Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: Dave Levenson Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Answer Call Service Message-ID: <10209@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 28 Jul 90 21:16:48 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: Westmark, Inc., Warren, NJ, USA Lines: 77 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 526, Message 7 of 9 In article <10192@accuvax.nwu.edu>, theall@rm105serve.sas.upenn. edu.sas.upenn.edu (George A. Theall) writes: > Bell Atlantic is offering Answer Call now with what look to be the > same features as the service from C&P Telephone. Since I frequently > tie up my phone while dialing into the campus computing system I have > been considering this service. Here are a few of my concerns: Bell Atlantic is the holding company who owns C&P, so this should not be surprising! George asks some good questions, and I'd like to take a stab at responding: > - When the service is initiated you must specify how many > rings occur before the call is passed to Answer Call. Bell > Atlantic will change this setting in the future, albeit for > for a $16 fee. What's involved in this change that would > justify such a fee? Are there similarly high (IMHO) charges > for, say, altering the mailbox password? It probably requires a human being to process your change order by using one or more administrative functions on their Voice Mail system. They probably divide the total cost of this system administration function by the number of service initiations and service changes they expect when they price such things. > - Each mailbox will store up to 30 minutes of messages, as > Greg noted. Apart from this, though, there is no limit on > the size of any single message. Once the mailbox is full, > subsequent callers get a recording saying there is no space > for their message. Does this means callers at least would > hear a message saying "I'm unable to come to the phone right > now..."? How likely is it that an abusive or talkative > caller would monopolize the mailbox? It would be nicer if they'd provice a per-message limit as well as a per-mailbox limit. > - Those with measured phone service are charged for not > only their own calls to check the mailbox but also calls > forwarded there. I'm curious as to the reason(s) for these > charges. Is Answer Call targeted primarily at users with > unmeasured service? From perusing the articles in this > newsgroup I gather Answer Call works by intercepting calls > to a number; hence the charge. Isn't this the same way, > though, that the phone company handles calls to numbers > that have been changed? They're probably using CO features like call-forward busy as well as call-forward no-answer to transfer inbound calls to voice mail for coverage. Calls forwarded to another working telephone line are charged to the forwarding party. This includes toll charges, if the forward-to number is toll, and message-unit charges if it's local and message-rate service applies. > - Would it be better (in terms of cost and convenience) > to simply install another phone line with basic service > and hook an answering machine up to that line? How long > does the average answering machine last? Answering machines in the $100 - $150 range probably last long enough to end up costing less than you would pay for CO-based call-coverage. A second line, however, might cost more. A machine without a second line, of course, can only provide coverage for no-answer, not for busy. The second line answering machine can provide coverage-busy, if you provide hunting. It can also provide coverage no-answer if your CO offers the forward no-answer feature. You might want to price 1) additional lines, 2) hunting service, 3) forward no-answer, and 4) answering machines to properly compare what you'd pay for alternatives. Dave Levenson Voice: 908 647 0900 Fax: 908 647 6857 Westmark, Inc. UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave Warren, NJ, USA AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney]