Cisco Unity Connection uses the information in your contacts list to forward your incoming calls and to help you place outgoing calls. Connection also uses your contacts to identify the people who call you.
Your contact information supplements the information in the Cisco Unity Connection directory. The Connection directory is internal to your organization and maintained by your system administrator, while contacts are set up and maintained by you.
You can use your contacts to store names and numbers for people who are not included in the Connection directory, including customers, suppliers, family members, and friends.
You manage contacts in the Messaging Assistant web tool. You can add Connection users to your contacts; however, the entries are not automatically updated and maintained by the system. For example, if a co-worker who is listed leaves the company, you will need to manually delete the entry from your contacts.
If you use voice commands to place calls, consider the following advantages to adding other Connection users to your contacts:
Using alternate names—Alternate names can improve accuracy when you use voice commands to dial co-workers. Add nickname entries or other alternate-name entries to your contacts list for those people in the Connection directory to whom you regularly place calls or whose names you find difficult to pronounce.
Using external numbers—If you regularly call co-workers on their personal mobile phones, add their Connection directory information to your contact entries along with their mobile phone number so that you can use voice commands to reach them quickly.
(Note that to place calls by using voice commands, you must be signed in to Connection.)