Unified messaging is the integration of different streams of messages, (phone, email, FAX, SMS, etc.) into a single in-box, accessible from a variety of different devices. For example, a user could choose to have email, phone service and fax all funneled to his/her personal computer. The fax messages could be opened from the email account and viewed as graphic attachments, and the phone messages may be opened as audio attachments.
 

Related terms: VoIP, integrated messaging, enterprise unified messaging, unified messaging software