A unified messaging service is simple to use. Your service or software will accept and transfer your incoming messages to your inbox.

You just need to worry about retrieval and responding - both of which can be done by phone or via your PC.

Access via the web/PC
By accessing your inbox through the Web or your PC, you can read through your emails, voicemails, and faxes. You can also organize your messages into specific folders as well as delete, respond to, and forward them.

Access via phone
On the flip side, phone-based unified messaging provides you with a phone number so you can call in and listen to your voice mail, faxes, and email that are in your inbox, using a technology known as text-to-speech.

Colleagues can also leave messages at and send faxes to this same number. To listen to your messages, you'll either navigate via the keypad on the phone, or (for a higher cost) some services incorporate voice recognition software, so you can maneuver around your inbox with voice commands.