[Asterisk-Users] Voicemail menu structure

[Don Pobanz]

There has been discussions about the voicemail menus and some of us 
would like to see an overall plan for the voicemail menus.

There are 3 primary ways of arranging the menus. First is a tree 
structure, second is a random access structure and the third would be a 
hybrid of the two. (Comedian mail is currently a hybrid.)

As was pointed out by Brad Bergman, the ideal would be to have it 
configurable in voicemail.conf as to whether to use the tree or the 
random or a hybrid structure. My assumption is that it would not be 
practical to make every key in the tree or every code for the random 
configurable. So, focusing only on the tree structure, what should the 
menus look like?

Attached is a rough draft of what it may look like.

Don Pobanz

 
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Ideal voicemail system - maybe ;>). 

I am not aware of any industry standard for voicemail messages. If anyone knows of one, please point it out. 

There three primary arrangements for navigating the voicemail system. They are: 
1. tree structure - only get to different branches by going back down to a common branch or to the trunk
2. random structure - get to any command at any time by pressing corresponding keys. 
3. Hybrid of the above, tree and random.  

The ideal would be to have comedian mail configurable as to which to use. Everything below is based on the tree structure: 

 General rules 
 [*] cancel or backs up to previous option
 [#] done or finished or skip ahead 

 
A user may reach the voicemail system in 1 of three states A, B or C 
 state A - in vm listening to a vm greeting.
 state B - in vm as a vm box owner with an associated vm box (based on caller ID).
 state C - in vm as a vm box owner without an associated vm box
 

State A - in voicemail listening to vm greeting
 [*] cancel leaving a message (system waiting for input) (NEW) (see state D)
 [0] to reach operator (as defined in extensions.conf) (no message is left in vm)
 [#] if listening to greeting, skips rest of greeting and jumps to recording message 
 [#] - if recording a message ends recording
     [*] - Cancel message (erase recording) (gets message please rerecord your message)
     [1] - Accept recording
     [2] - Review (listen to) recording
     [3] - Erase and re-record
     [0] - Reach operator (as defined in extensions.conf) (no message is left)

State B - in vm as a vm box owner. System has associated vm box (maybe based on caller ID).
 [*] - cancel asking for password (see state D)
 [#] - tell system password of null has been entered. 
 [password] (times out after few seconds of inactivity or upon pressing '#' key) 
     [0] greetings mailbox options
         [1] record unavailable message
         [2] record busy message
         [3] record name
         [4] change password
         [5] temporary greeting 
             [1] - Listen to greeting
             [2] - Re-record greeting
             [3] - Set expiration date
              ... [1] - Expires at midnight tonight
              ... [2] - Expires at midnight tomorrow
              ... [3] - Expires some other time
              ... [*] - Never expires
              [4] - Delete greeting
         [*] cancel - return main menu
     [1] new message
         [1] listen to first message
             [1] back up and repeat last 3 seconds (NEW)
             [11] restart message (NEW)
             [2] pause message (NEW)
             [3] skip 3 seconds of message (NEW)
             [33] jump to end of message (NEW)
             [4] slow down the playing of message (NEW)
             [5] Get envelope information about message (NEW)
             [6] speed up the playing of message (NEW)
             [7] delete message 
         [2]  (REMOVE change to different folder for this option for this part of tree)
         [3] advanced options
             [1] - Reply
             [2] - Call sender
             [3] - Hear message envelope - reads CID number and date/time when message was left
             [4] - Place outgoing call
             [5] - Compose message
             [*] - Quit advanced options
         [4] 
         [5] repeat message
         [6]
         [7] delete message
         [8] forward messgae to another user
         [9] save message
         [*] exit (NEW)
         [0] mailbox options - plays menu of options
         [#] exit (NEW remove exit)
 
     [2] change folders
         [0] to new messages folder
         [1] to old messages folder
         [2] to work messages folder
         [3] to family messages folder
         [4] to friends messages folder
         [#] cancel
         [*] cancel (NEW)
     [3] for advanced options:
          [1] - Reply
          [2] - Call sender
          [3] - Hear message envelope; reads CID # (or recorded name if CID corresponds to a mailbox number) and date/time message was left
          [4] - Place outgoing call
          [5] - Compose message
          [*] - Quit advanced options
 
 
State C - in vm as a vm box owner. System does not have an associated vm box.
     [*] - cancels asking for extension. (see State D) 
     [extension number] enter the vm box (as owner not to leave message)  (asking for password - see state B)
 

State D - in vm bottom directory - waiting for input
    [*] exit voicemail
    [#] tell voice mail you are a voice mailbox owner 
        [*] back out of being voicemail box owner (see State D)
        [extension] tell which extension. VM now has an associated mailbox. (see state B)
    [extention] enter an extension to leave a message



Don Pobanz w:/asterisk_vm_menu.txt
Last updated Sept. 12, 2003 8:18 am Central time