PBX Systems - Voicemail and Unified Messaging Have Changed the Face of Business

First created in the 1970s, voicemail systems have come a long way and now also referred to as VMS and message banks. Basically voice mail is a system that stores phone messages centrally so they can later be received at the recipient's convenience. The term voice mail no refers to any method of delivering stored telecommunications and includes answering machines..

The methods to notify you that there is a message will change depending on the type of voice mail system you use. The way that you will be notified about a message will change depending on the type of voice messaging system you use. Simple systems may require you to check the system while other systems may indicate to you that there is a message waiting. The two major types of voice mail systems are voice messaging and telephone answering and there are differences between these two systems. When you have a telephone answering mode you can ensure that if no one answers or the extension is busy then the mode will answer the phone and take a message. Voice messaging allows a person with a mailbox number to send a message to another mailbox without calling first.

Voice mail directly impacts our daily lives in our personal and work spheres. Voice mail enables us to leave messages with someone when we can't get through to them, either because they are on the line or not answering the phone. In the past voice mail has evolved and changed and it will continue to evolve as technology changes and telecommunications continue to advance. Today voice mail is used in some way by most people and it has been easily integrated with email and text messaging.

Unified messaging, or UM, processes fax, text and voice messages in one single mail box. UM can be accessed using telephone or email. This integration of different electronic messaging and communications technologies (such as email, SMS, fax, voice mail, video messaging) into a single interface is accessible from a variety of different devices. Unified messaging allows many types of messages to be stored in one spot, using one system no matter the device used to create the message. An example of how UM works is in regards to voicemail that can be listened to through email - the voice mail message is delivered to the persons in box and then played through the computers speakers. Using UM computer users can open and play back a voice message and even fax, save or print images. Using UM means that you can access the same mailbox by telephone and that your email information will be converted to an audio file and played to you over the phone..

Unified messaging, or UM provides a great convenience for mobile professionals who travel or work odd hours because it allows them to reach customers and colleagues through a computer or telephone, depending which device is more readily available. Some UM services offer telephone access world wide, which is convenient for businesses that have employees who travel often from one country to another. UM is used mainly in business environments because its goal is to simplify the experience for the user by improving business productivity and minimizing communication issues..