sichermn@beach.csulb.edu (Jeff Sicherman) (03/12/91)
The March 7 issue of the {Orange County Register} reports that the
local phone companies (Pac Bell and GTE) are turning attention to
home-based businesses. The following paraphrases some of the article:
Aware that such users are afraid to talk to the phone company for
fear of being forced to get a business line, Pac Bell has announced a
Home Office Service which includes specially trained service reps and
business phone features. GTE is assigning some of its retail stores as
Home Office Phone Marts and intends to annouce custom calling features
for home offices between now and the end of 1992.
The market is estimated at 33 million people during 1990 including
people who operate home-based businesses and those who do corporate
work from home. Pac Bell estimates their share of this at two million
- twice the number of business customers. If such residence customers
wanted a business feature they were refused.
"Business phones (service) cost more because they subsidize
residential service and provide additional services, such as phone
book listings under the business name." [Reporters really need some
technical and business background so we don't get press releases
masquerading as stories.]
Customers will be allowed to keep residential billing status if the
phone is used primarily for personal calls but still get some business
features. [ They don't say how it will be determined whether the
phone is being used as 'promised', or how long they will guarantee
this deal. Sounds to me like they just want to open the market for
these services and collect more money without artificial constraints.]
Pac Bell has set up a special number for inquiries: 811-3340. (This
applies to Orange and Riverside counties according to the article.).
They will also install call forwarding, three-way conference, and
call-waiting for free until April 15. Both Pac Bell and GTE will offer
limited-area 800 lines to Orange County residences; Pac Bell will
waive the $20 installation until May 31.
"But a bigger change than the availability of new features is Pac
Bell's new attitude". [Uh-huh, Uh-oh]
Projected features:
GTE (by 1992): CO-based voicemail, wakeup calls, personal calendars (?),
speed dialing, last number redial, two numbers on one
phone line (distinctive ringing ?)
Pac Bell: select call forwarding, different sounding rings *from*
specific telephone numbers, automatic redial of busy
numbers, automatic dialing of last incoming call even
if the phone was not answered.