Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!iuvax!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: vances@xenitec.on.ca (Vance Shipley)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Centrex, Everyone?
Message-ID: <3597@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 7 Feb 90 06:49:57 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 81, message 5 of 6


In article <3560@accuvax.nwu.edu> John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com> writes:

>The fact is Centrex is rarely a good idea for anyone.
>Unlike a PBX, Centrex does not offer "user friendly" feature phones;
>those with soft keys, visual confirmation, and multiple lines. Display
>phones are not available with Centrex. Just the simple (for a PBX)
>feature of having the callers name appear in the display would require
>some permutation of Caller-ID through the CO! How do you access
>features on Centrex? You flash the hookswitch, dial the code, hope it
>works. There is no visual confirmation.

This will probably not be the first response to point out that Centrex
can and does (Northern Telecom DMS at least) allow for ALL these
features and many, many more!

>[Moderator's Note: Unlike Mr. Higdon, I *love* Centrex. Pure and
>...
>wrong about making configuration changes. Illinois Bell has a service
>called 'Centrex-Mate' which allows subscribers to reconfigure their
>own lines; in effect act as their own service reps. The changes take
>effect within a few hours, although there is a charge for making them.

This is very interesting.  Do you have any more details? 

    - why does it take "a few hours" to effect changes? 

    - is it really an automated order entry, one that recieves priority
      scheduling (gets typed into the switch by a human based on your 
      requests)?

    - is it a feature of the switch? 

    - or is it a "front end" application that provides a user interface
      on one side and programs the switch on the other?

Does any one know of the availability of Call Detail Recording on
Centrex?  If so how does it work?  Is it batched or real time?


Vance Shipley


[Moderator's Note: The service order changes handled via Centrex Mate
are batched with all other changes, and put into effect sometime
around three in the morning when all other changes for the day are
done. Its like when you call the service rep now: the order is taken
and you are told it will be 'turned on sometime tomorrow', but almost
invariably is on when you wake up the next day. The rep types it in,
but it does not literally start at that point. Centrex Mate works with
a terminal and a modem; the customer dials an extension on his
premises which really is an OPX, or off premises extension which
terminates in the CO itself. Admittedly, Centrex Mate is only used by
very, very, very large Centrex customers. Did you know Amoco Oil
Company, which is headquartered here, gets billings from Illinois Bell
for about one million dollars *per month* on local service and
equipment only? Its an 8000-line Centrex; the CO (Chicago-Lakeshore)
is in the third sub-basement of the Amoco Building itself.  PT]