1. Introduction

Even today, with more penetration of e-mail communication, voice messages and faxes are still important in the daily and business lives. However, the separation of using these communication tools brings some disadvantages: We spend much time in walking back and forth to the fax machine to get faxes, picking up telephone receiver to check voice mails, and using desktop PC for getting e-mails. Furthermore, we do not have a clear log of the contact with customers. All these issues imply that we need a new way to improve the way of communication.

Moreover, the increasing traveling work force is now dependent on effective communication tools more heavily than anytime. They need to keep informed and up-to-date with the critical business information for the reason of staying productive. They need to access to business information quickly and efficiently while they are out of the office. Their business depends on the in time response.

In response to the market needs, TeleSynergy has developed a unified messaging system, TeleUMS, to provide you an easy and convenient information access solution. TeleUMS is a powerful new tool that can greatly improve communication and increase productivity. Rather than having to search for different types of messages in different places, TeleUMS allows users to organize all correspondence in one central location. Furthermore, users can access all their messages from anywhere using a touch tone telephone, fax machine, standard POP3 mail client applications or browser. With this easier way to access all kinds of messages, it is now possible for the traveling work force to response customers' requests in time and, with the better service provided, gain your order no matter where you are.

2. What is Unified Messaging

Unified Messaging is based on a simple concept that all your messages - voice, e-mail, fax - go to one inbox. All messages in this inbox are accessible from your desktop PC or your laptop computer. You can also use a touch tone telephone to retrieve your voice mail, or use fax machine to retrieve fax documents. Unified messaging has obvious benefits in ease of use and time saving, and its true power lies in its simplicity. All types of messages, no matter what medium they are in, appear as single-line summaries on the in-box screen.

TeleSynergy's unified message system stores all messages, addresses and other necessary information into a single database. With single database, central administration and management of all messages regardless of type become possible. Under the architecture of unified messaging, it is not necessary to worry about the issue of synchronization. The illustration below shows the simplified architecture of unified messaging.

All messages are stored in one single database.

Local and remote access to voice mail, faxes, and e-mail accessed through the e-mail client (e.g. TeleUMS Web Mail), phone, fax, or a Web browser.
Central management and administration of all messages regardless of type.

3. TeleUMS Overview

3-1 The Architecture of TeleUMS

Using NT system and networking tools makes TeleUMS capable of providing a powerful yet easy way to monitor, update, and administer system resources. Besides the integrated E-mail server to handle e-mails, TeleUMS can also receive and send Voice/Fax messages base on TeleAPG's voice/fax processing capabilities.

The illustration below is the simplified architecture of TeleUMS.

The Architecture of TeleUMS
TeleAPG is the fax and voice engine for TeleUMS. Being the fax and voice engine, TeleAPG receives requests from TeleUMS voice/fax module and then response to these requests via manipulating hardware (TeleSynergy's Voice/Fax/PBX boards).

The graphic programming capability makes TeleAPG an advanced, powerful all-in-one telephony toolkit to build customized applications. Moreover, TeleAPG is a universal platform for TeleSynergy's CTI applications, such as IVR, FOD, TeleUMS, TelePCX etc. These applications share TeleAPG's components, and are helpful to build a small call center in an easy and seamless way. For further information, please refer to the TeleAPG White Paper.

TeleUMS is the unified messaging server. It can be divided into three modules and shared components. TeleUMS contains e-mail modules, voice mail modules and fax modules. Shared components underlying the three mail modules include shared database, directories and other complementary ones. They are responsible for mails receiving, dispatching, and users/system administrating. With these shared components, the three mail modules can be well integrated with each other, and synchronization is no longer a critical issue.

TeleUMS is based on Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME), a standard for multi-media document transferring on Internet, to encode and decode e-mails, voice and fax mails. It also uses standard mail protocol, SMTP/POP3, to send and receive mails.

Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS) is the necessary server program for TeleUMS's client application -Web Mail, a web-based application that allows users to access, read, reply, and forward all the messages through standard browsers. Web Mail utilizes the standard Hypertext Transfer Multi-media Language (HTML) to display on browser, and a set of CGI programs to serve operations coming from browsers.

3-2 How TeleUMS processes incoming messages

When messages come in, whether they are e-mail, voice mail or a fax document, TeleUMS server will centralize and store them in a single database then dispatch and deliver the mail as requested. With TeleUMS, you can enjoy the benefits of unified messaging from the following capabilities.

E-Mail
Bundles with a simple yet standard E-mail server, TeleUMS can receive/send e-mails on its own. TeleUMS first gets mails from outside ISP and then deposit messages in the specific mailbox on TeleUMS according to the e-mail accounts assigned.

Voice Mail
Unanswered incoming calls will automatically transferred from the PBX to the TeleUMS Server. Once there, the system offers the caller the options to go to the IVR/FOD system, dial another extension or leave(record) a message. Once the audio recording is complete, it is attached to an e-mail message and sent to the e-mail server, and then dispatch to the specific mail box according to the extension number entered.

Fax
TeleUMS can receive both high and low-resolution faxes from Group I. Group II, or Group III fax machines. Incoming faxes are attached to e-mail messages and routed to the recipients according to the extension number entered.

3-3 Retrieving Messages

Use any standard browser like Navigator or Explorer to log onto TeleUMS's client application -Web Mail, users can read e-mails and faxes through the Web Mail interface, and listen to voice mails through the telephone interface or via sound blaster (in .wav format). A "message notification" function is available. Incoming Mail Alert on the screen to inform you of messages waiting. Voice messages can even be transferred to pager, cellular telephone, and outside telephone numbers.

3-4 Universal Inbox

Another major benefit of unified messaging is that users can access their e-mail messages, voice mail messages, and faxes from a single place - the "universal in-box" on their desktop PC. TeleUMS's client application - browser-based TeleUMS Web Mail provides you a universal in-box that allows users to read and compose all types of messages through a single interface. Through any standard browser - such as Navigator Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, users can easily access their personal messages via one application interface. With all messages in one place, forwarding, saving, combining, and otherwise doing what you want with your messages becomes a simple task.

The screen capture below shows the universal in-box if TeleUMS's e-mail client application - Web Mail containing e-mail, voice mail, and faxes.

TeleUMS's Universal In-Box with different types of messages.Clicking on a message replays that message to you:

E-mail messages are displayed for review

Voice messages play through your speakers or over your phone. Fax messages appear in the Fax viewer to be read, printed, or forwarded to someone else.

3-5 Sending Messages

To compose, reply or forward an e-mail are just some clicks away. When sending an e-mail, all you have to do is log in TeleUMS Web Mail, click the "compose" button to fill in the contents, and then click "send" button to send the mail. TeleUMS system offers you the option of setting mail priority as high, general, or low.

For Fax messages, TeleUMS allows you to send fax documents from within any Windows application like Word, Excel, and Power Point. With the fax capture capability, the document can be sent out as fax, text-only e-mail, or e-mail with a fax attachment.

You can send/reply/forward voice and fax messages as simple as sending e-mails. The only difference is the address format : if the address entered is in the format of Voice#2609970 or Fax#2602601, the system can tell that it is a Voice/Fax mail and send it to a telephone or fax machine.

Further more, fax over IP function is available, even a voice mail could be sent via Internet to save you a lot of long distance phone cost.

4. What makes TeleUMS unique

Unlike other UMS products on the market provide only fax/voice message server, and need to be combined with the existing E-mail server to handle e-mails receiving and delivering, TeleUMS well integrate a simple yet standard E-mail server to show its competitive functions of being a true Unified Messaging System. TeleUMS is a NT-based unified messaging system that helps small to medium-sized businesses efficiently improve both internal and external communications and increase employee productivity.

4-1 Single mail storage

TeleUMS assigns each user his own and single mail box in the mail storage disk. When messages come in, whether they are e-mails, voice mails or fax documents, TeleUMS first centralizes and stores them in the SINGLE mailbox of the user specified, and then dispatches and delivers the mails as requested. With the single mailbox, client users can get all types of messages quickly and efficiently at the same time.

Single mail storage
The single mailbox design let your system free from the synchronization problem between different type messages' databases, which means whatever interfaces users command from will real-time modify the mail storage database. The benefit is that the system and the user will never spend time in judging if the information is the newest. With TeleUMS, there is no complicated synchronization of messages stores.

Synchronization between different interface

4-2 Remote access

To meet the increasing traveling work force's communication need, remote access is now an essential feature of a unified message system. TeleUMS knows it and provides you a powerful remote access solution. TeleUMS supports multiple alternatives to get your own messages when you are away from the office.

E-mail Client
By simply using the standard browser Navigator or Internet Explorer, users can access TeleUMS's web site and read all messages anytime, and anywhere in the world, no extra configuration setting required. E-mails, voice messages, and fax messages show up in a user's e-mail box right alongside each other. E-mails and faxes can be printed, forward to other users, archived, delete, and so on, while voice mail message can be played through PC's speakers.

Phone
Once the voice message is recorded, it is attached to an e-mail message and sent to the e-mail server where it can be retrieved and played back. Users can access their voice mail messages over the Internet via Web browser or via touch-tone phone anywhere in the world. When a user dials in to retrieve his mail, TeleUMS will ask the user to input his mailbox number and password. Once the password is judged validated, the user is logged in and system will play the main menu options voice guide. Users can archive, play, and delete their voice mail messages and attached voice file simply by phone.

Fax machine
Users can access their faxes from anywhere in the world using a touch tone phone. TeleUMS will send a fax to a nearby fax machine as requested.

Remote access alternatives

4-3 Access multiple mail accounts

In addition, TeleUMS offers the function to access mails from the same user's multiple mail accounts.

4-4 Supports dial-up and leased line Internet connection

Due to the cost evaluation, a lot of small businesses using dial-up connection to Internet through outside ISP (Internet Service Provider). TeleUMS knows this and provides both dial-up connection and leased-line connection to Internet.

Using dial-up connection, your company is a temporary Internet member with a dynamic IP address when you link with your ISP (Internet Service Provider). TeleUMS server can access and dispatch mails on scheduled time.

Using leased line connection, your company own a fixed IP address and is a permanent member of Internet. All mails send to your employees are stored in TeleUMS MailServer directly.

TeleUMS allows you to optional choose the way of Internet connection: dial up or leased line, by simply changing the parameters settings.

4-5 Intelligent Routing Capabilities

With intelligent routing capability, TeleUMS can identify the recipients' addresses and dispatch internal messages internally, no more wasted time routing to an outside ISP.

4-6 Batch Processing Broadcasting

Telemarketing over telephone or fax is increasingly popular in today's business world. Voice/fax broadcasting is the realization of this concept that widely applied by all kinds of businesses. With the broadcasting capability, you can send important news release, product catalogue, promotion, and any other information to your customers or suppliers with some mouse clicking. Moreover, you can select real-time or peak-time delivering accordingly.

Besides voice/fax broadcasting function, TeleUMS supports batch processing which distinguished it from many other Unified Messaging Systems. TeleUMS can send a large number of messages as one task instead of processing one after another. Batch processing function releases your system from a heavy load when it is processing a great volume of mails.

When users send faxes, system will store the fax documents at TeleSynergy's fax server, and then server will automatically retry and send the fax documents at later time.

4-7 Faxes/Voice Messages over IP

Besides traditional Fax-over-PSTN function, TeleUMS supports server-to-server connection through Internet. Users can send fax documents from within any Windows applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to your overseas branch offices through Internet, and then send these faxes through local PSTN to customers to save up to 60% long distance fax expenses. Even a voice mail message can be sent via Internet from your local TeleUMS to your branch offices worldwide. With TeleUMS, you can send faxes and voice mail message just like e-mails.

Fax over IP

4-8 Least-cost delivering

A "least cost delivering" capability is available for TeleUMS users to set fax send priority and to send fax at off-peak hour or discount time period.

5. Conclusion

TeleUMS is a reliable system comes with powerful features such as dial up Internet connection, fax/voice broadcasting, sending fax/voice messages over IP, batch processing and unified messaging that will help you improve customer service and enhance productivity. The unified approach design stores all messages in a single database, all messages can be centrally stored, administered, and controlled. The universal in-box database of TeleUMS contains all user mailboxes and all types of messages such as voice, fax, and e-mail. TeleUMS's unified architecture provides customers the best unified messaging system with its good messaging performance and reliability. With TeleUMS, all messages can be easily stored and quickly accessed in one place. Even better, based on the universal platform - TeleAPG, TeleUMS is capable of linking TelePCX to build a small call center as your company grows.

TeleUMS is designed specifically for small companies' communication issues with its flexible functions and affordable price. For an extremely small investment, you will enjoy the great convenience TeleUMS brings. With all above mentioned, TeleUMS is a function-full system yet saves you a lot of money.