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Switchvox - Shared Voicemail

Table of Contents

Overview

Shared Voicemail supported from Switchvox 8.3+ enables multiple users to access and manage the single voicemail inbox.

The Shared Voicemail feature in systems offers several key benefits, especially for teams and departments:

  1. Improved Team Collaboration

    1. All team members can access voicemails left for a shared number (e.g., support or sales).

    2. Ensures important messages aren’t missed if one individual is unavailable.

  2. Faster Response Times

    1. Multiple users can monitor and respond to voicemails.

    2. Reduces customer wait times by enabling the first available person to follow up.

  3. Centralized Communication

    1. Creates a single voicemail box for a team or department.

    2. Easier to manage and organize incoming voice messages.

  4. Accountability and Tracking

    1. Voicemail access can be logged, allowing tracking of who listened or responded.

    2. Helps in auditing and performance analysis.

  5. Reduced Risk of Missed Messages

    1. Voicemails don’t get stuck in individual inboxes.

    2. Ensures messages are accessible even if someone is on vacation or leaves the company.

Key Advantage of the “Shared Voicemail” Feature in Switchvox

The following highlights a significant advantage of Switchvox’s “Shared Voicemail” feature:

  • Universal Endpoint Support for Shared Access:

    All members assigned to a shared voicemail box can view, listen to, and manage messages seamlessly across various endpoints.

    Shared voicemail access is supported through the following interfaces:

    • Sangoma Phone (Desktop Client or Web Browser)

    • Sangoma Px/Dx Series IP Phones

    • Switchvox Switchboard

    • Switchvox User Portal (/main)

    This ensures flexibility and convenience, allowing teams to stay connected and responsive—regardless of the device or platform they use

  • Authorized Voicemail Deletion Control:
    Only designated or authorized members are granted permission to delete messages from the shared voicemail box.

  • Activity Logging for Shared Voicemail:
    All user actions within the shared voicemail box—such as listening to messages, marking them as unread, forwarding, initiating a callback, or deleting voicemails—are individually logged per user. This ensures full visibility and supports auditing and accountability.

  • Real-Time New Voicemail Notifications:
    Whenever a new voicemail is received on the shared voicemail number, all members of the shared voicemail group are instantly notified. Notifications are delivered across all supported platforms, including:

    • Sangoma Phone (Desktop Client or Web Browser)

    • Sangoma Px/Dx Series IP Phones

    • Switchvox Switchboard

This ensures that team members can quickly access and respond to voicemails in real time, enabling prompt action and enhanced responsiveness.

  • Revamped Sangoma Phone UI :
    A new dedicated section has been added to the Sangoma Phone Desktop Client (both desktop app and web browser), allowing users to easily view all their assigned shared voicemail groups and access voicemails received within those groups—all from a centralized, user-friendly interface.

How to Configure Shared Voicemail in Switchvox

How to create Shared Voicemail Group

To create a shared voicemail group, you must use a Virtual Extension.

A Virtual Extension is an extension that does not have a physical phone or Switchboard associated with it. It functions similarly to a SIP phone extension, with the following key differences:

  • It does not have access to the Switchboard.

  • It does not appear as “Unreachable” in the System Status, even without a physical phone registered.

Important:
Shared voicemail groups cannot be created on standard SIP extensions; they must be assigned exclusively to virtual extensions.

Once the shared voicemail group is created, you can assign individual user extensions or entire groups to become members of this shared voicemail group.

Shared Voicemail Setup Process

The configuration of shared voicemail can be divided into four parts:

  1. Creating a Virtual Extension

  2. Enable Shared Voicemail

  3. Adding Members to the Shared Voicemail Group

  4. Assigning Permissions to Shared Voicemail Members

Below are the detailed steps:

  1. Create a Virtual Extension

    1. In the Switchvox Admin UI, Navigate to Setup → Create Extensions.

    2. Select Extension Type → Virtual Extension.

    3. Choose the Default Extension Template, then click Create Extension.

      image-20250825-093244.png

    4. Fill in the required fields on the Create Virtual Extension page:

      1. Extension Number

      2. First Name

      3. Last Name

      4. Email Address

      5. Password

      6. Numeric PIN…

      7. and other details as applicable

        image-20250825-093614.png


    5. Click Save Virtual Extension.

For more details on creating extensions, see:​https://sangomakb.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Switchvox/pages/714309646


  1. Enable Shared Voicemail

    1. Log in to the Virtual Extension User Interface using the link below by entering the shared voicemail group’s extension number and password.:

      http://<your-switchvox-ip>/main

    2. Navigate to Voicemail/Fax → Voicemail Options → Shared Voicemail.

    image-20250825-094503.png

  2. Turn on Enable Shared Voicemail.

    image-20250825-094812.png

A pop-up note will appear, explaining that all voicemail for this extension will be shared with the members you add. Confirm to proceed.

image-20250825-094742.png


  1. Add Members to the Shared Voicemail group
    After enabling shared voicemail, you need to add members. Members can be individual extensions or extension groups.

    1. Individual Extensions

      • Search for extensions using the Add Members option

        image-20250825-095601.png

        .

      • Select the extensions to include as members.

        image-20250825-095745.png


    2. Extension Groups

      • Select from the list of extension groups available on Switchvox.

      • Click Select Group to add the group as a shared voicemail member.

        image-20250825-100229.png


  2. Provide Member Access / Permission
    Members can be assigned one of two permission levels:

    1. Read Permission

      1. Can play, mark read/unread, and forward shared voicemail messages.

      2. Cannot delete shared voicemail messages.

    2. Write Permission

      1. Can play, mark read/unread, forward, and delete shared voicemail messages.

Assigning Permissions

  • For Individual Extensions: Assign permissions per user.

    image-20250825-101430.png

  • For Groups: Permissions apply to all members of the group.

image-20250825-101630.png

⚠️ Note: Only add extension groups that consist of valid SIP extensions.


  1. Save and Confirm

Once permissions are assigned:

  1. Click Save Shared Voicemail Options.

  2. A success message will confirm that the shared voicemail settings are applied.

image-20250825-102125.png

Shared Voicemail – User Experience Overview

Shared Voicemail in Switchvox provides the following features and actions:

Incoming Shared Voicemail Message Indicators & Notifications

  • Phone MWI (Message Waiting Indicator): Lights up on all supported desk phones when new shared voicemail messages are available.

  • Notifications: All members of the shared voicemail group are notified when a new message arrives, regardless of the endpoint they are using.

Supported Actions

Shared Voicemail members can perform the following actions (based on their assigned permissions):

  • Mark as Read / Unread

  • Play

  • Forward

  • Delete

  • Activity Logs

Shared Voicemail – Supported Endpoints

Shared voicemail can be accessed across multiple endpoints and applications, including:

Sangoma Phone - Desktop Softphone app or Web Browser

Switchvox recommends using the Sangoma Phone (Desktop Softphone) for the most seamless shared voicemail experience.

Advantages of Desktop Softphone for Shared Voicemail:

  • Enhanced user experience with clear segregation between Personal and Shared Voicemails.

  • Shared Voicemail log feature supported.

  • Full action support on Shared Voicemail (play, delete, forward, read, unread, etc.).

  • Consistency across devices for managing both personal and shared messages.

  • Easy demonstration for training and presentations.

  • Snapshots:

    • Personal Voicemail: Displayed in the left-side panel.

      image-20250901-052518.png

    • Shared Voicemail: Displayed in the top panel on the right side.

      image-20250901-052707.png

      In the snapshot, different Shared Voicemails are shown based on the shared voicemail extension name.
      Each shared voicemail provides three primary options:

      • Play

        • Allows the user to play the selected shared voicemail.

          image-20250901-053809.png


        • Additional actions are available via the three-dot menu (on the right side of the panel):

          • Mark as Read

          • Mark as Unread

          • Forward

          • Delete (only if the user has write permission for that shared voicemail).

            image-20250901-054008.png

      • Call Back

        • Allows the user to call back the person who left the voicemail directly.

      • Activity Logs

        • Displays all actions taken on the selected shared voicemail, including details of the user and activity performed.

          image-20250901-054211.png

  • Action Supported:

    • Play

    • Mark as Read

    • Mark as Unread

    • Forward

    • Delete (with write permission)

    • View Shared Voicemail Activity Logs


Sangoma Desk IP Phones (P-Series, D-Series)

Shared Voicemail appears in the Voicemail section, alongside personal voicemail.

Users can clearly distinguish between Shared Voicemail and Personal Voicemail.

For Shared Voicemail, the Caller Name is displayed as:

SVM-<shared voicemail name><actual-caller-name>

Sangoma D80 IP Phone :
image-20250901-060930.png


Sangoma P32x IP Phone :
image-20250901-061006.png


Sangoma P370 IP Phone :
image-20250901-061020.png


Switchvox User /main Interface

In the snapshots, there are two shared voicemail extensions named Sales and Support. Extension 2004 is a member of both shared voicemail extensions.

In this scenario, Extension 2004 should be able to view:

  • Its own personal voicemail messages.

  • The shared voicemail messages for Sales.

  • The shared voicemail messages for Support.
    Note: Any shared voicemail will be displayed with the following prefix:
    SVM-<Shared Voicemail Name> <Caller Name> <Caller Number>

  • Switchvox User Suite (Mailbox / Advanced Mailbox)

    • Mailbox View: (Main Login → Voicemail/Fax → Mailbox)

      image-20250901-042929.png


    • Mailbox Actions Supported:

      • Mark as Read

      • Mark as Unread

      • Forward

      • Download

      • Delete (with write permission)

    • Advanced Mailbox View: ((Main Login → Voicemail/Fax → Advanced Mailbox)

      image-20250901-043929.png


    • Advanced Mailbox Action Supported:

      • Download

Switchboard

  • View:

    image-20250901-044538.png

    • Action Supported:

      • Mark as Read

      • Mark as Unread

      • Forward

      • Call Back

      • Download

      • Delete (with write permission)

Sangoma Chat App

  • View:

    image-20251027-064233.png


    • Action Supported:

      • Mark as Read

      • Mark as Unread

      • Forward

      • Call Back

      • Delete (with write permission)

        image-20251027-064325.png

Sangoma Connect Mobile App

Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) notifications are supported for any voicemail.

  • Users can access and manage only their personal (extension) voicemail by dialing the Voicemail Access Number.

  • Visual Voicemail is currently not supported on the Sangoma Connect Mobile App for Switchvox. However, voicemail notification indication is available.

Third-Party Phones

For third-party SIP phones, only Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) notifications are supported for Shared Voicemail which will look same as normal voicemail.

  • Users have to login to there /main or Sangoma Phone (Desktop client) to view , listen the shared voicemail.

  • Users are unable to listen to shared voicemails by dialing the voicemail number because they do not have the password for the group mailbox, unlike their personal voicemail which they can access directly.

  • Shared Voicemail actions are not supported on third-party phones.

Shared Voicemail Rules and Limitations

  1. Configuration Rules

    • Shared voicemail can only be enabled when voicemail forwarding is disabled, and vice versa.

    • Only virtual extensions can be configured as shared voicemail extensions.

    • Any SIP extension can be added as a member of a shared voicemail extension.

    • Peer extensions cannot be included as members of shared voicemail.

    • Only one group can be selected as a shared voicemail member, and the same permissions will be applied to all extensions within that group.

  2. Access & Usage

    • Members cannot access shared voicemail by dialing the voicemail access number.

    • Shared voicemail messages are visible only through supported endpoints for example Sangoma Phone (Desktop and Web browser), Sangoma IP Phones, Switchvox UI.

    • Voicemail screening is not supported, since a shared voicemail extension does not represent a real extension.

  3. Actions & Logging

    • When a member clicks “Call Back”, the action is logged regardless of whether the call is successful.

    • Moving shared voicemail to another type/folder is not supported for member extensions.

  4. Voicemail Greeting Recording (Main UI → Voicemail / Fax → Voicemail Options → Create Recording)

    • Phone-based Voicemail Greeting recording for virtual extensions is not supported (consistent with earlier Switchvox versions).

    • Users may instead:

      • Use another SIP extension to perform Voicemail Greeting recordings, or

      • Upload a recording file for the shared voicemail extension if needed.