Text Message for VM Notification

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 07, 2004 Posts: 16

I'd love a simple text message providing notification of a voicemail. Just provide the following:

[Caller Name] [Phone Number] [Message Length]

Currently, sending the e-mail to my phone's e-mail address results in a double message being sent since the message that Vonage sends is WAY more than the 160 character limit.

Any comments or ideas? The double message being sent is annoying and is double the price since I'm currently paying 10 cents per message.

Steve

Posts: 79 · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:59 pm Post subject:

You have to pay for INBOUND text messages??? If so, u need to find a new cell phone provider.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 07, 2004 Posts: 16

I hear you and when my plan comes up for renewal I will revisit that issue. I don't text message anyone and I don't want people to text message me.

I just want to use it for VM notification.

My old fax machine had a pager notification feature. When someone would leave a message I would get a page - or call to my cell phone - that just sent some tones with no information. All I knew was that I had a message from someone.

With Vonage, I wanted to take it one step further with text message notification to my cell phone with the caller info and message length.

Again, I'll revisit the issue when renewal time comes around, but it still does not solve the issue that I'd end up getting two e-mails from Vonage with the notification due to the length of the message since a text message can include fewer characters.

I think that text message notification (not e-mail notification) would be a GREAT add-on benefit that Vonage can provide. It would probably even use less bandwidth for Vonage on the outgoing lines.

Posts: 79 · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 6:26 pm Post subject:

U know, Vonage does have a Voicemail Email Notification Feature. Now, with most cell phone companies u can associate a email address with your cell phone. For example, I use AT&T....my cell phone email address is 908xxxxxxx@mobile.att.net. If someone emails that address, I will get that email message to my cell phone. Now, the VMEN is sent to the email address in your Vonage account info. If you don't want to change that, u may b able to have the VMEN go to your Vonage account email AS WELL AS your cell phone email address. That MAY b something you can configure in your email client. How does that sound?
Amazing, aren't I? Very Happy

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 07, 2004 Posts: 16

I'm familiar with the VM e-mail notification feature. I use it to send a notification e-mail to my phone now (see first post).

The issue with e-mail from Vonage to my phone is that the e-mail sent is over 300 characters - my limit with Cingular is 160 - hence, I get two e-mails per vm which is why I'm suggesting Vonage add the text message feature with a limited number of characters.

Just the header from Vonage is more than 160 characters in most cases.

Posts: 14 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 14

I agree with OP. I think Vonage should consider this as a feature enhancement. As part of the management features, we should be able to specify our # and mobile carrier and get a concise text msg about new v-mail.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 9:35 am Post subject:

fwiw, 160 char limit is a limitation of SMS messaging. this is what your basic cell phone text message uses. it goes over voice (gsm) and for that reason can only be 160 chars. so it's not just a cingular thing, it's an every provider thing.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 07, 2004 Posts: 16

Well what do you think JScott? Do you think it would be possible to add this feature.

Send it up the food chain and let us know. I don't think it would be too difficult to implement and it would definately add value to the service.

Steve

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 16, 2005 Posts: 2

Is it possible to have the voice mail notification sent to more than one mailbox. I recently switched to Vonage from MCI. My old voice mail system (MCI) let me put in three different email addresses. (my cell, wife’s cell, work email). Question

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 16, 2005 Posts: 2

It would be great to get the "Name" along with the number in the voice mail notification message. The information is avalible on the Vonage dashboard, why not send it?