Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: gws@cbnews.ATT.COM (Gary W. Sanders)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 800 Service Directory Available on Compuserve
Message-ID: <2419@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 26 Dec 89 13:58:48 GMT
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Reply-To: gws@cbnews.ATT.COM (Gary W. Sanders,51236,cb,3D246C,6148605965)
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 595, message 7 of 7


In article <2341@accuvax.nwu.edu> ddodell@stjhmc.fidonet.org (David Dodell) 
writes:

>   To make it more convenient for shoppers to do business through 800
>numbers, customers can now find suppliers or vendors faster by calling
>an 800 directory on their computers. By agreement with CompuServe,
>AT&T's directory of 800 service numbers is available now free of
>computer connect time charges via CompuServe Information Service.

	As a Compuserve advisor I did some beta testing of the TFD
(Toll Free Directory) on Compuserve. Its a simple database look up
program.  You can however do lookups based on a couple of options.
name, state, city and product type.  The database will provide toll
free numbers and list the state the numbers are valid from.  It will
also list a direct dial number if toll free is not available from your
area. (I'm not sure if this was in the production release).
	
The big problem is it is slow. You can call 800 info and get the number
faster.  The other problem is you need a CIS account. The computer
connect time may be free but you still incure network access time.


Gary Sanders (N8EMR) AT&T Bell Labs, Columbus Ohio
gws@cblph.att.com 		614-860-5965