Unified Messaging is an Exchange Server role that was introduced in Exchange Server 2007. It enables you to access your message types (e-mail, voicemail, fax, SMS text) from your Outlook email client. The basic idea behind Unified Messaging is that users communicate in a variety of different ways. Some users prefer to send E-mail messages, while others prefer using the telephone and some users might need to have live discussion. Now, if you bundle these choices into one single entity you get - Exchange server 2007. And if you add flavour of instant messaging you have - Microsoft OCS/GCC Â

Now you will ponder, what is the term Unified doing here? - Well, the term Unified refers for the basic message layer being common for different message type. This means, data gets captured in single formative body that can be represented in different formats as per the chioce of end user with subtle UI variations.

The term Unified Messaging(UM) is sometimes confused with Unified Communications(UC). UM systems culls messages from several sources (such as email, voice mail and faxes), but holds those messages for retrieval at a later time. And the way or underlining protocol that does this job of delivery forms your UC.

In a company though, a user typically has two separate mailboxes; one for E-mail messages, and another one for voice mail messages (google/yahoo etc ..). Furthermore, voice mail has traditionally been tied to the telephone. Although it is common for voice mail to be remotely accessible, users often find themselves writing down names, numbers, or messages on pieces of paper, which often get lost! (at-least it happened with me :))

Microsoft designed Exchange 2007 so that the Inbox allows users to store E-mail messages, voice mail messages, and faxes all in the same place. This frees the user from having to look for messages in multiple locations. It also gives users a way to make voice messages search-able; just in similar fashion we search our mails in Outlook. Now with OCS 2007 R2 you can check offline messages and post emails as chat to your internal chat environment.

So in brief Unified Messaging can provide you:
- Voice mails/Phone calls/Missed calls/call waiting/Forwards/Call forking
- IM chats/Group messages with Emotions :), etc..
- Create own filters/triggers
- Contact grouping
- Remote call controls and remote desktop sharing
- Web conferencing

Vishvesh Ram Raiter Unified Communications communications, OCS, Unified messaging