Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!attctc!vector!telecom-gateway From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Central Office Answering Machine Message-ID: Date: 16 Sep 89 22:03:38 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 26 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 379, message 4 of 4 In article , kenj%wybbs.UUCP@sharkey. cc.umich.edu (Ken Jongsma) writes: > I don't know... Almost $100 a year for an answering machine? One that you > may not even be able to interrogate from another phone? I think they are > way to optimistic on their sign up estimates. It IS catching on in many places. First, there is no capital outlay. It is one thing to go shopping, plunk down $100 (or more), bring the thing home and try to figure it out and hook it up, and worry about what happens when it breaks, and quite another to call "the phone company" and tell them you want their message service. I believe there is a central number you can call to retrive your messages (at least there is on the voice mail offered with my cellular phone). John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o ! [Moderator's Note: This is a perfect example of why so many of us always opt when possible for 'centrex-like' features on our phones. For several years I had a small 'mini-PBX' in my home (a Melco 212, actually); a Demon dialer for speed-calling, and other attachments. Those things do not come inexpensively, and they do break down eventually. When you go centrex, you eliminate all the hassle. Starline service (Illinois Bell's home centrex service) gives me everything I had before for an extra $5.50 per line/month. No fuss, no bother, no maintainence. Why not go with central office answering equipment also? Makes sense to me. PT]