Cisco Unity Connection System Administration Guide, Release 1.x - Changing Conversation Settings [Cisco Unity Connection]

Table Of Contents

Changing Conversation Settings

Changing the Audio Format for System Prompts (G.711 or G.729a)

Changing How Users Skip Messages During Message Playback (Standard Conversation)

Changing How Cisco Unity Connection Saves New Messages That Users Skip During Message Playback (Optional Conversation 1)

Specifying How Users Log On to Cisco Unity Connection from User Greetings

Configuring Call Waiting Hold Time

Cisco Unity Connection Music on Hold

Offering Users Additional Caller Information Before Message Playback

Changing the Order for Addressing and Recording

Changing How Users Confirm Message Addressing

Setting the Double-Key Time Interval for Addressing

Streamlining Message Addressing

Changing What Users Hear When They Manage Deleted Messages

Setting Up System Transfers

Setting the Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold

Changing Conversation Settings

See the following sections in this chapter:

•Changing the Audio Format for System Prompts (G.711 or G.729a)

•Changing How Users Skip Messages During Message Playback (Standard Conversation)

•Changing How Cisco Unity Connection Saves New Messages That Users Skip During Message Playback (Optional Conversation 1)

•Specifying How Users Log On to Cisco Unity Connection from User Greetings

•Configuring Call Waiting Hold Time

•Cisco Unity Connection Music on Hold

•Offering Users Additional Caller Information Before Message Playback

•Changing the Order for Addressing and Recording

•Changing How Users Confirm Message Addressing

•Setting the Double-Key Time Interval for Addressing

•Streamlining Message Addressing

•Changing What Users Hear When They Manage Deleted Messages

•Setting Up System Transfers

•Setting the Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold

Changing the Audio Format for System Prompts (G.711 or G.729a)

Cisco Unity Connection is installed with all prompts recorded in both the G.711 Mu-Law and the G.729a audio formats (or codecs). You should consider the following when setting the audio format for the prompts:

•To reduce the need for transcoding from one audio format to another, Connection should use prompts in the same audio format that the phone system uses for the media stream.

•To minimize the performance impact on the Connection server, Connection should use the same audio format for prompts that the phone system uses for the media stream.

•Callers hear consistent sound quality when the prompts are in the same audio format that is used for recording messages.

•The G.711 Mu-Law audio format offers superior audio quality.

•The G.729a audio format uses less network bandwidth.

To choose a different audio format for system prompts, do the following procedure.

To Change the Audio Format for System Prompts

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 On the Conversation Configuration page, in the Prompt Set Codec (G711 or G729a) field, enter the setting that you want as shown in Table 11-1.

Table 11-1 Settings for the Prompt Set Codec Field

Setting

Effect

G711

Connection will play all prompts in the G.711 Mu-Law audio format. If the phone system uses a different audio format for the media stream, Connection will transcode the prompts.

G729a

Connection will play all prompts and conversations in the G.7729a audio format. If the phone system uses a different audio format for the media stream, Connection will transcode the prompts.

Caution You must enter the characters exactly as shown above. Otherwise, Connection will not recognize the setting and the audio format will not be changed.

Step 3 Click Save.

Changing How Users Skip Messages During Message Playback (Standard Conversation)

You can customize the standard conversation to change how users skip messages. By default, users can press the # key to fast-forward to the end of a message, and press ## to skip to the next message as they play messages. You may want to consider changing the Cisco Unity Connection conversation so that users can press a single # key to skip a message during message playback.

Changing whether users press # or ## to skip a message during message playback also affects the shortcuts that users can use while listening to a message. The changes to all keys are summarized in Table 11-2.

Table 11-2 Keys Affected by Changing How Users Skip Messages During Message Playback

Task

Key(s) Users Press When ## Is Used to Skip to the Next Message¹ (Default)

Key(s) Users Press When # Is Used to Skip to the Next Message²

Fast-forward to end of message (Connection plays After Message menu)

#

99

Skip message and save as is

##

#

Skip message and restore as saved

#2

992

Skip message and reply

#4

994

Skip message and reply to all

#42

9942

Skip message and forward message

#5

995

Skip message and save as new/restore as new

#6

996

Skip message and play message properties

#9

999

¹Note that the Cisco Unity Connection at a Glance, Connection Phone Menus and Shortcuts, and the Cisco Unity Connection User Guide reflect the key mapping that users use when they press ## to skip to the next message.

²Users can also use the 99 key combinations when the default setting is used.

This change is applied systemwide to all users who use the standard conversation. You cannot make the change for an individual user or a specific group of users who use the standard conversation. If users in your organization are already accustomed to pressing ## to skip to the next message, review the "Support Desk Orientation" section in the "Operator and Support Desk Orientation" chapter of the Cisco Unity Connection User Setup Guide before you make the change (the guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6509/prod_maintenance_guides_list.html). It is important that you understand the potential problems that may arise when users do not readily adapt to the new key mappings.

Do the following procedure if you would like to change the action that Connection takes when users press the # key during message playback.

To Change How Users Skip Messages During Message Playback

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 Check or uncheck the Standard Conversation: Use # to Skip to Next Message check box, depending on how you want to change this setting:

Check box not checked

When users press the # key during message playback, Connection fast-forwards to the end of the message and then plays the After Message menu. Users press ## to skip to the next message during message playback.

This is the default setting.

Check box checked

When users press the # key during message playback, Connection skips to the next message. Connection skips two messages when users press ## during message playback. Users can press 99 to fast-forward to the end of the message.

Step 3 Click Save.

Changing How Cisco Unity Connection Saves New Messages That Users Skip During Message Playback (Optional Conversation 1)

You can customize Optional Conversation 1 to change how Cisco Unity Connection handles new messages that users skip during message playback. By default, when users press # to skip a new message during message playback, Connection saves the message as new. This means that when users call Connection to check messages, the skipped message remains in the list of new messages that Connection plays. In addition, message waiting indicators (MWI) on user phones remain lit as long as there are new messages.

Instead, you can customize Optional Conversation 1 so that Connection saves new messages that users skip by pressing # during message playback as saved messages rather than as new messages. Users in your organization may prefer this so that when they call Connection to check for new messages, they hear only newly-arrived messages, and not the messages that they skipped earlier. Likewise, users can then rely on their MWIs to determine when a new message arrives.

A change to the message playback setting is applied systemwide to all users who use Optional Conversation 1. You cannot make the change for an individual user or a specific group of users who use Optional Conversation 1. The change does not affect users who use the standard conversation.

Do the following procedure if you would like Connection to save new messages as saved messages when users skip them by pressing # during message playback. Note that the procedure does not change how Connection saves messages when users press 9 or # after message playback.

To Change How Connection Handles Messages That Users Skip by Pressing # During Message Playback

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 Enter a value in the Optional Conversation 1: Treat Skipped Messages As Saved field, depending on how you want to change this setting:

0

Connection saves skipped messages as new messages.

1

Connection saves skipped messages as saved messages.

Step 3 Click Save.

Specifying How Users Log On to Cisco Unity Connection from User Greetings

Caller input settings allow you to specify how users log on to Cisco Unity Connection when they are listening to a user greeting. By using the caller input settings you can specify which keys users can press to interrupt a user greeting so that they can log on to Connection, and what users hear after Connection prompts them to log on.

You specify caller input settings on the user template and on individual user pages in Cisco Unity Connection Administration. Caller input settings work for a particular greeting only when the Ignore Additional Input check box is unchecked on the applicable Greetings page for the user template or individual user in Cisco Unity Connection Administration.

By default, Connection is set up so that users hear the Connection Sign-In conversation, which prompts them for their ID and password when they press * during any user greeting—either their own or another user greeting. As an alternative, you can accommodate users who want an easier way to log on from their own greeting by offering the Easy Sign-In conversation, which prompts users only for a password.

Table 11-3 summarizes the options available to you for specifying how users log on to Connection from their own greeting or from another user greeting.

Table 11-3 Summary of Caller Input Options Available for Specifying How Users Log On to Cisco Unity Connection from User Greetings

Conversation

Description

Use

Best Practice

Sign-In

Prompts users to enter an ID and password when they press * during any user greeting.

Enabled by default.

To avoid leaving a message as "an unidentified caller," users can log on to Connection from another user greeting when they call the user from a phone that is not associated with their account. (Connection users cannot reply to messages from unidentified callers.)

Continue to offer the Sign-In conversation so that users can make the most of identified user messaging.

If you are considering reassigning the key used to access the Sign-In conversation, consider that users also access the Sign-In conversation by pressing * from the Opening Greeting.

Easy Sign-In

Prompts users to enter a password when they press a key during any user greeting.

Disabled by default. (No key is mapped to the Easy Sign-In conversation.)

Users can dial their extensions and log on quickly. In this situation, users may prefer the Easy Sign-In to the Sign-In conversation because they find the extra step of entering their ID redundant as they had already entered it when they dialed their extension (assuming that Cisco Unity Connection IDs are the same as user extensions).

Offering users a fast and familiar way to log on from their own greeting is a handy alternative when users cannot remember the pilot number to access Connection by phone.

(Note that when users call another user and attempt to log on, Connection requires the password associated with the extension of the user who placed the call.)

Provide Easy Sign-In to users who want a faster way to log on from their own greeting or to accommodate users who are accustomed to another voice messaging system.

Keys 1-9 are unmapped, and are therefore good choices for assigning to the Easy Sign-In conversation. Consider the following if you are thinking of using the *, 0, or # key instead:

•Avoid reassigning the * key so that you can continue to offer the Sign-In conversation.

•The # key is already set up to skip greetings. It is also the key that users use to skip ahead throughout the Connection conversation.

•The 0 key is already set up to send callers to the Operator call handler.

•The Connection user documentation reflects the behavior described above for the *, 0, and # keys.

Configuring Call Waiting Hold Time

With call holding, when the phone is busy, Cisco Unity Connection can ask callers to hold. Connection manages each caller in the queue, according to the settings you configure. You can configure call waiting hold time, as described below. You can also customize the music that callers hear while on hold, as described in the "Cisco Unity Connection Music on Hold" section.

You can change the setting for the wait time between call transfer attempts (the default value is 5 seconds), and for the maximum number of call transfer attempts allowed (the default value is 5 attempts). To obtain the call holding queue wait time for the first caller in the queue, Cisco Unity Connection multiplies the values of the two settings. For example, if both keys were set to a value of 10, the call holding queue wait time would be 100 seconds (a wait time of 10 seconds x 10 call transfer attempts).

Do the following procedure to add or change the call holding wait time setting.

To Add or Change Call Holding Wait Time

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 Enter values for the following settings:

Wait Time In Seconds Between Call Transfer Attempts

This setting specifies the wait time in seconds between call transfer attempts. Enter a number between 1 and 60 seconds.

The default setting is 5 seconds. We recommend a value between 5 and 15 seconds, as a value outside of this range could prevent Connection from functioning as designed

Maximum Call Transfer Attempts Allowed

This setting specifies the maximum number of transfer attempts Connection will perform. Enter a number between 0 (zero) and 30.

The default setting is 5 attempts. We recommend a value between 2 and 10, as increasing this setting will decrease the frequency at which Connection asks whether the caller wants to continue to hold.

Step 3 Click Save.

Cisco Unity Connection Music on Hold

When Music on Hold is enabled, what callers on hold hear depends on the phone system.

Cisco CallManager

The first caller on hold in the call holding queue hears a series of holding tones approximately every five seconds. Subsequent callers in the queue for the same extension will hear music on hold that is generated by Cisco Unity Connection system prompts.

Cisco SIP Proxy Server

All callers on hold in the call holding queue hear silence.

Circuit-switched phone systems

The first caller on hold in the call holding queue hears hold music generated by the phone system, if it is configured to provide music on hold. Otherwise, the first caller hears a series of holding tones approximately every five seconds. Even when the phone system is configured to provide music on hold, subsequent callers in the queue for the same extension will hear music on hold that is generated by Connection system prompts.

The default wait time in the holding queue for the second and subsequent callers is approximately 30 seconds, and is based on the playing time of the music on hold system prompt WAV files. Connection plays each of the music on hold files in sequence, beginning with the file PHHoldMusic009.wav. If the caller presses 1 to continue to hold, Connection loops back to the first file, PHHoldMusic000.wav, then plays the next sequentially-numbered file if the caller wants to continue to hold, and so on.

To increase the holding queue wait time for the second and subsequent callers in the call holding queue, rerecord the following ten prompts: PHHoldMusic000.wav through PHHoldMusic009.wav, located in the Cisco Unity Connection\TuiResources\Prompts\ENU\G711\AvPHGreet directory, or the Cisco Unity Connection\TuiResources\Prompts\ENU\G729a\AvPHGreet directory, depending on which codec you use. You can use the same music source for each of the prompts, or choose different music for each prompt. If you do not have an automatic call distribution or other call center product installed, you can record custom messages at the beginning or at the end of the music for several of the prompts, for example, "Your call is important to us. We apologize for the delay. A representative will be with you shortly," or a brief message advertising your products. The playing time for each of these WAV files should be approximately the same, and be from 45 to 120 seconds in length. Be sure to record and test all ten prompts. If any of the ten PHHoldMusic WAV files are missing, callers will be unable to continue holding.

Be aware that subsequent callers in the holding queue cannot advance while a particular WAV file is playing; Connection takes action on the call at the end of the playing of each WAV file. Therefore, we recommend that you keep the playing time for each of the prompts to the minimum amount of time that meets the needs of your site. (Note, however, that the first caller on hold will be transferred to the extension at whatever point it becomes available.)

Offering Users Additional Caller Information Before Message Playback

The Cisco Unity Connection user conversation can be customized so that it provides users with additional information about each caller who left a message, before it plays the message. See Table 11-4.

Table 11-4 Caller Information That Cisco Unity Connection Can Offer Before Message Playback

For Messages Left by This Type of Caller

Message Type

Cisco Unity Connection Plays This by Default

Cisco Unity Connection Plays This When Additional Caller Information Is Offered

Identified user (including call handlers)

Voice, receipts

The recorded name of the user. If the user (or call handler) does not have a recorded name, Connection plays the primary extension associated with the user or call handler instead.

Both the recorded name (if available) and the primary extension before playing the message.

When a user (or call handler) does not have a recorded name nor an extension, Connection simply plays the message without announcing who it is from.

Unidentified caller

Voice

The message, without announcing who it is from or playing the phone number of the caller first.

The phone number (if available) of the caller before playing the message.

If you choose to provide Connection users with additional caller information before message playback, consider the following requirements:

•Users hear sender information before Connection plays each message only if their accounts are configured to play it. Either a Connection administrator or a user can specify message playback preferences. (Connection administrators specify whether users hear sender information before message playback on the Edit Conversation Settings page for a user or user template in Cisco Unity Connection Administration, while users can specify their own message playback preferences in the Cisco Unity Assistant.)

•In addition, to allow Connection to provide the phone number (ANI or caller ID) information for unidentified callers, your phone system must support sending such information to Connection. (See your phone system documentation for more information.) When Connection receives ANI information on a caller, it will make use of only the valid numbers, and ignores any other characters that the phone system sends.

See the "Changing What Cisco Unity Connection Plays Before and After a Message" section in the "Setting Up Features and Functionality That Are Controlled by User Account Settings" chapter of the Cisco Unity Connection User Moves, Adds, and Changes Guide for instructions on changing these settings. The guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6509/prod_maintenance_guides_list.html.

You can also use the Bulk Edit utility (available in Tools Depot) to provide individual users or a specific group of users with additional information on one or both of the types of callers who leave messages for them. You can use one or both of the following fields on the Conversation tab in Bulk Edit to offer users additional caller information before message playback:

Announce Sender's Extension for Messages from Subscribers

Specifies whether Connection provides users with additional caller information on users (and call handlers) who leave messages for them.

Announce ANI for Messages from Unidentified Callers

Specifies whether Connection provides users with additional caller information on unidentified callers who leave messages for them.

See Bulk Edit Help for details on using it to modify existing user accounts.

Changing the Order for Addressing and Recording

The Cisco Unity Connection standard conversation can be customized to change the order in which Connection prompts users to address and record when they send or forward messages to other users or distribution lists. By default, when a user sends or forwards a message, Connection first prompts the user to record the message or to record an introduction for a forwarded message, and then prompts the user to address the message.

You can customize the user conversation so that Connection prompts users to address a message before recording the message or an introduction. This setting change is applied systemwide to all users. You cannot make the change for an individual user or a specific group of users. Finally, note that you cannot change the order in which Connection prompts users to address and record when they reply to messages; Connection always prompts users to record a reply before allowing them to add additional recipients.

Do the following procedure to change the order in which Connection prompts users to address and record when they send messages.

To Change the Order of Addressing and Recording When Users Send Messages

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 Check or uncheck the Address Message Before Recording check box, depending on how you want to change this setting:

Check box unchecked

When users send or forward messages to other users or distribution lists, Connection prompts users to record the message first and then address it.

This is the default setting.

Check box checked

When users send or forward messages to other users or distribution lists, Connection prompts users to address the message first and then record it.

Step 3 Click Save.

Changing How Users Confirm Message Addressing

The Cisco Unity Connection standard conversation can be customized to alter how Connection prompts a user to confirm message addressing. By default, when a user addresses a message, Connection plays the recorded name and extension of the intended recipient (or, when there is no recorded name, Connection plays the extension instead) and asks the user to confirm that the recipient is correct.

Table 11-5 shows the confirmation prompts that users hear during message addressing, depending on how you change the Addressing Match Confirmation Mode setting.

Note From the System Settings > Advanced > Conversations page, you can customize other aspects of the user conversation. The Connection prompts listed in Table 11-5 assume that all other settings related to the user conversation are set to their default values. Changes to some settings—such as the Directory List Selection Mode setting—affect what the user hears when you customize message addressing.

Table 11-5 Confirmation Prompts During Message Addressing

Value

When There Is an Exact Match

When There Is More Than One Matching Name

0

"For <recipient name> at <extension>, press #. To cancel, press *."

"There are <x> matching names; choose by number. For Alex Campbell at extension 2015, press 1. For Li Campbell at extension 2003, press 2. For Terry Campbell at extension 2078, press 3..."

1

"For <recipient name>, press #. To cancel, press *."

If there is no recorded name, Connection plays the extension instead. "For <extension>, press #. To cancel, press *."

"There are <x> matching names; choose by number. For Alex Campbell, press 1. For Li Campbell, press 2. For Terry Campbell, press 3..."

If there is no recorded name, Connection plays the extension instead. "For extension 1001, press 1..."

2

"Added."

"There are <x> matching names; choose by number. For Alex Campbell at extension 2015, press 1. For Li Campbell at extension 2003, press 2. For Terry Campbell at extension 2078, press 3..."

When users address messages to other users or system distribution lists by name or by ID, Connection will play the name and the extension as confirmation. To expedite the addressing process, set this value to 1 so that Connection will confirm with the name only. You can also set the value to 2, in which case Connection does not confirm the selection.

The setting change is applied systemwide to all users. You cannot change how Connection prompts an individual user or a specific group of users to confirm message addressing.

Do the following procedure to change how users confirm message addressing.

To Change How Users Confirm Message Addressing

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 Enter a value in the Addressing Match Confirmation Mode field, depending on how you want to change this setting:

0

Connection confirms by playing the name and extension.

This is the default setting.

1

Connection confirms by playing the name. If there is no recorded name, Connection plays the extension instead.

2

Connection does not confirm the selection.

Step 3 Click Save.

Setting the Double-Key Time Interval for Addressing

By default, when users press a key followed by another key, Cisco Unity Connection interprets the action as a "double-key press" only if users pressed the two keys within 500 milliseconds of each other. If more than 500 milliseconds elapse between the key presses, Connection considers them separate key presses and responds accordingly.

For example, when users press ## during message addressing, depending on how much time elapses between the two key presses:

•When less than 500 milliseconds elapse between the two # keys, Connection interprets the user action as a "double-key press," and responds by switching from addressing by name to addressing by extension.

•When more than 500 milliseconds elapse between the two # keys, Connection interprets the user action as two separate key presses, and responds to the first # key by skipping addressing and then starts recording the message in response to the second # key.

Consider changing the interval of time that Connection uses to interpret two key presses if the majority of users in your organization complain that Connection does not act upon key presses as they expect (as may be the case for users who use mobile phones to access Connection).

To change the time that Connection waits for the second key before acting upon the first, do the following procedure. To specify how long Connection waits before it assumes that the user is not going to press any more keys, you can change the setting per user on the Conversation Settings page of the user in Cisco Unity Connection Administration.

Changing this setting affects all users associated with the Connection server, regardless of their conversation style.

To Change the Double Key Press Time Interval

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 In the Double Key Press Time field, enter a value between 0 and 1000 milliseconds.

As a best practice, do not increase the value by more than 500 milliseconds, as perceptible delays in the Connection conversation response time may result.

Step 3 Click Save.

Streamlining Message Addressing

By default, when users address messages by phone ("Press 2 to send," or during forwarding), Cisco Unity Connection allows them to add a single recipient and then prompts them to indicate with a key press what they want to do next (for example, "To add another recipient, press 1. For message options, press 3. To record, press #."). Users who send and forward messages to multiple recipients may find pressing 1 to continue addressing after each recipient tedious and time-consuming. Instead, you can specify that Connection allows users to continue adding names after each recipient. In this way, you can significantly streamline the addressing process when users send and forward messages to multiple recipients.

To specify that Connection will allow users to continue entering recipient names or extensions (as applicable) until they indicate that they have completed addressing, do the following procedure. Note that when you enable streamlined addressing, forwarding messages to single recipients will then require that users press an extra keystroke. The change affects the Send and Forward flows for all users associated with the Connection server, regardless of the conversation version and whether Connection is set up to prompt users to record before or after addressing.

To Streamline Message Addressing

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 Check or uncheck the Streamlined Addressing for Multiple Recipients check box, depending on how you want to change the setting, as shown in the following table.

Check box unchecked

Streamlined message addressing is not enabled. When addressing messages, Connection prompts users to indicate with a key press what they want to do next after adding a recipient.

This is the default setting.

Check box checked

Streamlined message addressing is enabled. Users are able to enter recipient names or extensions (as applicable) until they indicate that they have completed addressing.

Step 3 Click Save.

Changing What Users Hear When They Manage Deleted Messages

From the System Settings > Advanced > Conversations page, you can customize the standard conversation to change what users hear when they manage their deleted messages in the following ways:

•Change how Cisco Unity Connection handles the way in which multiple deleted messages are permanently deleted. By default, when users press 3 > 2 > 2 from the Main menu to permanently delete multiple deleted messages at once, Connection allows them to choose which messages they want to delete; users can either delete their deleted voice messages or delete all of their deleted messages.

As alternatives to the default, you can specify that Connection does not prompt users to choose, and instead will permanently delete the type of messages you specify: either deleted voice messages or all deleted messages (voice and e-mail, as applicable). To set up either alternative, change the Multiple Message Delete Mode setting. See the Cisco Unity Connection Administration Field Help for details.

•Enable Connection to request confirmation from users before proceeding with a permanent deletion of a single deleted message. (To permanently delete a deleted message, users must belong to a class of service that allows them to retain and review deleted messages.) By default, when users permanently delete a deleted message as they review deleted messages by phone, Connection does not ask them to confirm the deletion.

You can enable Connection to request confirmation from users before proceeding with the deletion. To do so, check the Confirm Deletion of Deleted Messages check box. See Cisco Unity Connection Administration Field Help for details.

•Enable Connection to request confirmation from users before proceeding with a deletion of a single new or saved message. By default, when users delete a new or saved message, Connection does not ask them to confirm the deletion.

You may want to enable Connection to request confirmation from users before proceeding with the deletion, especially if many users do not belong to a class of service that allows them to retain and review their deleted messages, because the deletion would be permanent for them. To do so, check the Confirm Deletion of New or Saved Messages check box. See Cisco Unity Connection Administration Field Help for details.

Setting Up System Transfers

In your organization, you may find that callers want to be able to dial numbers that are not typically listed in directory assistance. For example, users and outside callers may find it convenient to be able to call Cisco Unity Connection and transfer from the Opening Greeting or another call handler to a lobby extension, conference room extension, or an extension assigned to someone in the organization who is not a Connection user, such as an employee who is visiting from another site and is using a guest office. In addition, some users may want to be able to call Connection and then transfer to phone numbers outside of the organization—such as frequently called customers or vendors—so that they do not have to hang up after checking messages to place another call, or so that they will not incur long-distance charges while on business travel.

You can route callers to one of two "system transfer" conversations, both of which offer callers the ability to transfer to numbers that are not associated with Connection users:

Caller System Transfer

This conversation prompts callers to enter the number that they want to transfer to.

To protect from toll fraud and unauthorized use, Connection performs the transfer only when the Default System Transfer restriction table permits it.

User System Transfer

This conversation prompts callers to log on to Connection. After callers enter their Connection IDs and passwords, Connection prompts them to enter the number that they want to transfer to.

To protect from toll fraud and unauthorized use, Connection performs the transfer only when permitted by the transfer restriction table that is associated with the class of service for the user who logged on.

You can route callers to either system transfer conversation in several ways, including:

•By offering a system transfer as a "one-key dialing" option. You can specify either system transfer (on the Caller Input page for any call handler or user greeting) as the action that Connection performs when a caller presses a particular key during the greeting.

For example, to allow all callers to transfer to a lobby phone, guest office, or a conference room from the Opening Greeting, you could specify that Connection will offer Caller System Transfers when callers press 3. To offer system transfers to a particular user, you could specify that Connection will offer User System Transfers when the user presses a particular key during the Opening Greeting or even during his or her own greeting.

•By creating a new phone number (on your phone system) and a corresponding routing rule to send callers to either system transfer conversation. In this way, when callers dial the number, Connection sends calls to the system transfer conversation you specify.

Note Regardless of how you offer callers either type of system transfer, Connection releases calls to the phone system, which handles the transfer to the specified number. This means that users and outside callers cannot return to the Connection phone menus after the transfer takes place.

Follow the applicable task list in this section to set up Caller and User System Transfers. For both types of transfers, Connection prompts users and callers to confirm the number that they enter before performing the transfer. To disable the confirmation prompt, change the System Transfers: Confirm Number Before Transfer setting on the System Settings > Advanced > Conversations page in the Cisco Unity Connection Administration. See the Cisco Unity Connection Administration Field Help for details.

Task List: Offering Caller System Transfers

1. Modify the Default System Transfer restriction table so that callers can dial numbers that you want to allow. See the "Managing Restriction Tables" chapter for details on how restriction tables work and how to modify them.

2. Set up a one-key dialing option or a new phone number (on your phone system) that callers can use for system transfers, in one of the following ways:

–Set Up a One-key Dialing Option—Use caller input settings for a call handler to send callers to the Caller System Transfer conversation when they press the key that you specify during a call handler greeting. Then, enable caller input for the applicable greeting and rerecord the greeting to mention the key that callers can press in the call handler greeting. (For example, "...to reach a conference room, press 3.")

–Set Up a "System Transfers" Phone Number—See the documentation for the phone system to set up a new phone number. Then, on the Auto Attendant > Call Routing > Direct Routing Rules page in Cisco Unity Connection Administration, create a routing rule that sends any call that arrives for the new number to the Caller System Transfer conversation. Distribute the new number to callers who will find Caller System Transfers convenient.

Task List: Offering User System Transfers

1. For the users who will use User System Transfers, modify the transfer restriction table that is associated with the user class of service so that the users can dial numbers that are not associated with Connection entities. See the "Managing Restriction Tables" chapter for details on how transfer restriction tables work and how to modify them to allow the numbers you want.

Tip If you are not offering system transfers to all users in a single class of service, reassign those who will use it to a new class of service that has a transfer restriction table that will allow them to dial the applicable numbers.

2. Set up a one-key dialing option or a new phone number that callers can use for system transfers in one of the following ways:

–Set Up a One-key Dialing Option—Use caller input settings for a call handler or a user greeting to send callers to the User System Transfer conversation when they press the key that you specify during the greeting. Then, enable caller input for the applicable greeting. Tell users which key to press to access the User System Transfer conversation when they listen to the greeting, or if you are not concerned about other callers hearing the option and not being able to use it, rerecord the greeting to mention the key. (For example, "...to reach a conference room, press 3.")

–Set Up a "System Transfers" Phone Number—See the documentation for the phone system to set up a new phone number. Then, on the Auto Attendant > Call Routing > Direct Routing Rules page in Cisco Unity Connection Administration, create a routing rule that sends any calls to the new number to the User System Transfer conversation. Distribute the new number only to the users who will use User System Transfers.

Setting the Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold

If a voice-recognition user chooses to exit the system, send a message, delete a message, or cancel an action, Cisco Unity Connection may or may not prompt the user to confirm that they want to perform this task (e.g., "Are you sure you want to exit?"), depending on whether or not their voice command was clearly recognized by the system.

There are a variety of factors that may influence how well the voice recognition system "hears" a user's voice command: phone line quality, background noise, or how quickly or slowly a user speaks.

The Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold setting lets you adjust the likelihood that Connection will prompt the voice recognition user to confirm their intentions. The range of valid entries for the Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold is 0 to 100; the default value is 65, which should reliably filter out most errors and provide confirmation when necessary for most systems. For example, if users complain that the system mistakenly hears them say "cancel" or "hang up," you may want to try increasing this setting's value to 75 to prevent users from accidentally committing actions they did not intend. Alternatively, if users complain that the system prompts for confirmation too frequently, try lowering this setting to 55.

A realistic range of values for this setting is 30 to 90, as setting this value to 0 will always disable confirmation and setting it to 100 will always enable it. If this value is set too low, the system may improperly recognize and act on commands, resulting in the accidental deletion of messages or exiting users from the system before they are ready to hang up.

It is important to note that for some tasks—for example, emptying the Deleted Items folder—Cisco Unity Connection will always prompt for confirmation regardless of the Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold setting. Likewise, Connection will never prompt for confirmation for those tasks, such as play messages, that will not result in user issues if the command is misunderstood by the system.

To Set the Confirmation Confidence Threshold

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 On the Conversation Configuration page, in the Voice Recognition Confirmation Confidence Threshold field, enter a new value.

You can enter a value from 0 to 100; the default value is 65.

Step 3 Click Save.