Abstract: A voice message store and forward service (20) includes voice message store and forward units ("VMSFUs") that intercommunicate by employing a protocol A for transferring voice messages between VMSFUs with user information transfer units that include the voice message and a message envelope containing enhanced feature information, and service information transfer units that include notifications of successful and/or unsuccessful transfer of a user message. An originating VMSFU (22) accepts a voice message from a voice message system (16), delivers the voice message to a destination VMSFU (24), and/or returns a delivered or not delivered notification to the voice message system. The destination VMSFU delivers the voice message to a voice message system (18) identified by a destination mailbox indicated in a voice message header.