Understanding Unified Messaging Languages

Applies to: Exchange Server 2010

You can install and configure language packs to support multiple languages in Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Unified Messaging (UM) environments.

Exchange 2010 UM language packs enable callers and Outlook Voice Access users to interact with the Unified Messaging system in multiple languages. After you install an additional language on a Unified Messaging server, callers and Outlook Voice Access users can hear e-mail messages and interact with the Unified Messaging system in that language.

There are several key components that rely on UM language packs to enable users and callers to interact effectively with Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging in multiple languages. Each UM language pack includes a Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine, the pre-recorded prompts and support for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Voice Mail Preview for a specific language. This topic discusses UM language packs, the UM components that use the UM language packs, and how UM language packs, after they're installed, can be used to configure UM dial plans and UM auto attendants to use other languages.

Contents

Overview of UM Language Packs

UM Language Components and Features

Voice Mail Preview

Unified Messaging Languages

Overview of UM Language Packs

Unified Messaging language packs allow an Exchange 2010 UM server to speak additional languages to callers and recognize other languages when callers use ASR or when voice messages are transcribed. UM language packs contain:

• Pre-recorded prompts in the language of the UM language pack. For example, "After the tone, please record your message. When you’ve finished recording, hang up, or press the # key for more options."
• Grammar files in the language of the UM language pack that are used by a UM server to look up the names of given users in the directory.
• Text-to-Speech (TTS) translation so that content (e-mail, calendar, contact information, etc.) can be read to callers in the language of the UM language pack.
• Support for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), which allows callers to interact with UM using the voice user interface (VUI) in the language of the UM language pack.
• Support for Voice Mail Preview, which allows users to read the transcript of voice mail messages in a specific language from within a supported e-mail client such as Outlook or Outlook Web App.

The UM language packs that are included with Exchange 2010 contain pre-recorded prompts, TTS conversion support for a specific language, and in some cases, support for ASR. In multiple-language environments, you may have to install additional UM language packs because some callers prefer to be prompted in a different language, or because they receive e-mail in more than one language. You must install multiple UM language packs to support the ability for the Unified Messaging server to read an e-mail message that contains more than one language, because the TTS conversion system must be instructed which language to select based on the text of the message that will be read. If the Unified Messaging language pack hasn't been installed, the e-mail message will be illogical and incoherent when it's read back to the user. Installing the appropriate language pack enables the TTS engine to read e-mail and calendar items to the Outlook Voice Access user by using the correct language and also provides the language-specific pre-recorded prompts for Unified Messaging. In some cases, they may also provide support for ASR.

When you install a language pack, the installation program does the following:

1. Copies the language prompts that will be used to configure UM dial plans and auto attendants.
2. Allows the TTS engine to read messages when Outlook Voice Access users access their Inbox.
3. Enables ASR for speech-enabled UM dial plans and auto attendants for the language installed.
4. Enables Voice Mail Preview for clients in other languages.

You can add UM language packs using the Setup.com command or run the <UMLanguagePack>.exe installation program after you've downloaded the UM language pack from Exchange Server 2010 UM Language Packs. However, you can remove a UM language pack only by using the Setup.com command. There's no Exchange Management Shell cmdlet that you can use to add or remove languages from a Unified Messaging server. For more information about how to install a UM language pack, see Install a Unified Messaging Language Pack on a UM Server. For more information about how to remove a UM language pack, see Remove a Unified Messaging Language Pack from a UM Server.

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The following table lists the Unified Messaging language packs that are currently available. It also lists the installation file name for each UM language pack and the culture ID for the UM language.

UM language pack installation file names and culture IDs

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UM Language Components and Features

There are several key components and features in Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging that enable users and callers to interact with a multiple-language Unified Messaging system. For these components and features to work correctly and enable callers to interact with the system in multiple languages, the UM language packs must be installed correctly on a Unified Messaging server.

Pre-recorded Prompts

The Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging server role is installed with a set of default audio prompt files. These audio files contain the recordings for Outlook Voice Access menus, voice mail greetings, and numbers that are used by Exchange Unified Messaging. The audio files are played by a Unified Messaging server to incoming callers, both internal and external. Many of the audio files are default prompts that provide the users of the Telephone User Interface (TUI) and Outlook Voice Access the information that they need to move through the TUI and the Voice User Interface (VUI). The prompts are located in <Program Files>\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\UnifiedMessaging\Prompts\<language>. The prompts used by the Unified Messaging server to help callers move through the menus shouldn't be replaced or changed.

When an additional UM language pack is installed, the pre-recorded prompts for that language will also be installed. After a UM language pack is installed, the pre-recorded prompts for that language can be used by UM dial plans and auto attendants.

TTS Languages

Unified Messaging relies on the Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine. TTS functionality is provided by the Microsoft Speech Server service. The TTS engine reads and converts written text into audible output that can be heard by a caller. The TTS engine reads and converts the following items in a user's mailbox:

• E-mail and voice mail message bodies, subjects, and names
• Calendar item bodies, subjects, locations, and names
• Personal contact names
• Users' default voice mail greetings

Automatic Speech Recognition

In addition to TTS, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) support is included in Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging. ASR functionality is provided by the Microsoft Speech Server service. ASR enables callers to use voice commands to interact with the Unified Messaging system. Using ASR, callers can move through menus and interact with items from their individual mailboxes, including messages, personal contacts, and calendar. ASR support is included with each language pack.

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Voice Mail Preview

In addition, UM language packs provide support for Voice Mail Preview, which allows users to quickly triage their voice messages by reading their transcripts from within a supported e-mail client such as Outlook or Outlook Web App.

When a caller leaves a voice message for a UM-enabled user, the voice message file and a transcript of the voice message are placed in the body of the voice mail message that's sent to the user's mailbox. Voice Mail Preview support is included with each UM language pack that's installed on a Unified Messaging server.

All UM language packs are single files that can be downloaded. These language packs include the pre-recorded prompts, grammar files, Text-to-Speech (TTS) translation, and ASR. However, not all the UM language packs contain support for Voice Mail Preview.

The following UM language packs contain support for all the components and features, including Voice Mail Preview:

• English (US) - (en-US)
• French (France) - (fr-FR)
• Italian - (it-IT)

Unified Messaging Languages

To enable callers to use the multiple language features found in Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging, you must first install a UM language pack, as described below. Then you have the option to configure other UM components.

• Install the UM language pack on the Unified Messaging server.
• If required, configure the default language for a UM dial plan. This lets Outlook Voice Access users associated with the UM dial plan use the new language when they access their mailbox. However, users can still configure their language setting in the options that are available in Outlook Web App.
• If required, configure the language setting on a UM auto attendant. By default, a UM auto attendant uses the UM dial plan language. However, you can change this setting and enable unauthenticated callers to connect to your organization and move through the auto attendant menus in the language that you've specified on the UM auto attendant.

Unified Messaging Server Languages

You install a UM language pack on the Unified Messaging server using Setup.com. After you install the new language pack on the Unified Messaging server, the language associated with the language pack will be added to the list of available languages that you can use. You can view the languages that have been installed using the UM Settings tab in the Unified Messaging server properties in the Exchange Management Console or using the Get-UMServer cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell.

When you install the UM language pack, the files that are used by the TTS engine and the pre-recorded prompts for the chosen language are copied and made available for users who connect to the Unified Messaging system.

UM Dial Plan Languages

Each UM dial plan that's created contains a default language setting. The UM dial plan language setting is needed because Unified Messaging may have to use TTS conversion or play a standard audio prompt for Outlook Voice Access users when they access their Exchange 2010 mailbox. You don't have to select a default dial plan language.

When you first install Exchange 2010, U.S. English will be the default language, and the only available language option for your dial plan. After you install a UM language pack on a Unified Messaging server, the language associated with the language pack will be listed as an available option when you configure the default language for the dial plan.

The default language is important to callers. When an Outlook Voice Access user calls in to the Unified Messaging system, the language setting chosen is based on the language setting configured in Outlook Web App that was set when the user first signed in to the mailbox using Outlook Web App. Unified Messaging then compares the language set in Outlook Web App to the list of available languages on the dial plan with which the user is associated. If there is no suitable match for the language, the default UM dial plan language will be used. Sometimes, you may have to set this language as the default language. For example, if you have a dial plan that contains only users from France, you may want to change the default language setting on the dial plan to French. For more information about how to change the default language for a UM dial plan, see Configure the Default Language on a UM Dial Plan.

UM Auto Attendant Languages

By default, because UM auto attendants are associated with a UM dial plan when they are created, they use the default language setting of the associated UM dial plan. However, this setting can be changed after the UM auto attendant is created.

The UM auto attendant language setting is needed because Unified Messaging may have to use TTS conversion or play a standard audio prompt to a caller. Unified Messaging doesn't check whether the language of custom prompts for the auto attendant matches the language setting on the auto attendant. However, as a best practice, make sure that the language setting of the auto attendant matches the language of the custom prompts. Otherwise, the caller may hear the system shift from one language to another.

Being able to change the UM auto attendant language setting is also useful if you need several different language-specific auto attendants for callers. For more information about how to configure language settings on a UM auto attendant, see Configure the Language Setting on a UM Auto Attendant.

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