How to Configure an Operator Extension on a Unified Messaging Auto Attendant
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.
Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3
This topic explains how to use the Exchange Management Console and the Exchange Management Shell to specify an operator extension number for a UM auto attendant in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging (UM). Configuring an operator extension number on a UM auto attendant enables callers to press "0" to reach an operator if they cannot navigate the auto attendant menus or do not know which option to use from an auto attendant menu.
You can configure the operator extension number to be an extension number that connects callers to a human operator, another UM auto attendant, a UM-enabled mailbox, or a telephone number that is external to an organization. You can enter an internal or external telephone number that has 1 to 20 digits in the Operator extension field on the Properties of a UM auto attendant. However, if you use an external telephone number as an operator extension, you must verify that you have correctly configured the appropriate outdialing rule groups and entries before you can enable this functionality. For more information about how to configure outdialing entries, see How to Create a Dialing Rule Entry on a Unified Messaging Dial Plan.
If you have created a speech-enabled auto attendant and have configured an operator extension on the speech-enabled auto attendant, when a caller says "Operator", the auto attendant will forward the call to the number that is configured on the speech-enabled auto attendant. If the speech-enabled auto attendant is configured to use a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) fallback auto attendant but is not configured to have an operator extension number, the operator extension number on the DTMF fallback auto attendant will be dialed.
Note
Callers interact with a DTMF fallback auto attendant by using only touchtone inputs.
If no extension number is configured on the speech-enabled auto attendant or the DTMF fallback auto attendant and the caller says "Operator", the system will call the operator extension that is configured on the dial plan that is associated with the auto attendant. If neither of the auto attendants or the dial plan are not configured to have an operator extension, the system will respond by saying, "Sorry. Neither the operator or the touchtone service are available."
Note
At a minimum, we recommended that you configure either the auto attendant or the dial plan that is associated with the auto attendant to have an operator extension number to help callers find the user they are trying to reach.
Before You Begin
To perform the following procedures, you must use an account that has been delegated the Exchange Organization Administrator role.
For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange Server 2007, see Permission Considerations.
Also, before you perform these procedures, confirm the following:
A UM dial plan has been created.
A UM mailbox policy has been created.
A UM auto attendant has been created.
Procedure
To use the Exchange Management Console to specify an operator extension for a UM auto attendant
In the console tree of the Exchange Management Console, expand the Organization Configuration node.
Click Unified Messaging.
In the work pane, click the UM Auto Attendants tab.
Select the auto attendant that you want to modify, and then, in the action pane, click Properties.
On the Features tab, enter a number for the operator extension in the Operator extension field.
Click OK to save your changes.
To use the Exchange Management Shell to specify an operator extension for a UM auto attendant
Run the following command:
Set-UMAutoAttendant -Identity MySpeechEnabledAA -OperatorExtension 50100
For more information about syntax and parameters, see Set-UMAutoAttendant.
For More Information
For more information about UM auto attendants, see the following topics: