How Voicemail to Email Works
Overview:
Signup
When a user completes out sign-up form on this web site, we automatically receive a message containing the information entered. This information is entered into our live database, a mailbox number is randomly allocated and a welcome email sent to the users email address with their mailbox and PIN number information.
Activation
The user then calls their own mailbox number and is asked for the PIN from the email to activate the service, as a security measure. The PIN number entered is checked by the server and if correct, the new mailbox is activated.
Receiving Messages
Once activated, callers entering the users mailbox number are allowed to leave a message, which is recorded digitally as a wav file. The caller can hangup, which sends the message immediately - or press hash to review the message and re-record, if required. Once the recording is finalised, it is sent, by email to the mailbox owner.
The email does NOT contain any information about the caller apart from the time and date of the call and the voice recording made.
System Software:
The system comprises an "IVR" (Interactive Voice Response) server application, which can handle many telephone calls at the same time. Depending on the telephone number called, the IVR software will answer accordingly and can have many different applications or "Call-Flows" running at the same time, for different callers.
For Callinbox, a very simple call flow provides the functionality described above as well as statistical reporting and logging of system usage. Much more complex call flows are possible, as are multi-lingual services.
System Hardware:
IVR Servers usually take one of two forms, they are either PC hardware based - or are part of a telephone exchange. Telephone exchange based servers are usually more difficult and expensive to design and program - but tend to have very large numbers of lines (typically 1000+). PC Server based IVR systems are generally between 8 and 1000 line capacity and can be much more flexible in their design, more cost effective and easier to update and customise.
Our servers are based on PC Server hardware, with high-end ISDN Server cards to provide a digital connection directly to the BT Telephone network. This ensures the best possible call quality and reliability. Some IVR providers use VOIP (Internet) telephone connections which avoids the need for the expensive ISDN controllers and telephone lines - but at greatly reduced call quality and reliability.