Product Listing
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service — General Information V12.0
Product Description
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service (BVMS), also known as CenturyLink Business Voicemail, is an enhanced service that supplies end-users a "mailbox" where greetings can be given out and messages taken when the end-user is not available or chooses not to answer the telephone. End-users may store, forward, retrieve and erase the messages. The Listen Only Mailbox – Business Only is an exception to this description.
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service forwards calls to a Call Forward Number that terminates at a Voice Response Unit (VRU) in the end-user's central office (CO). Messages are stored in the VRU for retrieval at any time.
A touchtone line is required to retrieve messages from a CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service mailbox. Messages may be retrieved from within or outside the end-user's system.
Incoming calls may be answered with:
- A standard greeting announcement
- A personal greeting that may be created by the end-user
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service can be provisioned via one of two methods:
- Message Delivery Service
- Direct Inward Dialing (DID®)
Service application and CO availability will determine the method used to establish the voice messaging arrangement.
Message Delivery Service (MDS) is a service offering that provides an interface to CenturyLink's messaging equipment. When CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service is provisioned via MDS and the end-user subscribes to a call forwarding feature, calls to the end-user's line are transferred over a multi-line hunt group to the VRU.
Because of the dedicated line between the CO and CenturyLink messaging equipment, the VRU will then recognize the following information:
- Called directory number
- Calling directory number (if in the same CO as the called number)
- Reason the call was forwarded (e.g., busy or don't answer)
Most end-users subscribing to MDS messaging service will use their own telephone number as their mailbox number.
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Services provisioned via DID trunks are also known as "Stand Alone". DID provisioning assigns a unique DID number to each mailbox that is established. The DID number is the retrieval number and is different from the end-user's business telephone number. When dialing a DID number, a caller will always reach the mailbox, never the called party. DID mailboxes may be ordered on a stand-alone basis or as part of a router arrangement.
With CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service, three types of mailboxes are available for resale:
- Voice Mail Mailbox - Business Only
- Listen Only Mailbox - Business Only
- Transfer Mailbox - Residence and Business
Optional features are not included with the mailbox. Optional features must be ordered through the issuance of a local service request. The CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service optional features are:
- Message Waiting Indication - Business notifies the owner of the mailbox, audibly or visually, that messages are waiting.
- Additional
Message Capacity - 50/100 Residence and Business adds a capacity
of 50 or 100 additional messages to a voice mailbox.
NOTE: Additional Message Capacity - 100 Residence and Business (USOC VMC2X) is grandparented in all states effective August 8, 2005. This feature is not available as a new service effective August 8, 2005. - Extension Mailbox - Residence and Business allows three extensions to be added to the main mailbox. Callers can then leave general messages in the main mailbox or private messages in individual extension mailboxes.
- Message Notification - Residence and Business programs the voice messaging to notify a pager or telephone number when a message is received.
- Scheduled Greetings - Business Only automatically changes the end-user's greeting according to an end-user determined schedule. For example, plays one greeting during open hours and another during closed hours.
- Routers allow the end-user to program a main greeting that directs callers to leave a message for different people or departments. The CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service offers two types of routers:
The following products can not be used for announcement only applications:
- Voice Mail Mailbox
- Call Routing
- Call Routing to Number
You are responsible for selecting features that are available, serve the end-user's needs and are compatible with the end-user's equipment.
The following message length is a system parameter that cannot be adjusted or lengthened:
- Maximum message length is three minutes
- Minimum message length is .5 seconds (messages/hang-ups under .5 seconds will not show up as a message)
Message Capacity refers to the number of messages a mailbox will store at one time.
A "message" is defined as any combination of the following:
- New messages
- Saved messages
- Future delivery messages
The following products have message capacity:
- Call Routing
- Call Routing to Number
- Listen Only Mailbox
Each mailbox has a pre-defined message capacity. The following chart details how many messages each mailbox can store at one time:
| Mailbox/Feature: | Message Capacity: |
Voice Mail Mailbox
|
35 messages 85 messages 135 messages |
Voice Mail Mailbox with Extension Mailbox
|
45 messages 95 messages Not Available |
Messages will be retained in the mailbox for 100 days.
When messages reach their limit, they will not be automatically deleted. The chart below describes what happens:
| If Mailbox Has... | Then... |
| 35 or more new and/or saved messages | Caller hears: "Sorry, mailbox belonging to X is full and will not receive your messages." End-user hears: "Your mailbox is full. Please listen to and erase all unneeded new and saved messages, so others can send messages to you. You have X new messages, X saved messages. To listen to your messages, press 1." |
| Any messages 100 days or older | New messages can be left, but the end-user cannot hear them
until old calls are handled. When the end-user accesses the
mailbox, each old message will be re-played. The end-user hears:
"You have had the following (new/saved) message for (X) days, the maximum time allowed." After playback, the end-user can delete or re-save the message for the same period of time. When re-saved, today's date and time replace the original. The end-user cannot press # to skip old messages |
The number of simultaneous calls a mailbox can take is equal to the number of message "slots" available in that mailbox.
For example:
- If a mailbox has a message capacity of 45, it has 45 message "slots" available.
- If there are no messages in this mailbox, all of the message "slots" are available.
- If there are 45 available trunks, this mailbox can take 45 simultaneous calls.
Trunk availability and the number of calls a mailbox can handle at one time vary. If your end-user needs or expects their mailbox to handle a large amount of simultaneous calls, please contact your CenturyLink Service Manager.
The following Ring Cycle Options are available to customers that are forwarding calls to BVMS.
| Ring Cycle | ||||||||
| Switch Type | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Ericsson | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 5ESS/5RSM | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| DMS-10 | X | |||||||
| DMS-100 non Centron 1 customers | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| DMS-100 Centron 1 customers | X | |||||||
Availability
Resale of CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service is available throughout CenturyLink QC.
You should always check the CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service availability prior to selling the service to an end-user. To check CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service availability, you can use the BVMS Lookup Table. This tool also provides Call Forwarding and Retrieval Numbers.
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service may be purchased by end-users who subscribe to one or more business network access services (e.g., 1FB, 1MB, etc.). CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service is not available on residential accounts. CenturyLink Residential Voice Messaging Service cannot be added to a business account.
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service is not available with:
- Integrated Messaging
- 976 Service
- Fax Machines
- Choke Network
- Data Lines
- Public Response Calling Service
- CenturyLink Voice Messaging Service - Residence
Additional information can be found in the Pre-Ordering Overview.
Compatibility & Restrictions
| Feature/Service | Rules/Restrictions |
| 800 Service Line | Limited compatibility An 800 service line can forward to a 1FB, then to a mailbox or router. The switch type of the 1FB, however, may limit how you can build the mailbox/router. |
| 800/866/877/888 Services | Limited compatibility
800, 866, 877 and 888 services, available through other providers, can forward directly to a mailbox or router provided by CenturyLink. The 800, 866, 877 or 888 service needs:
|
| Call Detector | Compatible |
| Call Forwarding | Compatible |
| Call Forwarding Busy Line | Compatible |
| Call Forwarding Don't Answer | Compatible |
| Call Forwarding Variable | Compatible |
| Call Forwarding After Call Waiting/ Enhanced Call Waiting | Limited compatibility
To determine which Call Waiting Feature a particular prefix has, see the BVMS Lookup Table to lookup the information found in the Enhanced Call Waiting Column. |
| Call Queuing | Compatible |
| Call Reports | Compatible |
| Call Transfer | Compatible |
| Call Waiting | Compatible |
| Caller ID | Limited compatibility
Calls forwarding to a Caller ID Unit from:
Will not display the number of the originating caller. Instead, a number out of the voice messaging multi-line Hunt Group will display on the Caller ID Unit. |
| Centrex 21 | Compatible |
| Centrex Plus | Compatible |
| Centrex Prime® | Compatible |
| Centron® | Compatible |
| Custom Ringing Service | Compatible |
| Customized Call Management Services (CCMS) | Compatible |
| CustomChoice® for Business | Limited compatibility
|
| Dial Lock® | Limited compatibility
If Dial Lock blocking is activated and local calls have been blocked, the incoming call will not go to the CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service. The incoming caller will hear the following announcement, "We're sorry. Local calls can not be completed on this telephone." To avoid this, the Dial Lock end-user must include their CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service Call Forwarding Number on their Authorized Phone Number List. This will allow calls to forward. |
| DID Trunks | Limited compatibility
|
| Different Premise Extension | Compatible |
| Do Not Disturb | Limited compatibility
|
| Foreign Central Office(FCO)/Foreign Exchange(FX) | Compatible |
| Hunting | Compatible |
| Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) | Limited compatibility
|
| Listing | Limited compatibility
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service mailbox numbers will not be listed in the White Pages. |
| Market Expansion Line® (MEL) | Limited compatibility
The switch type may limit how you can build the mailbox or router. |
| Measured Service | Compatible |
| CenturyLink High-Seed Internet™ | Limited compatibility
CenturyLink High-Speed Internet on the same line as the mailbox may affect provisioning. |
| Message Waiting Indication | Limited compatibility
Message Waiting Indication is available on MDS provisioned mailboxes. Message Waiting Indication is not available on DID provisioned mailboxes. |
| No Solicitation® | Compatible |
| Private Branch Exchange (PBX) | Compatible |
| CenturyLink Easy Access | Limited compatibility
CenturyLink Easy Access is not available with:
|
| Remote Access Forwarding/Scheduled Forwarding | Limited compatibility
Compatibility of Remote Access Forwarding/Scheduling Forwarding varies by switch type. |
| CenturyLink Stand-by Line™ | Limited compatibility
CenturyLink Stand-by Line is compatible with CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service in the following switch types:
CenturyLink Stand-by Line in a DMS™-100 switch is not compatible with Business Voice Messaging Service. |
| Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) | Limited compatibility |
Pricing
Rate Structure
CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service has a recurring and a nonrecurring charge based on state specific Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists.
Rates
Retail rates for CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service can be found in the state specific Tariffs/Catalogs/Price Lists.
Rates and/or discounts are available in Exhibit A or the specific rate sheet in your Interconnection or Resale Agreement.
Ordering
Ordering Rules
Specific ordering information for each of the Retail rates for CenturyLink Business Voice Messaging Service can be found in the state specific Business Voice Messaging Service can be found in the following:
- Additional Message Capacity - 50/100 Residence and Business
- Business Voice Messaging Service Choice
- Call Routing - Business Only
- Call Routing to Number - Business Only
- Extension Mailbox - Residence and Business
- Listen Only Mailbox - Business Only
- Message Notification - Residence and Business
- Route To Other Number - Business Only
- Scheduled Greetings - Business Only
- Transfer Mailbox - Residence and Business
- Voice Mail Mailbox - Business Only
Last Update: March 19, 2015
Last Reviewed: October 17, 2023
5ESS® is a Registered Trademark of Lucent Technologies,
Inc.
Centrex Prime®, Centron®, CustomChoice®, Dial Lock®,
DID®, Market Expansion Line® and No Solicitation® are
Registered Trademarks of CenturyLink Communications, Inc.
DMS™ is a Trademark of Nortel Networks.
CenturyLink High-Seed Internet™ and CenturyLink Stand-By Line™ are
Trademarks of CenturyLink™