Programatic access to Voice Mail

Posts: 21 · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2004 8:39 pm Post subject: Programatic access to Voice Mail

Does anyone know if there is any way to get our voice mail messages via some type of programable interface such as a web service or similar? I would like to write some apps that can grab the vm and present it in a different interface (home automation stuff).

If there isn't one already, does anyone know of any plans to create one?

Thanks

Posts: 21 · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2004 10:35 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I thought of doing it that way. The email attachment doesn't have the caller's number. I thought it was supposed to be in the email subject, but it isn't.

Anyway, if that is all we can do, I guess that will have to be it. Unless someone at Vonage says they are going to implement some enhancements. That would be a nice thing to see! Smile

Posts: 21 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 15, 2004 Posts: 21

Last Summer I put together a Java app that did the necessary HTTPS negotiation to configure your Vonage account programmatically. I believe the program configured call forwarding.

The hard part is done -- establishing an HTTPS session with Vonage and logging into your account.

Retrieving voice mail messages should be easy but it will require some patience to figure out the particular URL address of the voice mail pages and then parse the HTTP output of Vonage's site to pick out the new message links.

Vonage could certainly make this easier with an XML-based service but you can parse the HTML and do it with pretty basic Java and some patience.

However -- unlike an XML-based service, if Vonage makes significant changes to their voice mail pages, you'll have to adapt the parsing logic.

If anyone is interested in the effort, the base of what you need is available for download on DSL Reports.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,7401859~mode=flat?hilite=auto vonage

Posts: 21 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 15, 2004 Posts: 21

I forgot to mention that this is quite old code and I don't know if it still works. I don't think Vonage has changed their web site but if they have, it may need tweaking to work properly. It should still login and get a session but no guarantees that it actually still configures call forwarding.

If it doesn't work, I can offer help getting it working again. Just post a reply or send me a private message here.

There didn't seem to be much interest in such a utility but perhaps those on this site will have more curiosity than those who frequent DSL Reports.

Posts: 61 · Full Forum Member Joined: Dec 04, 2003 Posts: 61

I've written a voice mail indicator app for windows.

www.johnbatdorf.net/software.aspx

I'm working on what you're talking about. It will be the 2.0 release. The big problem is that Vonage offers no webservice or APIs, so if their web site changes/pages get renamed, etc. that can cause changes to the app.

The voicemail indicator works off the voice mail that goes to your server (configured on the vonage control panel)

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 03, 2004 Posts: 11

rradina,

Your app definitely sounds cool... I'm going to take a look at it. But the problem I'd love to solve is a little different.

I want to be able to programmatically change the number my Vonage service fwd's calls to for use in this scenario:

I'm on the road with my cell phone which has nationwide service, but charges me for calls to Canada. I'd love to be able to call into my Vonage number, and somehow make it dial back out to a number of my choosing (which I fully expect to cout towards my minutes, that's not a problem). This way, i can make free calls to Canada from my cell phone because in reality, the call is routed from the cell to my Vonage number and then over to Canada.

Using something like what you've written, you could (if you had it), use your cell phone to browse to a page and enter the Canadian phone number you want to call in it. And then click submit and it would programmatically change your Vonage account to fwd all calls there. Then you just call your Vonage number and voila, you're connected to Canada for free.

But the drawback is that you need a web browser on your phone or PDA.

It'd be great if Vonage added an option to your voicemail menu which was "Make an outbound call".... perhaps I'll drop a note in their suggestion box.

G

Posts: 110 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Mar 06, 2004 Posts: 110

Hey.. That's a pretty nifty idea actually.

Given that my phone (Kyocera 7135) DOES have a fully functioning web browser, I wonder if I might not be able to do it already. I'll have to give it a try.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 03, 2004 Posts: 11

Hey, let me know if you something written.... I'd be interested in seeing it.

Good luck!

G

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Feb 12, 2004 Posts: 37

I think this will handle what you are trying to do...

https://secure.click2callu.com/

Posts: 110 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Mar 06, 2004 Posts: 110

Wow!! This is very very cool stuff!!!

Who wrote the Click2CallYou.com stuff? It's amazing.

I just tested it and within seconds I was able to basically trigger a call from my home to my office, while I was the POTS line talking to my wife.

This would be ideal for people with long distance restrictions at work, or, even better, for while you are abroad, in order to trigger your wife to call yoU!