Implementing traditional voice mail using analog CTI boards is quite tricky. If the switch of EPABX does not support certain features, than it is almost impossible to implement traditional voice mail system with traditional operation. The major issue is finding out information of caller ID.

In a traditional voice mail system as I explained in the previous post, Voice Mail System and Answering Machine, it becomes difficult to provide two caller ID to the voice mail system. For example, C is the extension line to which voice mail system connected. Now if A calls B, B does not pick up so needs to transfer the call to C. So now C needs both caller ID, A and B, in order to store voice mails of B from A.

Voice Mail System using analog CTI board:

Voice mail systems are built in with EPABX or telephone exchanges. One can build a Voice Mail System using a simple 4-port analog CTI board and a PC. To build voice mail system, one will need the following hardware:-
1. A PC with one PCI slot free to install the analog CTI board.
2. Operating System to be installed on the PC as per driver availability for the CTI board. I think, only Dialogic provides driver for multiple or all operating systems for its CTI boards.
3. A database. Microsoft Access is a good option for Windows based PC and smaller voice mail systems. For large voice mail systems, either MS SQL or Oracle is recommended.
4. One 4 port CTI board
5. Four telephone lines of extension lines of EPABX
5. VMS software
VMS software is nothing but an IVR application which will record voice with caller ID and time stamp. And it will also playback the recorded voice messages as per owner or recipient of the voice mail messages over telephone. The recipient of the voice mail can also manage his messages like delete, purge etc.

Now, how to solve the the caller ID problem ?
The simplest way is to program the EPABX such a way that, when B ( as per above scenario) dos not reply, call A should be forwarded to C with caller ID of both A and B clubbed together with # as separator between the two! But, does the EPABX support this kind of intelligent programming ? If it does not, than most probably, you can not implement a voice mail system using analog card. You will have to use a digital CTI board where you will get these information easily. SS7 is the best as you get maximum information about the call.

There are few work around. For example :-

1. To ask the caller enter his number using DTMF. It may be little difficult for the caller and time consuming, but it is good option.

2. Map every voice mail account to every port of the analog CTI board. For example, port 1 of the CTI board will record messages only for B as in example above. This will requre some programming in the EPABX, but this is workable solution. The only problem will be future increase of number of users! But if number of voice mail users is large, one should never opt for analog CTI board!

Actually, implementing voice mail system using CTI board and IVR software has many advantages over built in VMS in the EPABX. For example :-

1. Customisation
Customization of voice mail system become much easier. New prompts, call flow of voice mail can be changed, upgraded much easier and quicker.

2. Many enhancements and features
Many enhancements and features could be added to voice mail system. For example, as soon as a voice mail is received for particular VMS user, SMS alert can be sent to him. Email alert along with the voice message itself could be sent to him immediately. In fact, it can be integrated with outbound IVR System which will dial out to the voice mail user, play the mail, give options to reply! This kind of simple application was marketed in India as voice SMS quite successfully by many mobile operators!

3. Stored voice mail can be hard by local LAN as well as remotely over telephone. Better MIS and usability can be increased.

So, voice mail system with CTI board and smart IVR application can add many enhancements, killer features to any voice mail system. UMS ( Unified messaging system) is an example of such application.

What is a Voice Mail System (VMS) and a Answering Machine ?

Voice mail system can be thought as a message box for phone user to store voice messages and retrieve it through telephone. User can divert all his calls to his voice mail system when he wishes so.
Main difference between answer machine and voice mail system is that voice mail system is a centralized system where voice mail boxes are managed for many users, while answering machine is an independent individual system connected to a telephone line. Many telephone instrument comes with built-in answering machine.

Typicl picture of Answering Machine

Answering machine is usually suitable for home use for single line, while voice mail system is more suitable for office use where there are multiple telephone connections as well as extensions through EPABX.

A typical voice mail system operation:
A traditional voice mail system operates in the following way :
1. A dials B.
2. B is unable to attend the call. So call from A gets diverted to voice mail box of B.
3. Caller A hears a greetings from B welcoming him to mailbox of B and asks A to leave/record his voice message after a beep.
4. Once caller A speaks to record his voice message for B, he gets option to hear what he has recorded or hang up.
5. Next time whenever B lifts his phone, he gets to hear a message that he has an unheard voice message that can be heard by pressing some key.
6. If B is out of town, B can dial his voice mail box number ( a predefined number connected to voice mail system) to check if new voice mail has arrived. Then he can browse through his voice mails, listens them, delete them.

A Typical Answering Machine Operation:
1. A dials B.
2. After certain number of rings ( programmable or configurable), answering machine attached to the telephone of B gets activated and answers the call of A.
3. Answering machine greets A and asks to leave a message for B after beep.
4. A records his message and hangs up.
5. B can see a alert text message on his answering machine that a message is stored.
6. B presses a key on the answering machine and listens to it, can delete.

Normally, voice mail system is like an IVR system, invisible to the real user and resides somewhere else, normally at Telecom operator office. While answering machine is a small device attached to the telephone line lying nearby to the telephone instrument or inbuilt into the telephone instrument itself.

Many voice mail systems offer option to reply the voice mail sender through voice again, which is not possible in answering machine! Answering machine is being replaced by voice mail system as voice mail systems offer more features, accessibility.

Recently voice mail systems has developed into a powerful unified messaging solutions integrated with many other communication media line Email, SMS, FAX etc. thanks to smart implementation of IVR systems. I will be updating about it more in my next post about building smart voice mail system using a low cost 4 port analog CTI board.

As I wrote once about making money with IVR Software, I have finally decided to write what IVR applications can be used to generate monthly revenue. Till recently, IVR Application or IVR Software was thought to be used only for increase in efficiency, reduce cost, automatic complaint management etc. Not any more! There are now IVR applications which are mostly used to generating revenue!

There are many IVR Applications in many industries, but the use of IVR Software in Telecom Industries is quite interesting! And this is where you make regular money. The most widely deployed IVRS Software for making money are :

1. Voice Portal
2. CRBT or PRBT

1. Voice Portal
Voice portals started as a premium service for quick access of information. According to various sources, it first appeared in 1999 in line with internet web portal.
With the advent of mobile phone, there was surge in value added service. This is when Voice Portals also got a push by telecom service providers.
Normally, voice portals are operated by a value added service provider (VAS) companies like Niche Tech Services (P) Ltd, or OnMobile in collaboration with a telecom service provider on revenue sharing basis. Normally, any call made to voice portal is charged premium. Voice portals provides various information, news, entertainment etc. The revenue model goes like this :
1. Per call is charged premium at Rs. 6 per minute of usage
2. Revenue is shared between telecom services provider and the VAS service provider. Revenue sharing is heavily tilted towards telecom service provider in India while it is opposite in some countries like China.
3. Billing is done monthly by the VAS Operator to telecom service provider.Telecom service provider charges mobile user in their telephone bills.

One telecom service provider can have many voice portals catering to many niche markets. The voice portal market is still growing and there are scopes for new players!

2. CRBT or PRBT
CRBT ( Caller Ringback Tone) is also known as PRBT( Personalised ring back tone.). This is nothing but an IVR Application as I explained earlier too. It also started quite recently in 2000 only! The increase in usage and popularity of CRBT is largely due to increase in Mobile Telephony and marketing by Mobile telephony provider.
CRBT has been very popular all over the world. Specially in South Korea, China and India. The revenue model is little different than voice portal. CRBT is again provide normally by a VAS operator to a telecom service provider. Here is the revenue model:

1. A subscriber is charged a monthly rental for using the CRBT service. Normally it is small amount like Rs. 30/- a month.
2. Subscriber can change CRBT tone by calling up a Voice Portal Number, add specific ring tone or song for a specific caller according to caller id. Each change is charged Rs. 15.
3. It does not charge for playing the ring tone for every call.
4. Revenue is shared between VAS operator and telecom service provider.
5. Since it uses songs, there may be a revenue sharing with music producers too.

Normally, one telecom service provider can not have more than one VAS operator for CRBT due to its technical setup. The market is still growing and big. There are still scope for new players, specially in India.

Apart from these two IVR Applications, I believe both Voice SMS, Outbound IVRS and UMS(Unified Messaging Service) are other IVR application which can be used commercially to make money. I will write more about them in future.

Special Disclaimer : The prices given above are just a number to give an idea of charging subscribers. It should not be taken as absolute fact.

What is UMS ( Unified Messaging System) ?
In one sentence, UMS can be defined as a system that provides phone subscribers with the ability to access, read and reply all their messages in whatever form from any terminal (whether telephony-based, Internet-based or both) that may be available. Message types are normally, Email, Voice Mail, Fax and SMS. UMS provides a single mailbox to store all all these messages and then access these messages from mobile phone, telephone, website or as SMS on mobile phone! For more, please visit Niche Tech Services NTS1BOX product page.

With the above description, it is obvious that IVR Software will play the main part in a UMS Solution. In fact, one can view UMS as enhancement of IVR Software.

1. Accessing ‘Message’, either Email, SMS, Voice Mail or FAX one has to use an IVR Software. This IVR software will be programmed to give options to read Email, SMS, Voice Mail or FAX to a caller.

2. Depending on the choice, IVR Software will retrieve Email, read it out to caller using TTS(Text To Speech). It will also give option to reply by the caller as a voice message, which will be stored as Audio File ( WAV File) and replied to sender as email attachement. For Option to download as SMS, IVR Software will trigger SMS Module to send out the email as SMS.

3. For Voice Mail, its a straight forward retrieval and playback of stored messages.

4. IVR Software can also send and receive FAX! The CTI Card has to have FAX support.

5. For SMS again, SMS texts would be read out to the caller and a voice message would be sent as reply to the SMS sender.

Best part of an UMS is, for every incoming message, be it SMS, Email, FAX or Voice Mail, a subscriber can be alerted by a outbound IVR Software.

UMS can be an extension of Voice Portal Software. Voice Portal operators can easily upgrade their IVR Software to give functionality of UMS. This can be new revenue earner for voice portal.

So, IVR Software can be extended to serve as UMS.

After more searches and after getting comments about more CTI Companies,

[With the price hike in Dialogic, many of my clients have been asking me about alternatives. I have also started searching for some alternatives of Dialogic. I will be building a list and comparative article on them. Kindly send me any company.]

Here is another company I am looking at:-

Synaway Information Engineering Co. Ltd

About the company :

Synway specializes in designing hardware/software building blocks for use in Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications, such as IVR,Call Center, Recording, Unified Messaging and Value-Added Service (VAS) in both PSTN and IP environments. Our products feature rich media processing resources including Fax, conferencing, Codecs, echo cancellation and call control with an array of signaling capability for SIP, SS7 packets, ISDN and CAS in worldwide IP/T1/E1/Analog networks.

In the past two decades, Synway has attracted CTI solution providers through superior service, field-proven products and matchless pricing for the highly reliable Telco and enterprise communications platform. With internally coordinatedMaximal Support Value (MSV) System, our service engineers provide pre-sales consulting, development support, and after-sales service, so you can monitor the service process effortlessly. Synway’s competitive pricing will ensure your matchless competitiveness in any project bidding or distribution-channel expansion globally. Our products have been applied by hundreds of customers worldwide.

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In fact, I am trying to configure and handle few calls using a card from them HD-240 using SS7 and ISUP.

After more searches and after getting comments about more CTI Companies,

[With the price hike in Dialogic, many of my clients have been asking me about alternatives. I have also started searching for some alternatives of Dialogic. I will be building a list and comparative article on them. Kindly send me any company.]

Here is another company I am looking at

PIKA Technologies

About the Company

PIKA Technologies’ reliable media processing building blocks connect computer systems to TDM and IP networks. Brand name companies design groundbreaking IVR, call center, custom PC/IP PBX, fax and logging solutions using PIKA Technologies’ components.

With two decades of experience in this industry, we are recognized for earning strong relationships with our customers around the world by delivering direct, expert technical support. Headquartered in Ottawa, ON, Canada, our company has ranked in The Branham300, an authoritative ranking of successful Canadian high tech firms, for six consecutive years.

Expertise on demand

We are made up of employees who possess experience across a range professional expertise, whether that be engineering, technical support, operations, etc.. Each employee is ready and willing to help our customers be successful. “Our employees are our greatest asset,” explains Jim Pinard, Co-founder and President. “It is because of our reliable and knowledgeable people that we are able to earn a reputation for delivering technical expertise when it is needed.”

Quality commitment

We are committed to quality leadership and continuous improvement within all aspects of our design, product development, manufacturing and customer care activities. Our focus is to meet or exceed the expectations of all our customers, in a cost effective and competitive manner. We believe quality is the responsibility of every individual, function and position.