Patent ID: 8146015

Claim:
A configurable unified messaging system, comprising: a processor device; and at least one memory device, the memory device storing: a configuration file of the unified messaging system, wherein the configuration file defines multiple dialog command groups, the dialog command groups each identifying operations of a voice interface dialog session, wherein the operations are defined in the dialog command groups by prompt elements, activity elements, and transition elements in an extensible markup language, wherein the configuration file identifies a plurality of options to be presented to a user by the prompt elements during the voice dialog session, wherein each activity element identifies an activity to be performed during the voice dialog session, and wherein each transition element identifies a transition to be performed after one of the activities during the voice dialog session; and computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor device cause the processor device to generate a state controller and a Text-to-Speech engine upon receipt of one of the incoming telephone calls, the state controller using the dialog command groups of the configuration file to generate the voice interface dialog session with a user, wherein the voice interface dialog session performs operations including: presenting to the user an audible menu including a plurality of options defined by the configuration file, receiving an input from the user selecting an option from the audible menu, executing an activity with an activity element, the activity element being associated with the option in the configuration file, and performing a transition defined by a transition element identified in the configuration file after the activity, the Text-to-Speech engine converting information from a text form to an audible form, wherein at least one of the activity elements calls the text-to-speech engine to convert text from an electronic message into an audible form through the voice interface dialog session.