System and method for fully integrating multiple business telephone systems with a single voice mail system

A method of fully integrating a single voice mail box for different station extensions on a plurality of different PBX's, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an integration apparatus connected between said different PBX's and a single voice mail system, said integration apparatus including a switching apparatus having a plurality of input ports connected to voice mail extensions on each of said plurality of different PBX's, a plurality of output ports connected to a plurality of voice mail ports of said single voice mail system, and a switching circuit interconnecting the input ports to the output ports for selectively cross-connecting calls from said input ports to said output ports, said integration apparatus further including a switching control apparatus coupled to said switching apparatus for selectively controlling cross-connecting of said calls from said input ports to said output ports;
• receiving a call on one of said plurality of PBX's;
• automatically generating and communicating a set of call information directly from said PBX to said switching control apparatus, said call information identifying at least the called party extension and a respective PBX voice mail extension to which the call is being forwarded;
• determining which PBX said call originated from;
• comparing said called party extension to a mail box replacement database in said switching control apparatus, said mail box replacement database including the called party extension and a replacement voice mail box extension to use as a replacement for the called party extension;
• replacing said called party extension with said replacement voice mail box extension;
• determining an available voice mail port;
• creating a new set of call information for said call, said new set of call information identifying at least the called party by PBX and said replacement voice mail box extension, and further identifying a respective voice mail port to which the call is being cross-connected;
• communicating said new set of call information to said voice mail system to identify said call to said voice mail system;
• cross-connecting said call from said input port to said available output port;
• providing a personalized greeting associated with said called party extension;
• and
• receiving a voice mail message from the calling party.

A method of fully integrating message waiting indicators from a single voice mail box to different station extensions on a PBX, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an integration apparatus connected between said PBX and a voice mail system, said integration apparatus including a switching apparatus having a plurality of input ports connected to voice mail extensions on said PBX, a plurality of output ports connected to a plurality of voice mail ports of said voice mail system, and a switching circuit interconnecting the input ports to the output ports for selectively cross-connecting calls from said input ports to said output ports, said integration apparatus further including a switching control apparatus coupled to said switching apparatus for selectively controlling cross-connecting of said calls from said input ports to said output ports;
• communicating a single set of MWI call information from said voice mail system to said integration apparatus, said MWI call information identifying a single voice mail box extension for which the MWI call information was created;
• comparing said voice mail box extension to an MWI replacement database in said switching control apparatus, said MWI replacement database including said voice mail box extension and a plurality of called party extensions to use as replacements for the voice mail box extension;
• replacing said voice mail box extension with said plurality of called party extensions;
• creating a plurality of new sets of MWI call information, each new set of MWI call information including one of said plurality of called party extensions;
• and
• communicating said new sets of MWI call information directly from said integration apparatus to said PBX.

A method of fully integrating message waiting indicators from a single voice mail box to different station extensions on a plurality of different PBX's, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an integration apparatus connected between said different PBX's and a single voice mail system, said integration apparatus including a switching apparatus having a plurality of input ports connected to voice mail extensions on each of said plurality of different PBX's, a plurality of output ports connected to a plurality of voice mail ports of said single voice mail system, and a switching circuit interconnecting the input ports to the output ports for selectively cross-connecting calls from said input ports to said output ports, said integration apparatus further including a switching control apparatus coupled to said switching apparatus for selectively controlling cross-connecting of said calls from said input ports to said output ports;
• communicating a single set of MWI call information from said voice mail system to said integration apparatus, said MWI call information identifying a single voice mail box extension for which the MWI call information was created;
• comparing said voice mail box extension to an MWI replacement database in said switching control apparatus, said MWI replacement database including said voice mail box extension and a plurality of called party extensions to use as replacements for the voice mail box extension;
• replacing said voice mail box extension with said plurality of called party extensions;
• creating a plurality of new sets of MWI call information, each new set of MWI call information including one of said plurality of called party extensions;
• and
• communicating said new sets of MWI call information directly from said integration apparatus respectively to said plurality of PBX's.

A method of fully integrating automated attendant functions for a plurality of different PBX's, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a single voice mail system;
• providing an integration apparatus connected between said different PBX's and said single voice mail system, said integration apparatus including a switching apparatus having a plurality of input ports connected to voice mail extensions on each of said plurality of different PBX's, a plurality of output ports connected to a plurality of voice mail ports of said single voice mail system, and a switching circuit interconnecting the input ports to the output ports, said integration apparatus further including a switching control apparatus coupled to said switching apparatus for selectively cross-connecting said calls from said input ports to said output ports,
• providing said voice mail system with an automated attendant voice mail box for each of said plurality of PBX's;
• identifying said automated attendant voice mail boxes as default voice mail boxes associated with respective voice mail extensions of said respective PBX's;
• receiving a call on one of said plurality of PBX's;
• determining which PBX said call originated from using said input port assignments in said database;
• determining an available voice mail port;
• automatically creating a set of call information for said call wherein said new set of call information identifies the automated attendant voice mail box for the PBX from which the call is being forwarded, and further identifying a respective voice mail port to which the call is being cross-connected;
• communicating said new set of call information to said voice mail system to identify said call to said voice mail system;
• cross-connecting said call from said input port to said available output port;
• and
• using said automated attendant voice mail box to provide a personalized automated attendant greeting associated with said PBX.

A method of providing park and pick call integration between a PBX and a voice mail system, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an integration apparatus connected between said PBX and said voice mail system, said PBX including a digital telephone extension which received calls to be transferred to the voice mail system, said integration apparatus including a switching apparatus having a plurality of input ports connected to voice mail extensions of said PBX, a plurality of output ports connected to a plurality of voice mail ports of said voice mail system, and a switching circuit interconnecting the input ports to the output ports, said integration apparatus further including a switching control apparatus coupled to said switching apparatus for selectively cross-connecting said calls from said input ports to said output ports;
• receiving a set of call information from said digital telephone extension of said PBX, said call information identifying at least the called party extension;
• determining an available voice mail extension of said PBX;
• instructing said PBX to park said call;
• parking said call;
• picking said parked call using said available voice mail extension;
• determining an available voice mail port;
• creating a new set of call information for said call, said new set of call information identifying at least the called party by PBX and further identifying a respective voice mail port to which the call is being cross-connected;
• communicating said new set of call information to said voice mail system to identify said call to said voice mail system;
• cross-connecting said call from said input port to said available output port;
• providing a personalized greeting associated with said called party extension;
• and
• receiving a voice mail message from the calling party.