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Information Technology Central Services at the University of Michigan

News from ITCS: Spring & Summer Terms 2008

Progress Reported on U-M Voice Mail Transition

June 11, 2008

U-M voice mail services on the the Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses are undergoing a major transition this summer. ITCS is providing four voice mail systems on a temporary basis while users of two older services are moved to two newer services. The two older services are being phased out.

ITCS has been working with U-M units on this transition for a number of months. There is no charge to transition from either of the older campus voice mail services to either of the two new services.

New Campus Voice Mail Options

  • U-M Voice Mail. About 9,000 U-M people use U-M Voice Mail now. It has the typical feature set of a basic voice mail system.

  • Exchange Voice Mail. This is a feature-rich service that is experiencing a rapid growth rate at U-M. That growth is expected to continue as the transition from the older to the newer voice mail services moves forward. Exchange Voice Mail has the basic voice mail features plus advanced features such as the ability to manage a mailbox from a phone or computer, the ability to receive fax messages, and the choice of either a voice (speech) interface or a touchtone interface on the phone.

    Current users of ITCS Exchange e-mail who add Exchange Voice Mail can access all their messages through one unified mailbox. Those who do not use Exchange e-mail can request an Exchange Voice Mail-only service. It is important to note that Exchange Voice Mail features are of most benefit to those who use Exchange Voice Mail in conjunction with Exchange e-mail.

Older Voice Mail Options Being Phased Out this Summer

  • Message Center. This is a feature-rich voice mail service used by about 3,000 people at U-M. It is being phased out by September 1, because cost-effective support is no longer available from the vendor. U-M faculty, staff, and students using Message Center will continue to transition to either U-M Voice Mail or Exchange Voice Mail service over the summer.

  • Centrex Meridian Voice Mail. Many of those who receive U-M telephone service off campus are using Centrex. (Centrex phone numbers start with 998.) The Meridian Voice Mail system has been kept running for about 500 people because it was the only means to provide voice mail service to persons using Centrex telephone service. Exchange Voice Mail now works with Centrex telephone service. This enables ITCS to phase out Meridian Voice Mail, which is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

    U-M faculty and staff who use Centrex telephone service and Meridian Voice Mail service have been contacted and informed that their voice mail service will transition to Exchange Voice Mail. These users have received all needed documentation for this transition, including information about when their old voice mailbox will be removed. This transition is happening this month.

Ensuring Smooth Transitions

ITCS ITCom unit project managers will continue to meet with U-M department representatives to ensure smooth transitions.

For more information bout U-M Voice Mail and Exchange Voice Mail, see Voice Mail Services.

If you have questions about the voice mail transitions, please contact ITCS's ITCom unit at 763-2000 or your unit's project manager.

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June 11, 2008