Applies to: Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2007-07-12

Use the General tab to view display-only information about the Unified Messaging (UM) auto attendant and to perform management tasks on a Unified Messaging (UM) auto attendant. For example, you can add, remove, and edit extension numbers that are associated with the auto attendant. You can also enable or disable Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) for the auto attendant.

Status
  • This field shows whether the UM auto attendant is enabled or disabled. To enable or disable the auto attendant, close the General tab and use the action pane commands to enable or disable the auto attendant.

Associated dial plan
  • This field displays the UM dial plan that is associated with the auto attendant. After you have created an auto attendant, the dial plan that is associated with the auto attendant cannot be changed. If you need to associate an auto attendant with a different dial plan, you must delete the dial plan and then associate the auto attendant with the correct dial plan after you re-create it.

Modified
  • This field shows the last date and time the auto attendant settings were modified.

Extension number to associate
  • Use this field to enter the extension number that, when it is called, leads callers to the auto attendant. By default, there are no extension numbers that are configured when you create an auto attendant.

  • The number of digits in the extension number you provide must match the number of digits for an extension number that is configured on the UM dial plan that is associated with the UM auto attendant. You can also add a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) address to this field. A SIP address is used by some IP PBXs.

  • However, you can create the new auto attendant without listing an extension number. An extension number is not required. To add an extension, type the number in this field, and then click Add. You can associate more than one number with an auto attendant. You can also edit or remove an existing extension number. To edit an existing extension number, click the Edit button. To remove an existing extension number from the list, click the Remove button.

Auto attendant is speech-enabled
  • Use this option to enable callers to respond verbally to auto attendant prompts to navigate the menu system. By default, when an auto attendant is created it is not speech-enabled.

  • If you decide to create the UM auto attendant but not to speech-enable it, you can use the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell to speech-enable it after you finish the New UM Auto Attendant Wizard. You can then view the properties of the auto attendant and enable this option.

Use DTMF fallback
  • Select this check box to enable the UM auto attendant to use a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) fallback auto attendant. A DTMF fallback auto attendant can be used only if the Auto attendant is speech-enabled option is selected. You must first create a DTMF fallback auto attendant, and then click the Browse button to locate the appropriate DTMF auto attendant.

  • A DTMF fallback auto attendant is used when the UM speech-enabled auto attendant cannot understand or recognize the speech inputs from the caller. If the DTMF auto attendant is used, the caller is required to use DTMF inputs to navigate the menu system, spell a user's name, or use a custom menu prompt. A caller will be unable to use voice commands to navigate this auto attendant.

  • If you do not configure a DTMF fallback auto attendant, we recommend that you configure an operator extension number on the auto attendant. If you do not configure an operator extension numbers, when callers use a speech-enabled auto attendant and the system does not recognize their voice inputs, they will be unable to navigate the system or be transferred to an operator for help.

  • Although it is not required, we recommend that you configure the DTMF fallback auto attendant to have the same configuration as the speech-enabled auto attendant. The DTMF fallback auto attendant should not be speech-enabled.

For More Information

For more information about UM auto attendants, see the following topics: