Sub-mailboxes can be created and associated with your primary mailbox, and accessed by callers by dialing an option in a menu that you record. Like the legacy SmartVoice system, UT Voice Mail provides for sub-mailboxes, but with these differences: Sub-mailboxes are managed by the subscriber rather than the administrator, and are available to all UTVM subscribers who choose to use them. Sub-mailboxes may be created and managed in both the Graphic User Interface (GUI) and the Telephone User Interface (TUI). If you are adding a sub-mailbox for each person sharing a single phone line, the simplest method is to add the sub-mailboxes using the GUI. You can then share the box numbers and PINs with the other subscribers:
Sub-Mailbox Numbers
Sub-Mailboxes are automatically assigned a box number, comprised of the last five digits of your phone number with an additional digit denoting the box's option number in the menu (just like SmartVoice). Example: If your phone number is 471-2345, your primary mailbox number is 12345; when you create your first sub-mailbox, it will be given box number 123451; the second sub-mailbox will be given 123452, etc. If you create a sub-mailbox via the TUI, the sub-mailbox number will be given to you when you create the box. (NOTE re: Known Issue: Although both the TUI and the GUI will allow you to create up to ten sub-mailboxes, the tenth box cannot be selected by callers. The effective limit for sub-mailboxes is nine. This is a known issue that has been communicated to the vendor.) If you delete sub-mailboxes, the next sub-mailbox you create will take the lowest-numbered available slot.
Sub-Mailbox PINs
The PIN for each sub-mailbox is automatically assigned, and is comprised of the last four digits of the phone number followed by the sub-mailbox number's final digit. In the example above, the PIN for sub-mailbox 123451 will be 23451. If you create a sub-mailbox via the TUI, the sub-mailbox PIN will be given to you when you create the box.
Important Considerations
- Unlike SmartVoice, after you have added sub-mailboxes and recorded the primary mailbox's greeting with the callers' menu options, your primary mailbox will still be capable of taking messages (i.e., following the greeting, it will go "beep"). You may want to use the primary mailbox to take general messages; or you may wish to discourage callers from leaving messages in the primary mailbox by asking them not to, or by repeating the menu options.
- Like SmartVoice, UTVM messages left in sub-mailboxes will not light the message-waiting indicator light on your phone. For this reason, many subscribers opt to use email notification (forwarding voice messages to email).
- If you have sub-mailboxes, the transfer-out feature ("press 1 to transfer…") will not work in the primary mailbox–even if you delete mailbox 1–but will work in any of the sub-mailboxes.
To add sub-mailboxes via the GUI:
- Log into your primary mailbox at voicemail.its.utexas.edu.
- Select Settings in the left-hand navigation pane.
- Select Manage Sub-Mailboxes.
- Click New.
- On the confirmation page, click sub-mailbox changes to return to the Manage Sub-Mailboxes page.
Repeat these steps until you have the number of sub-mailboxes you need. NOTE re: Known Issue: Although both the TUI and the GUI will allow you to create up to ten sub-mailboxes, the tenth box cannot be selected by callers. The effective limit for sub-mailboxes is nine. This is a known issue that has been communicated to the vendor.
To add sub-mailboxes via the TUI:
- Press 9 for User Options.
- Press 5 for Sub-Mailbox Management.
- Press 1 to create sub-mailbox.
- Press 2 to record name announcement, or 2 to use default (the box owners can record their own later)
- To stop recording, press #, then press 1 to keep or 2 to re-record.
- Once you've kept your name announcement, you will be prompted to change your PIN, or 2 press #
When finished provisioning all sub-mailboxes, press star; you'll be reminded to re-record your main greeting and add sub-mailbox menu options. Press * again if you wish to return to the main menu.
See also: TUI Diagrams