is one of the major problems we have with our current voicemail system and is a contributing factor to its replacement. It is due to the old technology used on the voicemail platform and its inability to clear cached memory and buffers adequately.
Can I enter prompts without listening to the system messages?
Yes, you can! You don't need to wait for recorded prompts to finish playing. If you know what keys to press, press them at any time.
How can I keep a message "new"?
A message is marked "new" until you either save or delete the message. You can listen to a message but still keep it marked "new" by pressing [#] while listening to the message. This "skips" to the next message but neither saves nor deletes the current message -- it remains "new". Remember, though, that even "new" messages will be deleted after 14 days, depending on your class of service.
How can I get auto-redial on my phone?
This is a feature that can be added to your phone line. You can request this through the CNS Shopping Cart. Select "I don't see my item" and request "auto-redial". Be sure to include the phone number to which you want this feature added. There may be a processing fee for adding this service. Once you have the feature, you can simply pick up your handset and press [##]. It will redial the last outgoing phone number.
Is there a toll-free number I can use to check messages?
We apologize for not offering a toll-free number at this time. It is something we will consider with the new Unified Communications System.
How can I quickly access my messages?
There are a series of short-cuts you can use to quickly access your messages. For example, if you have a message waiting light on your phone set, you can merely press the button associated with the message waiting light. This will dial the voicemail system. Since it's from your phone line, all you have to enter is your password.
If you have stutter dial or a message waiting light, you can also pick up your handset and press [79]. This will dial the voicemail system. Since it's from your phone line, all you have to enter is your password.
Once you've entered your password and hear that you have messages, you can press [1] to begin listening to them. We do not currently have a "hands-free" option of listening to messages and are considering that in the voicemail replacement.
Can I add to the end of a message?
While reviewing your message, you may restart or continue recording your message by pressing [5] at any time.
How can I hear who the message is from?
Who the message is from, the date/time of the message and the type of message (urgent and/or private) are contained in the "envelope" of the message. There are two ways to listen to envelope information. When you first listen to the message, the system will play the envelope information before playing the message. If you would like to hear the envelope information again, you can simply press [6] while listening to a message.
If the message was sent from someone inside the Berkeley campus, and that person is a campus voicemail subscriber, and that person has recorded his/her personal name, you will hear that recording. Otherwise you will hear the phone number in the envelope information.
Why do I receive new voicemail messages without the phone ringing?
When someone forwards or copies a message to you, the system saves the message in your mailbox but does not ring the phone. Subscribers can also log into their mailbox and send a message directly to your voicemail box without calling your phone number first. Both of these situations will activate your message waiting indicator.
How do I create and use a group?
The Group List feature allows a mailbox holder to send the same voice message to a number of recipients without having to key in each recipient's mailbox address separately. Personal Group Lists are administered by individual mailbox holders. Once you have set up a group, you can edit the group or cancel the entire group. Depending on your Voice mail service level, you can have up to 15 groups. Each group can have up to 24 members. It is also good practice to give your groups titles. This will make it easy for you to manage your groups.
To set up a group:
1. dial into the voicemail system
2. press [5] from the Main Menu
3. At the Group Menu, press [1]. You will be told the total number of groups available at your service level.
4. Select the group number you wish to assign and press [#]. You will hear the system prompt you to add members. Members are the other campus Voice mail users. Enter their five-digit telephone number and press [#]. Press [#] when you have finished entering the members.
5. To record a name for your group, press [2] and follow the system prompts.
You can read more details at the Voicemail Groups page.
What are announcement-only mailboxes?
Announcement-only mailboxes allow callers to hear information but callers cannot leave voice messages. Announcement-only mailboxes are frequently used when employees leave but the phone number is still active. You can request this through the CNS Shopping Cart. Select "I don't see my item" and request "announcement-only mailbox". Be sure to include the phone number to which you want this feature added. There may be a processing fee for adding this service.
How can I create a message tree?
Instead of leaving a message in your mailbox, your callers can request a transfer to an attendant. voicemail then transfers the caller to the phone number you select. If your mailbox does not have the attendant feature, voicemail will tell you so.
1. Press [4] at the Main Menu to select Record Name and Greeting.
2. Press [3] at the Greetings Menu to Select Attendant.
3. voicemail plays the name or telephone number of your current attendant.
  - Press [#] to accept it and return to the Greetings Menu Or,
  - Enter the new attendant's telephone number and press [#].
  - voicemail plays the name or telephone number of your new attendant and returns you to the Greetings Menu.
If you would like something more advanced than a simple attendant, you can request a Call Controller Application, aka Call Router Application, for your phone number. You can request this through the CNS Shopping Cart. Select "I don't see my item" and request "consultation on a call controller application". Be sure to include the phone number to which you want this feature added. Call controller applications have one-time setup fees and monthly charges.
How do I change the instruction length?
The voicemail instructions describing your options may be set to standard, which gives a full description of the options, or brief, which gives a short description. To change menu instruction length:
1. Press [3] at the Main Menu to select Change Personal Profile.
2. Press [3] at the Personal Profile Menu to select Instruction Length.
3. Press [1] to select Standard instructions. Or press [2] to select Brief instructions. You will be returned to the Personal Profile Menu.
4. Press [*] to return to the Main Menu.
If we combine email and voicemail, do we lose all message capability when the email system goes down?
IST has been working on making the centrally-supported campus email system be highly redundant and scalable. The likelihood of email fully "going down" has become smaller and smaller with the introduction of Calmail in Spring 2004 and with the Calmail infrastructure improvements in the summer and fall of 2004. That said, we are planning to have a fail-over system devoted specifically for voicemail in the event that Calmail does fail. This system would allow callers to leave new voicemail messages and subscribers to retrieve voicemail messages even if Calmail is unavailable. Most likely, this system will not provide full Unified Communications nor Unified Messaging service, but would provide simple voicemail service in the case of catastrophic failure of other campus systems.
Why can't I change my own pager notification number?
The current Digital Sound voicemail system is an older system which does not allow the subscriber to change his/her own pager notification number. While we are still on the current system, please submit a CNS Shopping Cart work order and select "I don't see my item". Moving away from the older technology is one of the reasons why we are moving to a new system. The new system will allow a subscriber to change his/her own pager notification number through a web page.
What will this new service cost?
The recharge rates for the new service have not yet been submitted or approved, and won't be until the service has been certified as production ready. At this time, we are unable to compute or publish a rate. The new rates will be developed and submitted to the campus recharge committee as soon as possible after the services (Unified Messaging and Unified Communications) have been certified as production ready.
How do I mark a voicemail message as urgent?
After you are done recording the voicemail message, but before you hang up or send the message, press [4] to mark the message as urgent. New urgent messages are played first when the subscriber listens to messages.
Won't everyone hear my voicemail messages if I play them on the computer?
Many members of the campus community are also members of the cubicle community. Most people who work in cubicles already have headphones attached to their computers and have turned off or removed external speakers, to be respectful of the cubicle buddies around them. Playing your voicemail messages through your computer will be similar to listening to music through your computer. If you already have headphones, you will hear the voicemail message through your headphones. If you have speakers, you will hear the voicemail message through your speakers.

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Created on: December 3, 2004
Last revised: February 04, 2005