What Happens to Voicemail and Greetings During a NetSapiens Migration?
During a NetSapiens migration, voicemail settings are typically recreated, while greetings, announcements and other audio files may be transferred or re-recorded. What can be moved depends on the source platform, file accessibility and the agreed migration scope.
For providers migrating from Metaswitch, BroadWorks or other mixed legacy environments into NetSapiens, the first step is identifying what can be recreated automatically, what can be transferred and what customers may need to set up again.
Key Takeaways
Voicemail settings, greetings, stored messages, announcements and call recordings are different assets, each with its own migration considerations.
Settings are usually recreated in NetSapiens, while audio files depend on what the source platform makes accessible.
Supported and accessible assets are identified for extraction or recreation during discovery, based on the agreed scope.
Customers should know in advance if anything, such as greetings or PINs, needs to be set up again.
Auto attendant announcements need their own testing, since they are often the first thing callers hear.
Which Voicemail and Audio Assets Are Involved?
Voicemail and Audio Assets at a Glance
Asset | Typical Treatment | What to Confirm During Discovery |
Voicemail box settings | Recreated in NetSapiens | Mailbox options, notification settings and voicemail-to-email |
Personal greetings and name recordings | Transferred where supported and accessible, or re-recorded | Whether greeting files can be exported from the source |
Stored voicemail messages | Depends on source access and agreed scope | Whether saved messages need to be migrated, retained separately or archived before cutover |
Auto attendant announcements | Transferred where supported and accessible, or re-recorded | Which announcements are in use and who owns them |
Music on hold and other audio | Transferred where available, or replaced | File availability and format |
Call recordings | Usually handled separately from voicemail | Where recordings are stored and how long they must be retained |
Exact mapping is confirmed during discovery, because every environment has its own customizations.
What Is the Difference Between Recreating and Transferring?
Recreating means rebuilding a configuration in NetSapiens based on the source settings. Voicemail box options, notification preferences and supported voicemail-to-email or transcription settings may be recreated in NetSapiens according to the agreed design.
Transferring means moving an actual audio file, such as a greeting or announcement, from the legacy platform into NetSapiens. Whether this is possible depends on whether the source platform makes the files accessible, and in which format.
Where files cannot be transferred, greetings and announcements can be re-recorded, and customers should be told in advance which recordings will need to be made again.
What About Stored Messages and Call Recordings?
Stored voicemail messages and call recordings often need a specific decision.
Stored voicemail messages: Some providers ask customers to save important messages before cutover. Existing messages should be retained, archived or removed according to applicable requirements and the agreed migration plan.
Call recordings: Recordings are often stored separately from voicemail and may be subject to retention requirements. Decide where existing recordings will be kept and how they can be accessed after the legacy platform is retired.
Settling these questions early can help avoid issues after go-live.
How Do You Protect the Customer Experience?
Voicemail and audio changes can be noticed by both end users and their callers. A few practices can help:
Tell users what will change: Explain whether greetings, PINs or saved messages will carry over.
Prioritize auto attendants: Announcements and menus are often the first thing callers hear, so test them for each customer.
Check voicemail access: Confirm users can reach voicemail from desk phones and supported end-user applications.
Verify notifications: Confirm voicemail-to-email and transcription work as expected where they are in use.
Depending on the environment and agreed project scope, migrated configurations can be reviewed and validated before cutover. Our guide on how to migrate telecom customers without disrupting service covers the wider customer-experience picture.
Careful planning can help minimize customer-facing changes and reduce the risk of unexpected disruptions to voicemail and call handling. As Ben, COO of Fuse.Cloud, said of the company's BroadWorks to NetSapiens migration with Vox Matic: "Our customers barely noticed the transition." Results reflect that specific engagement and will vary by environment and project scope. Read the case study.
Where Does Automation Help?
Voicemail work combines settings, which follow repeatable patterns across users and customers, with audio files, whose handling depends on what the source platform makes accessible.
Otto™, Vox Matic's proprietary automated telecom migration framework, automates repeatable data extraction, transformation and provisioning work. Automated validation checks applied throughout the workflow help identify migration discrepancies for review before cutover. Configuration exceptions are flagged for engineering review, while unavailable audio files are identified so re-recording and customer communication can be planned before go-live.
Planning a Migration? Start With What Your Customers Hear.
As a NetSapiens Ecosystem Partner, Vox Matic uses automation and experienced telecom engineering to help providers move voicemail configurations, audio requirements and other subscriber services from BroadWorks, Metaswitch and mixed legacy environments into NetSapiens.
A Migration Assessment can help identify:
What can be extracted, recreated or transferred
Where automation can reduce manual work
Which audio files or customer actions require advance planning
The most effective approach for a controlled migration
It's that simple!
Metaswitch and BroadWorks are trademarks of their respective owners. NetSapiens is a trademark of Crexendo, Inc. Otto™ and Forge™ are trademarks of Vox Matic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do voicemail greetings transfer to NetSapiens?
Greetings can be transferred where they are supported and accessible on the source platform. Where files cannot be transferred, greetings can be re-recorded, and customers should be told before cutover.
Will users keep their saved voicemail messages?
That depends on source access and the agreed migration scope. Some providers ask customers to save important messages before cutover, and existing messages should be retained, archived or removed according to applicable requirements.
Do voicemail PINs carry over?
It depends on what the source platform makes available. If PINs cannot be carried over, users may need to set a new PIN, and that should be communicated before cutover.
What happens to auto attendant announcements?
Announcements are transferred where supported and accessible, or re-recorded. Because they are often the first thing callers hear, auto attendants should be tested for each customer before and after cutover.
What happens to call recordings during migration?
Call recordings are often stored separately from voicemail and may have retention requirements. Providers should decide where existing recordings will be kept and how they will be accessed before the legacy platform is retired.
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