Using Cisco 7941-7961 Phones and Voicemail

How to Steps

The attached file provides a quick guide to use a Cisco 7941 or 7961 phone and is intended as a printable version to be used at your desk.  Below are some notes on Cisco voicemail.

Cisco Unity Voicemail
The key to effectively using Cisco Unity voicemail is to realize voicemail is also email. The message is stored as an email and has a *.wav file attachment that contains the audible message. Messages can be retrieved by two methods; via the phone or playback from email. Your computer must be equipped for audio to listen to messages.
Message retrieval from email is done by opening the message and double-clicking the *.wav file.
 

NOTE: Because voicemail is also email, actions performed to one will directly affect the other.
 

Unread/Read vs. New/Saved messages – When an email message arrives, it is an unread message. This is depicted by the message being bold faced in the message list. Similarly, when a new voicemail arrives, it is a new message. This is indicated by a Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) on the phone – the red light, and when you log into voicemail you will hear the greeting “you have new messages!” Since voicemail is email, if the email status changes from unread to read, the voicemail status changes from new to saved. Therefore, once the email message is opened or viewed, the MWI on the phone will turn off and the system will say “you have no new messages.” If you change the status of an old message to unread, the MWI will turn on and the prompt will indicate new messages.

Moving voicemail out of your Inbox will make it inaccessible via phone - Cisco Unity Voicemail does not look in other mail folders for messages. If you move messages out of your inbox, you can no longer listen to them from the phone. The same is true if a mail filter or rule, junk-mail filter, or other setting moves the message. Your message will still be received via email, but the MWI and new message prompt will not indicate new voicemail.

Deleting Messages – If you delete a message in Outlook, it is moved to your Deleted Items folder. This message can still be retrieved until the Deleted Items folder is emptied. If a message is deleted using the phone, it is permanently deleted and cannot be retrieved.

Outlook Web Access or Mobile Devices – Actions performed using any of these devices to your messages will affect their status in Outlook. If you open a message, the status will change to read, your MWI will not light, and you will not receive the new message greeting if you call into voicemail.NOTE: Depending on the system load the MWI does not always change instantaneously.