Release Notes for Cisco Unity Connection ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook (VMO) Release 12.5(3)

These release notes contain requirements, download, installation, configuration instructions, new and changed requirements, support, limitations and restrictions, and caveat information for VMO Release 12.5(3).

VMO 12.5(3) is available only from the Cisco Download Software website.


Note
For full access to the Download Software website, you must be signed in to Cisco.com as a registered user.

Introduction

VMO provides a visual interface with which users can send, listen to, and manage their Cisco Unity Connection voice messages from Outlook.

Note the following considerations with VMO:

Single-inbox users
  • Users get voice messages in the same Inbox as their email.
  • Voice messages sent from Outlook will appear in the Sent Items folder. 1
  • VMO is required for users to play secure messages in the Exchange mailbox.
IMAP users
  • Users get voice messages in a separate mail folder in Outlook.
  • New voice messages get identified by a separate voice message icon.
  • VMO is required for users to play secure messages in the Unity Connection mailbox.
1 Single Inbox is not designed to sync the status of the messages for sent item folder.

Note
  • On Windows operating system with VMO, the text of the voice messages appears in black color and the ViewMail category appears in blue color. However, on MAC operating system, the text of the voice messages and the ViewMail category appears in the system default color.
  • When there is no default recording device available on the Windows machines and the user selectsthe recording device from Phone to Computer Default option then VMO will always consider Phone as default recording device.

Requirements

  • The VMO version must be supported with the version of Outlook that is installed and the operating system. See the applicable documentation:
  • The following software installed on the user workstation:
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package

    (If the software is not already installed, VMO Setup installs it.)

  • To install or upgrade VMO, you must have local administrator rights on the user workstation.
  • The user workstation must have at least 12 MB of hard-disk space available for VMO. (If other required software is being installed,100 MB or more may be required.)
  • If the proxy is enabled on the user workstation, then it must be connected to port 443 (HTTPS) to allow the communication between VMO and Cisco Unity Connection.

See also the “Prerequisites” section of these release notes.

Compatibility Information


Note
VMO 12.5(3) is compatible with Cisco Unity Connection 12.x, 11.x and 10.x.

Related Documentation

For descriptions and URLs of Cisco Unity Connection documentation on Cisco.com, see the Documentation Guide for Cisco Unity Connection Release 12.x. The document is shipped with Unity Connection and is available at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/12x/roadmap/b_12xcucdg.html.

Note
The Quick Start Guide for Cisco ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook (Release 8.5 and Later) is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/vmo/quick_start/guide/85xcucqsgvmo.html.

New and Changed Requirements and Support—Release 12.5(3)

There is no new and changed requirements and support in the 12.5(3) release time frame.

Additional Languages for VMO

No new locales are available for VMO 12.5(3).

New and Changed Functionality—Release 12.5(3)

This section contains information about new functionality in the View Mail for Outlook 12.5(3) release.

Improving VMO Installation with Windows 10

In earlier releases, VMO requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and Microsoft DirectX on user workstation for successful installation. However, VMO 12.5(3) removes these external dependencies for its installation on Windows 10 (32/64 bit).

VMO 12.5(3) provides below improvements for successful installation on Windows 10:

  • VMO 12.5(3) provides the support of Microsoft Direct X in its package.

  • VMO 12.5(3) uses inbuilt version of Microsoft .NET Framework available in the latest version of Windows 10 (32/64 bit).

For more information on .NET Framework on Windows 10, refer https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/migration-guide/versions-and-dependencies

Installation and Upgrade Information

Task List for Installing VMO 12.5(3) for the First Time

Do the following tasks in the order listed for a new VMO installation.
  1. Confirm that ViewMail requirements and prerequisites have been met. See the “Requirements” section and the “Prerequisites” section.
  2. Download VMO from the Cisco Download Software website. See the “Downloading VMO 12.5(3)” section.
  3. Optional: Customize VMO setup. See the “Customizing VMO Setup” section.
  4. Optional: Provide users with VMO files for installation.
  5. Install VMO. Provide users with instructions, if applicable. See the “Installing or Upgrading to VMO 12.5(3)” section.
  6. Link users’ email accounts with the voicemail server:
    1. Using the VMO Initialization wizard: When they restart Outlook following ViewMail installation, the Initialization wizard prompts users for any required information that was not already prepopulated.
    2. Using the ViewMail Options or Settings dialog: Enter the required information. Provide users with instructions, if applicable. See the “Installing VMO 12.5(3) Using Command Line Switches” section.

Task List for Upgrading to VMO 12.5(3)


Note
If you are upgrading from a VMO version earlier than 12.5(3), see the “Task List for Installing VMO 12.5(3) for the First Time” section. The older version is uninstalled automatically, and installing 12.5(3) is considered a new installation.

Note
Do the following tasks in the order listed to upgrade VMO to a later version.
  1. Confirm that ViewMail requirements and prerequisites have been met. See the “Requirements” section and the “Prerequisites” section.
  2. Download VMO from the Cisco Download Software website. See the “Downloading VMO 12.5(3)” section.
  3. Optional: Customize VMO setup for the upgrade, if applicable. See the “Customizing VMO Setup” section.
  4. Optional: Provide users with VMO files for the upgrade.
  5. Upgrade VMO. Provide users with instructions, if applicable. See the “Installing or Upgrading to VMO 12.5(3)
  6. Installing or Upgrading to VMO 12.5(3)” section.

    Note
    Existing email account and VMO settings remain unchanged during an upgrade.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for Using VMO with the Single-Inbox Feature

For VMO users who will access Unity Connection voice messages by using synchronized Unity Connection and Microsoft Exchange mailboxes(single-inbox), confirm that the following prerequisites have been met:

Prerequisites for Using VMO with IMAP

For VMO users who will access Unity Connection voice messages by using IMAP, confirm that the following prerequisites have been met:

Creating and Configuring an Account in Outlook to Access Voice Messages (IMAP Users Only)

Do the applicable procedure—depending on the Outlook version—for VMO users who will access Connection voice messages by using IMAP:

To Create and Configure an Account in Outlook 2013 and later to Access Voice Messages (IMAP Users)
Procedure
Step 1

Start Outlook.

Step 2

On the File tab, select Info, then Add Account.

Step 3

Confirm that Email Account (the default) is selected, then enter user information:

  1. In the Your Name field, enter a display name for the account. This typically is the full name of the user.

  2. In the Email Address field, enter the Connection SMTP address of the user.

    The address is available in the SMTP Address field on the User Basics page in Connection Administration, and typically uses the following format:

    <username>@<SMTP domain name of the Unity Connection server or cluster>

  3. In the Password field, enter the user’s Cisco PCA password (also known as the web application password).

  4. In the Retype Password field, enter the Cisco PCA password again.

Step 4

Select Next.

Step 5

If you see the “Problem Connecting to Server” message about an unavailable encrypted connection: Select Next to use an unencrypted connection.

Step 6

When the email-account configuration is complete, select Finish

Note 
If Outlook 2013 is getting crashed when you click on Draft Message/Sent Message/Calendar/Contacts, make sure that the IntResource64.dll library file does not exist in the %temp%\AppData\Local\Temp\folder. If the file exists in the specified location, delete the file before starting Outlook to resolve this issue.

Downloading VMO 12.5(3)

To Download VMO 12.5(3)

Procedure

Step 1

On a computer with a high-speed Internet connection, go to the Voice and Unified Communications download page at https://software.cisco.com/download/home/278875240.

Note 
To access the software download page, you must be signed in to Cisco.com as a registered user.
Step 2

In the tree control on the download page, expand Products > Unified Communications> Unified Communications Applications> Messaging> Unity Connection, and select Unity Connection ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook Version 12.5(3).

Step 3

In the Latest Releases folder, select VMO 12.5(3).

Step 4

On the right side of the page, select Download Now, and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the download.

Customizing VMO Setup

The file AdminConfig.xml is available in the VMO installation folder. Use the file to prepopulate user and voicemail server information when the VMO installation or upgrade is being pushed out to users.

After entering information in AdminConfig.xml, leave the file in the ViewMail installation folder when you make it available to users.

Installing or Upgrading to VMO 12.5(3)

By default, VMO files are installed in the directory C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VMO. You can specify a different directory during the software installation.

Do the procedure in this section to install or upgrade VMO on user workstations. You can also install ViewMail for multiple users who share a workstation.

To Install or Upgrade to VMO 12.5(3)

Procedure

Step 1

If Microsoft Outlook is running, exit the application.

Step 2

In the ViewMail folder, double-click the applicable file:

Setup.exe

Use this file for new installations and for upgrades from versions earlier than 12.5(3) It installs prerequisite software, as needed; places the AdminConfig.xml file in the correct location; and uninstalls older versions during upgrades.

This folder consists of two sub folders:
  • Win32: If you need to install 32-bit VMO.
  • x64: If you need to install 64-bit VMO.
Note 
For silent installation of VMO, in AdminConfig.xml file, the user id should be the login name of the system whereas the username and password should be the user name and password of Cisco Unity Connection.
ViewMail.msi

Use this file for quick minor upgrades for ViewMail 32-bit with versions 12.5(3) and later.

ViewMail_64.msi

Use this file for quick minor upgrades for ViewMail 64-bit with versions 12.5(3) and later.

Note 
For successful installation and upgrade of VMO 12.5(3), you must download and run the setup.exe.
Step 3

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

Step 4

Restart Outlook.

Note 

If high network latency is found on user setup with Office365 account, then VMO will not connect. In this scenario, go to VMO settings page and select Test Settings from your account settings page.

Installing VMO 12.5(3) Using Command Line Switches

To install VMO 12.5(3) through command line switches:

Procedure

Step 1

Run the following command on command prompt:

<Path of the VMO setup directory>setup.exe /i /qb /logfile <File Name>

Note 
<File Name> is the name of the log file.
Step 2

Restart Outlook.

Associating the Applicable Email Account with the Voicemail Server


Note
If you are upgrading VMO from 8.5(x) to a later version, skip this task as the existing email account and ViewMail settings remain unchanged during an upgrade.
You must link the applicable IMAP account or Exchange account with the voicemail server. This ensures that messages composed by using VMO are sent to the voicemail server.

Do the following procedure on each user workstation.

To Associate an Email Account with a Voicemail Server

Procedure

Step 1

In Outlook, open the ViewMail Settings or Options dialog:

Outlook 2013 and above

On the ViewMail tab, select Settings.
Step 2

Select Add, then select the account to associate with a voicemail server.

Step 3

Enter the applicable information in each field:

Voicemail Server Type

Select the voicemail server type to associate with the email account.

Username Enter the Cisco Unity Connection username (alias) of the user.
Password

Enter the user’s Cisco PCA password (also known as the web application password).

Voicemail Server Name Enter the name of the voicemail server.
Voicemail Server Status

Display only.

(Possible values are “Connected,” “Not Connected,” “Invalid Credentials,” and “Unknown.”)

Phone Number

Enter the extension or a phone number for the user.

This setting is required only if you want Unity Connection users to be able to record or play messages by using the phone.

Recording Device Select the preferred device.
Playback Device Select the preferred device.
Step 4

Select Test Settings to verify the information that was entered.

Step 5

Select OK.

Limitations and Restrictions

Installing a New Version of Outlook Requires Uninstalling ViewMail First

When installing a new version of Microsoft Outlook on user workstations, you must first uninstall VMO. After you have installed Outlook, reinstall ViewMail.

Otherwise, VMO will seem to be installed properly with the new version of Outlook, but it may not work.

Message Sensitivity Displays as Blank for Normal Sensitivity Messages Recorded in ViewMail

Users whose Outlook clients are configured to display the Sensitivity field in the message-list view may notice that messages recorded in VMO with the Sensitivity set to Normal do not display any text in the Sensitivity field.

Messages recorded by using the Cisco Unity Connection phone interface (as well as email messages composed in Outlook) display “Normal” in the Sensitivity field.

Some Software on User Workstations Can Cause ViewMail to Fail

Some security and VPN software installed on user workstations may cause VMO to fail. In particular, software that offers personal firewalls is problematic.

Exceptions may need to be added to the problematic software to allow ViewMail to work. Alternatively, you can set up ViewMail so that users can play messages with audio devices on their computers.


Note
In VMO 12.5(3) and later, if the user connects or disconnects the audio devices, it is recommended to restart Outlook, so that VMO displays the status of currently attached recording and playback devices only.

Unity Connection Server Must Be Available to Compose Voice Messages

In order to compose voice messages by using VMO with Cisco Unity Connection 8.5 and later, ViewMail must be able to contact the Unity Connection server. If the server is not available, users will see the following message: “The requested action could not be performed because the voicemail server was not available.”

In earlier ViewMail versions, voice messages could be recorded while the Unity Connection server was unavailable and were sent when the server became available again.

VMO 12.5(3) Limitations Regarding Icon Update when a Voice Message is read or unread

When a voice mail is marked read or unread using VMO 12.5(3), the state of voice mail Icon is not updated regardless of the Microsoft Outlook version.

VMO 64-Bit Limitation Regarding G.729

VMO 64 bit version is not supported for G.729 codec.

Caveats

You can find the latest caveat information for VMO version 12.5(3) by using Bug Toolkit, an online tool available for customers to query defects according to their own needs.

Bug Toolkit is available at http://www.cisco.com/go/bugs. Fill in your query parameters by using the custom settings in the Advanced Settings option.


Note
To access Bug Toolkit, you must be signed in to Cisco.com as a registered user.

Release notes for all versions of VMO are available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6509/prod_release_notes_list.html.

Open Caveats—Release 12.5(3)

There is no open caveat in VMO version 12.5(3) release.

Resolved Caveats—Release 12.5(3)

This section lists the resolved caveats for VMO 12.5(3) release. Click a link in the Caveat Number column to view the latest information on the caveat in Bug Toolkit.

(Caveats are listed in order by severity, then by component, then by caveat number.)

Table 1. Resolved Caveats for VMO 12.5(3) Release

Caveat Number

Component

Severity

Description

CSCvs61764

VMO

3

ViewMail Stability Issues With 12.5.2 impacting the outlook performance and crash (64 bit).

CSCvs48528

VMO

3

VMO 32/64 bit installation fail on the windows only when .Net framework version > 3.5 is installed

Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

For information on obtaining documentation, submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see the monthly What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation, which also lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, at: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/general/whatsnew/whatsnew.html

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