Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!world!decwrl!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Advice on ANI Hardware Wanted Message-ID: <13817@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 19 Oct 90 05:51:02 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 46 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 746, Message 7 of 10 On Oct 18 at 8:10, Alex Lai > Then why haven't they? Why haven't they offer ANI service as > they have done with call-waiting, call-forwarding, and etc? Miss Etiquette is most dismayed that gentle reader is still confused. ANI is not a service offered to subscribers, but to IECs (who may extend the data received to LARGE customers). Most switches DO have ANI else how would they bill long distance calls except with operator inquiry? > Could you please elaborate on CLASS? The family of CLASS features, including but not limited to Call Back, Camp On, Call Block, Call Allow, AND Caller-ID, is accomplished through software in the CO switch. The features are offered directly to customers. For the features to work between COs, it is necessary that participating offices communicate with each other via SS#7. This is a data channel that transmits the called number, calling number, and various other information about the caller and callee. Since the information travels in a high speed data circuit rather than as MF tones in the voice channel, the requisite poop is exchanged without delay. > What's the difference between ANI and Caller-ID? ANI, Automatic Number Identification, refers to the fact that the CO switch can figure out what line is placing a particular call. In SXS switches it is accomplished with some arrangement involving high frequency tones (Larry L. would better be able to explain it), while crossbar has some mystical-looking array of toroidal transformers with wires weaving in and out. These Rube Goldbergian schemes were developed years and years ago so that long distance calls could be dialed and billed automatically. Later, when independent IECs came about, the caller's number that had been scooped up with ANI was (and still is) transmitted to the IEC as extra MF digits in the string preceding each call. Caller-ID is a service that transmits the caller's number directly to the called party. The actual technical means has been the topic of other discussions. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !