Editing Voicemail (section)

== Features ==
[[Image:System poczty glosowej.jpg|thumb|Drawing of how the voicemail system interacts with the [[Business telephone system|PBX]]]]

Voicemail systems are designed to convey a caller's recorded audio message to a recipient. To do so they contain a user interface to select, play, and manage messages; a delivery method to either play or otherwise deliver the message; and a notification ability to inform the user of a waiting message. Most systems use phone networks, either cellular- or landline-based, as the conduit for all of these functions. Some systems may use multiple telecommunications methods, permitting recipients and callers to retrieve or leave messages through multiple methods such as PCs or smartphones.

Simple voicemail systems function as a remote [[answering machine]] using [[touch-tone]]s as the user interface. More complicated systems may use other input devices such as [[Voice user interface|voice]] or a [[Graphical user interface|computer]] interface. Simpler voicemail systems may play the audio message through the phone, while more advanced systems may have alternative delivery methods, including email or text message delivery, message transfer and forwarding options,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manning |first=Cara |date=2023-09-22 |title=Deciphering 'Call Forwarded Unconditionally' |url=https://callexperts.com/blog/deciphering-call-forwarded-unconditionally-how-to-set-it-up/ |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=CALL EXPERTS |language=en-US |quote=Call forwarding typically comes in the three main variations...Call Forwarding Unconditional (CFU)...Call Forwarding on Busy (CFB)... Call Forwarding on No Answer (CFNA)}}</ref> and multiple mailboxes.

Almost all modern voicemail systems use digital storage and are typically stored on [[computer data storage]]. Notification methods also vary based on the voicemail system. Simple systems may not provide active notification at all, instead requiring the recipient to check with the system, while others may provide an indication that messages are waiting.

More advanced systems may be integrated with a company's Private Automated  Branch Exchange ([https://www.comms-express.com/infozone/article/pabx/ PABX]), with a call center ACD for automatic call distribution; with mobile or paging terminals for message alert; and computer systems/data bases for delivering information or processing orders. [[Interactive voice response]] (IVR) systems may use digital information stored in a corporate data base to select pre-recorded words and phrases stored in a voicemail vocabulary to form sentences that are delivered to the caller.