Understanding Unified Messaging Languages

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

You can install and configure language packs to support multiple languages in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging (UM) environments.

Exchange 2007 UM language packs enable callers and Outlook Voice Access users to interact with the Unified Messaging system in multiple languages. After you install an additional language on a Unified Messaging server, callers and Outlook Voice Access users can hear e-mail messages and interact with the Unified Messaging system in this language.

Each UM language pack includes a Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine and the prerecorded prompts for a given language. UM language packs are offered in 16 different languages, and all 16 language packs are included on the Exchange 2007 DVD. However, not all the UM language packs contain support for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR).

There are several key components that rely on UM language packs to enable users and callers to interact effectively with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging in multiple languages. This topic discusses UM language packs, the UM components that use the UM language packs, and how the UM language packs, after they are installed, can be used to configure UM dial plans and UM auto attendants to use other languages.

UM Language Packs

The UM language packs that are included with Exchange 2007 contain prerecorded prompts, Text-to-Speech (TTS) conversion support for a given language, and in some cases, support for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). In multilanguage environments, you may have to install additional UM language packs because some callers prefer to be prompted in a given language, or because they receive e-mail in more than one language. You must install multiple UM language packs to support the ability for the Unified Messaging server to read an e-mail that contains more than one language, because the TTS conversion system must be instructed which language to select based on the text of the message that will be read. If the Unified Messaging language pack has not been installed, the e-mail message will be illogical and incoherent when it is read back to the user. Installing the appropriate language pack enables the TTS engine to read e-mail and calendar items to the Outlook Voice Access user by using the correct language and also provides the language-specific prerecorded prompts for Unified Messaging. In some cases, they may also provide support for ASR.

Note

The TTS engine converts text to speech but does not convert from speech to text. A UM-enabled user can send an e-mail message that has a voice file attached to another user. However, they cannot create and send a text-based e-mail message to another user.

When you install a language pack, the installation program does the following:

1. Copies the language prompts that will be used to configure UM dial plans and auto attendants.

2. Allows the TTS engine to read messages when an Outlook Voice Access user accesses their Inbox.

3. Enables ASR for speech-enabled UM dial plans and auto attendants for the language that is installed.

Warning

You cannot use the .msi file for UM language packs to install Unified Messaging language packs. You must use Setup.com to install additional language packs.

You must add and remove UM language packs by using the Setup.com command. There is no graphical user interface or Exchange Management Shell cmdlet that you can use to add or remove languages from a Unified Messaging server. For more information about how to install a UM language pack, see How to Add a Unified Messaging Language to a Unified Messaging Server. For more information about how to remove a UM language pack, see How to Remove a Unified Messaging Language Pack from a Unified Messaging Server.

Note

By default, when you install either the U.S.-English version of Exchange 2007 or a localized version of Exchange 2007, the U.S.-English language will be installed and cannot be removed unless you remove the Unified Messaging server role from the computer.

Table 1 lists the Unified Messaging language packs. It also lists the file name for each UM language pack and the value for the UM language when you are using the setup.com /addUMlanguagepack or setup.com /removeUMlanguagepack commands.

Table 1   UM language packs and file names

UM language pack	File name	Value
US English	umlang-en-US.msi	en-US
German	umlang-de-DE.msi	de-DE
French	umlang-fr-FR.msi	fr-FR
Japanese	umlang-ja-JP.msi	ja-JP
UK English	umlang-en-GB.msi	en-GB
Korean	umlang-ko-KR.msi	ko-KR
Spanish (Iberian)	umlang-es-ES.msi	es-ES
Mandarin (China)	umlang-zh-CN.msi	zh-CN
Mandarin (Taiwan)	umlang-zh-TW.msi	zh-TW
Dutch	umlang-nl-NL.msi	nl-NL
Italian	umlang-it-IT.msi	it-IT
Portuguese (Brazil)	umlang-pt-BR.msi	pt-BR
Swedish	umlang-sv-SE.msi	sv-SE
Australian English	umlang-en-AU.msi	en-AU
Canadian French	umlang-fr-CA.msi	fr-CA
Latin American Spanish	umlang-es-US.msi	es-US

Note

All the UM language packs that are available are located on the Exchange Server 2007 DVD. However, if you have downloaded Exchange 2007 from the Web and you need additional UM language packs, you must download them from the Unified Messaging Language Packs for Exchange Server 2007 page on the Exchange Server TechCenter.

UM Language Components and Features

There are several key components and features in Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging that enable users and callers to interact with a multilanguage Unified Messaging system. For these components and features to work correctly and enable callers to interact with the system in multiple languages, the UM language packs must be installed correctly on a Unified Messaging server.

Prerecorded Prompts

The Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging server role is installed with a set of default audio prompts, and these audio file are the recordings that are used for menu prompts for Outlook Voice Access, voice mail greetings, and numbers that are used by Exchange Unified Messaging. These audio files are played by a Unified Messaging server to incoming internal and external callers. Many of the audio files are default prompts that provide the users of the telephony user interface (TUI) and Outlook Voice Access the information that they need to move through the TUI and the voice user interface (VUI). The prompts are located in <Program Files>\Microsoft\Exchange Server\. The prompts that are used by the Unified Messaging server to help callers move through the menus should not be replaced or changed. However, when an additional UM language pack is installed, the prerecorded prompts for that language will also be installed. After a UM language pack has been installed, the prerecorded prompts for that language can be used by UM dial plans and auto attendants.

TTS Languages

Unified Messaging relies on the Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine. TTS functionality is provided by the Microsoft Speech Server service. The TTS engine reads and converts written text into audible output that can be heard by a caller. The TTS engine reads and converts the following items in a user's mailbox:

• E-mail and voice mail message bodies, subjects, and names

• Calendar item bodies, subjects, locations, and names

• Personal contact names

• The user's default voice mail greetings

Note

After a user has recorded personalized voice mail greetings, the TTS version of their voice mail greetings is no longer used.

Automatic Speech Recognition

In addition to TTS, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) support is included in Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. ASR functionality is provided by the Microsoft Speech Server service. ASR enables callers to use voice commands to interact with the Unified Messaging system. By using ASR, callers can move through menus and interact with items from their individual mailboxes, including messages, personal contacts, and calendar.

Currently, Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging includes ASR support for only the English version of Exchange 2007. Other UM language packs do not contain support for ASR. However, if you install a localized version of Exchange 2007, for example Japanese, ASR support is not included for Japanese. However, because English is always installed together with localized versions of Exchange 2007, ASR for English will work.

There are plans to include ASR support in UM language packs for other languages after Exchange 2007 has released. After new language packs have been released and after you have installed the appropriate language pack that includes ASR support for a language other than English, users will be able to use this language to interact with the Unified Messaging system by using speech input.

Unified Messaging Languages

To enable callers to use the multilanguage features found in Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging, you must first install a UM language pack. Then you have the option of configuring other UM components.

• Install the UM language pack on the Unified Messaging server.

• If you have to, configure the default language for a UM dial plan. This lets Outlook Voice Access users who are associated with the UM dial plan use the new language when they access their mailbox. However, the user can still configure their language setting in the options that are available in Outlook Web Access.

• If you have to, configure the language setting on a UM auto attendant. By default, a UM auto attendant uses the UM dial plan language. However, you can change this setting and enable unauthenticated callers to connect to your organization and move through the auto attendant menus in the specified language.

Unified Messaging Server Languages

You install a UM language pack on the Unified Messaging server by using Setup.com. After you have installed the new language pack on the Unified Messaging server, the language associated with the language pack will be added to the list of available languages that you can use. You can view the languages that have been installed by using the UM Settings tab on the Unified Messaging server properties in the Exchange Management Console or by using the Get-UMServer cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell.

Installing the UM language pack copies the files that are used by the TTS engine and the prerecorded prompts for the chosen language and makes them available when a user connects to the Unified Messaging system.

UM Dial Plan Languages

Each UM dial plan that is created contains a default language setting. The UM dial plan language setting is needed because Unified Messaging may have to use Text-to-Speech conversion or play a standard audio prompt for Outlook Voice Access users when they access their Exchange 2007 mailbox. You do not have to select a default dial plan language. However, each dial plan that is created is configured to have a default language that is based on the language version of Exchange 2007 that is installed. If you install the U.S.-English version, U.S. English will be the default language for all dial plans that are created. If you installed a localized version of Exchange, for example Japanese, Japanese will be configured as the default language when dial plans are created.

After you have created a new dial plan, you can configure the default language setting on each dial plan. If you install the U.S.-English version of Exchange 2007, U.S. English will be the only available option. You can add other UM languages to the U.S.-English version by installing other UM language packs. After you install a UM language pack on a Unified Messaging server, the language associated with the language pack will also be listed as an available option when you configure the default language for the dial plan. However, U.S. English is the default language that will be used when dial plans are created.

For example, you first install the U.S.-English version of Exchange 2007 and then install the Japanese UM language pack by using the Setup.com /AddUmLanguagePack command. Then you install another UM language pack on a Unified Messaging server, for example French. After you have successfully installed the UM language packs, U.S. English, Japanese, and French, will be available options. However, by default, U.S. English is the language that will be chosen for each dial plan that is created.

When you install a localized version of Exchange 2007, for example, Japanese, the default language for the dial plan will be Japanese. However, after you have created a new dial plan, you will be able to configure the dial plan to use either Japanese or U.S. English as the default language. When localized versions of Exchange 2007 are installed, U.S. English is also installed. For example, you first install the localized Japanese version of Exchange 2007 and then install the French UM language. After you have successfully installed the UM language pack on the localized version of Exchange 2007, Japanese, U.S. English, and French, will be available but, by default, Japanese will be the language that is chosen for each dial plan that is created.

The default language is important to callers. When an Outlook Voice Access user calls in to the Unified Messaging system, the language setting that is chosen is based on the language setting that is configured in Outlook Web Access that was set when the user first logged on to their mailbox by using Outlook Web Access. Unified Messaging then compares the language that is set in Outlook Web Access to the list of available languages on the dial plan with which the user is associated. If there is no suitable match for the language, the default UM dial plan language will be used. Sometimes, you may have to set this language as the default language. For example, if you have a dial plan that contains only users from France, you may want to change the default language setting on the dial plan to French. For more information about how to change the default language for a UM dial plan, see How to Configure a Unified Messaging Dial Plan with a Default Language.

UM Auto Attendant Languages

By default, because UM auto attendants are associated with a UM dial plan when they are created, they use the default language setting of the associated UM dial plan. However, this setting can be changed after the UM auto attendant is created.

The UM auto attendant language setting is needed because Unified Messaging may have to use Text-to-Speech conversion or play a standard audio prompt to a caller. Unified Messaging does not check that the language of custom prompts for the auto attendant matches the language setting on the auto attendant. However, as a best practice, make sure that the language setting of the auto attendant matches the language of the custom prompts. Otherwise, the caller may hear the system shift from one language to another.

Being able to change the UM auto attendant language setting is also useful if you need several different language-specific auto attendants for callers. For more information about how to configure language settings on a UM auto attendant, see How to Configure the Language Setting on a Unified Messaging Auto Attendant.

For More Information

For more information about the language support that is available in Exchange 2007, see Exchange 2007 Language Support.