Table 1. Cisco Unity Interoperability Features and Functions Comparison
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General Characteristics |
Audio Messaging Interchange Specification (AMIS) |
Cisco Unity Bridge |
Voice Profile for Internet Mail (VPIM) |
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Cisco Unity version support |
• Microsoft Exchange supports the following:
- Cisco Unity 3.1(2) and above • Lotus Domino supports the following:
- Cisco Unity 4.0(5) and above |
• Microsoft Exchange supports the following:
- Cisco Unity 3.1(3) and above • Lotus Domino supports the following:
- Cisco Unity 4.0(5) and above
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• Microsoft Exchange supports the following:
- Cisco Unity 4.0(1) and above • Lotus Domino supports the following:
- Cisco Unity 4.0(5) and above |
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Interoperability |
For the most up-to-date list of supported voice messaging systems, see Cisco Unity System Requirements and Supported Hardware and Software, at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ |
For the most up-to-date list of supported voice messaging systems, see Cisco Unity Bridge System Requirements and Supported Hardware and Software, at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ |
For the most up-to-date list of supported voice messaging systems, see Cisco Unity System Requirements and Supported Hardware and Software, at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ |
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Connectivity cost considerations Note: These are the cost considerations associated with Cisco Unity voice messaging. Contact your Cisco sales representative for more information. There may be additional connectivity costs associated with enabling AMIS, Octel Analog Networking, or VPIM for the voicemail system that Cisco Unity voice messaging is exchanging messages with. |
• The AMIS feature for the Cisco Unity server that functions as an AMIS bridgehead is needed.
• Analog ports on the Cisco Unity server are needed. Connectivity can be achieved in one of two ways: by using voice boards or through supported voice gateways (refer to the "Supported voice gateways" row of this table).
• Analog lines are needed for message delivery.
• Applicable long-distance charges are necessary if the Cisco Unity bridgehead server and the remote voice-messaging system are physically located in different areas.
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• The license for the Cisco Unity Bridge server is needed.
• A separate server for the Cisco Unity Bridge software is needed. Each server supports up to 24 ports.
• Voice cards for Cisco Unity Bridge are needed.
• Analog lines for message delivery between the Cisco Unity Bridge and Octel nodes are needed.
• Applicable long-distance charges are necessary if the Cisco Unity bridgehead server and the remote voice-messaging system are physically located in different areas.
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) network bandwidth is needed for message delivery between the Cisco Unity Bridge and the Cisco Unity system.
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• A license for the Cisco Unity server that functions as a VPIM bridgehead is needed.
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) network bandwidth for message delivery is needed.
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Supported voice gateways |
For the most up-to-date list of supported voice gateways, see Cisco Unity System Requirements and Supported Hardware and Software, at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ |
For the most up-to-date list of supported voice gateways, see Cisco Unity Bridge System Requirements and Supported Hardware and Software, at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ |
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International availability |
This functionality is available in all countries in which the Cisco Unity messaging system is sold. |
• For a list of countries for which there is a voice-fax card approved for use, refer to the "Supported Voice-Fax Cards" section in Cisco Unity Bridge 3.0 System Requirements and Supported Hardware and Software, at http://www.cisco.com/univer
cd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/ c_unity/bridge30/sysreq/30b sysrq.htm. • Some deployments may service users in countries that are not on the Supported Voice-Fax Cards for the Cisco Unity Bridge Server list, but only when the Cisco Unity Bridge server itself is located in one of the countries listed.
• The Cisco Unity Bridge server is supported only when using the English-language version of Windows 2000 server. The locale must be set to English (United States), and the language settings must be set only to Western Europe and United States. (Choosing additional language settings is not supported.) The Cisco Unity Bridge software is not localized in any language other than English.
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This functionality is available in all countries in which the Cisco Unity messaging system is sold. |
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Features And Functions |
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Blind Addressing |
This feature is available through the Cisco Unity Telephone User Interface (TUI), Cisco Unity ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook (VMO), and Cisco Personal Communication Assistant (PCA) inbox. |
This feature is available through the Cisco Unity TUI, Cisco Unity VMO, and Cisco PCA inbox. |
This feature is available through the Cisco Unity TUI, Cisco Unity VMO, and Cisco PCA inbox. |
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Addressing by Name or by Extension Note: Spoken name confirmation is available when a recorded name exists for the AMIS or Cisco Unity Bridge or VPIM subscriber. |
This feature is available through the Cisco Unity TUI, Cisco Unity VMO, and the Cisco Unity Inbox. |
This feature is available through the Cisco Unity TUI, Cisco Unity VMO and the Cisco Unity Inbox. |
This feature is available through the Cisco Unity TUI, Cisco Unity VMO and the Cisco Unity Inbox. |
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Spoken-Name Confirmation |
This feature is available when a recorded voice name exists for the AMIS subscriber. |
This feature is available when a recorded voice name exists for the Cisco Unity Bridge subscriber. |
This feature is available when a recorded voice name exists for the VPIM subscriber. |
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Audio Formats Supported |
• The AMIS protocol is not dependent on audio format.
• The Cisco Unity servers can use any of the supported Cisco Unity codecs.
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• Octel Analog Networking is not dependent on audio format.
• The Cisco Unity servers must use either G711 or G729a to communicate with the Cisco Unity Bridge servers.
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• VPIM supports the following audio formats: G711, G726, and Microsoft Global System for Mobile Communications (MSGSM).
• The Cisco Unity servers can use any of the supported Cisco Unity codecs.
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Delivery Receipt and Read Receipt |
The AMIS protocol does not support this function. However, a request for a delivery or read receipt may be allowed on either the Cisco Unity system or the remote AMIS voicemail system when addressing, but the request does not result in a receipt. |
Requests for a delivery or read receipt generated by the Cisco Unity system are always returned from the Octel system as delivery receipts. The receipt is sent to the sender when the message is delivered to the Octel node, regardless of when the Octel system places the message in the subscriber mailbox or when the message is actually read. |
Requests for delivery or read receipts generated by either the Cisco Unity system or the remote VPIM system are honored, although both are treated as requests for delivery receipts. |
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Directory Information Sharing |
If the remote AMIS system is configured to send the recorded voice name in messages, the Cisco Unity system plays it as part of the message |
• With Octel Analog Networking, the NameNet feature is supported. Cisco Unity Bridge, paired with a Cisco Unity bridgehead server, participates in Octel analog networking, propagating text and voice names among nodes on the analog Octel network. Contact your Cisco sales representative for more details.
• If the remote Octel system is configured to send the recorded voice name in messages, Cisco Unity voicemail plays it as part of the message.
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• Cisco Unity voicemail can be configured to include the recorded voice name or vCard of the sender in messages to the remote VPIM systems.
• If the remote VPIM system is configured to send the recorded voice name or vCard in messages, Cisco Unity voicemail makes these available as part of the message.
• In Cisco Unity Version 4.0(5) for Microsoft Exchange, Cisco Unity voicemail can be configured to automatically create, modify, or delete VPIM subscriber records based on information contained in incoming VPIM messages and nondelivery receipts (NDRs). Settings are available to control whether or not the creation, modification, and deletion occur automatically and how the incoming information is used to create or modify a record.
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Directory Synchronization |
The AMIS protocol does not support this function. |
• The bridge synchronizes Octel subscriber information with Cisco Unity voicemail.
• Subscriber information is retrieved by the bridge from Octel and conversely, either based on message activity or because the administrator requested it.
• In Cisco Unity Bridge 3.0(6) and later, with the Accept Remote Push feature, Cisco Unity Bridge can accept directory updates pushed from a remote system. Refer to the "Directory information sharing" row of this table.
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The VPIM specification does not support this function. Refer to the "Directory information sharing" row of this table. |
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Distribution Lists |
• The AMIS protocol does not support delivery to a distribution list on the recipient voice-messaging system. Each message from Cisco Unity voice messaging to the AMIS system must be addressed to a mailbox ID on the remote system. (However, an administrator on the remote system may be able to configure a mailbox ID to forward messages to a distribution list.)
• AMIS subscribers can be members of Cisco Unity public or private distribution lists.
• Cisco Unity subscribers can add a blind address to a private distribution list in Cisco Unity 4.0(5).
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• Octel Analog Networking does not support delivery to a distribution list on the recipient voice-messaging system. Each message from Cisco Unity voice messaging to the Octel system must be addressed to a mailbox ID on the remote system. (However, an administrator on the remote system may be able to configure a mailbox ID to forward messages to a distribution list.)
• Bridge subscribers can be members of Cisco Unity public or private distribution lists.
• Cisco Unity subscribers can add a blind address to a private distribution list in Cisco Unity 4.0(5).
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• VPIM subscribers can be members of Cisco Unity public or private distribution lists.
• Cisco Unity subscribers can add a blind address to a private distribution list in Cisco Unity 4.0(5).
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Microsoft Exchange version support |
Microsoft Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003 (Standard or Enterprise) and Exchange 2007 are supported. |
Microsoft Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003 (Standard or Enterprise) and Exchange 2007 are supported. |
Microsoft Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003 (Standard or Enterprise) and Exchange 2007 are supported. |
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Lotus Domino version support |
Lotus Domino Version 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0 with Domino Unified Client (DUC) Version 1.2.2 only is supported. |
Lotus Domino Version 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0 with DUC Version 1.2.2 only is supported. |
Lotus Domino Version 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0 with DUC Version 1.2.2 only is supported. |
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Mailbox ID Translation (This feature offers the capability for Cisco Unity users to address a message to remote subscribers with the number of digits that the remote system is expecting to receive, without having to manually enter extra digits.) |
This feature is not available. |
• Prefixes can be defined so that Cisco Unity subscribers can address messages to Octel subscribers by entering a network address consistent with phone network dial plans.
• All Cisco Unity subscribers are mapped to a configurable mailbox and serial number value for use when communicating with Octel servers. This allows any Cisco Unity subscriber to represent mailbox X at node serial number Y within the Octel network, independent of the Cisco Unity numbering plan.
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• Additional digits can be automatically prepended to the Cisco Unity sender and remote recipient mailbox IDs on messages sent from Cisco Unity subscribers.
• The same digits can be stripped from the beginning of the remote sender and Cisco Unity mailbox IDs for delivery to Cisco Unity subscribers.
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Fax Messaging |
The AMIS protocol does not support this function. |
Cisco Unity Bridge supports this function. |
VPIM supports only the tag image file format for fax (TIFF-F) message format. |
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Message Transport Time Considerations |
• Analog delivery of the message from the sending system to the receiving system is the most significant contribution to transport time.
• The minimum analog delivery time can be calculated as the actual recording length of the message multiplied by the number of recipients for the message. The AMIS protocol requires a separate analog transmission of the message for each recipient.
• For example, a 5-minute message with 10 recipients would take a minimum of 50 minutes for the analog transmission.
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• Analog delivery of the message from the sending system to the receiving system is the most significant contribution to transport time.
• The minimum analog delivery time can be calculated as the actual recording length of the message.
• Octel Analog Networking allows a single analog transmission of a message addressed to multiple recipients, which the receiving node delivers to all intended recipients.
• For example, a 5-minute message with 10 recipients would take a minimum of 5 minutes for the analog transmission.
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• SMTP delivery time to a remote VPIM system is the main consideration.
• Microsoft Exchange routing time may also be a factor. For example, a 5-minute message with 10 recipients would likely take less than 1 minute.
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Private Messages |
The AMIS protocol does not support private messages, so messages marked private when they are sent are not marked as such when the recipient retrieves them. |
Messages marked private when they are sent are marked as private when the recipient retrieves them. |
Messages marked private when they are sent are marked as private when the recipient retrieves them. |
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Secure Messaging |
Encryption of outgoing messages to a remote delivery location is supported. Encryption of incoming messages from remote delivery locations is not currently supported. |
Secure messages can be sent to and received from remote delivery locations using Cisco Unity Bridge. |
Secure messages can be sent to and received from remote delivery locations using VPIM. |
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Simultaneous Analog Sessions for Message Delivery to or from Remote Voice-Mail System(s) |
• Support is limited to Cisco Unity voice-messaging port availability.
• Ports available to place outgoing AMIS calls can be configured by the Cisco Unity administrator (but not by AMIS destination).
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• Support is limited to Cisco Unity Bridge server analog port availability.
• The maximum number of ports to deliver simultaneously to any single node and the threshold to initiate and disconnect additional calls can be configured by Cisco Unity Bridge server.
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Not Applicable |
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Urgent Messages |
The AMIS protocol does not support this function, so messages marked urgent when they are sent are not marked as such when the recipient retrieves them. |
Messages marked urgent when they are sent are marked as such when the recipient retrieves them. |
Messages marked urgent when they are sent are marked as such when the recipient retrieves them. |