Will Martin <wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil> (09/13/90)
The subject of automated phone-directory-search facilities, either via dialup to a telco computer or via a distributed-data service, was discussed on Telecom some time back. This is an example of such. I circled a number on a bingo card from a law-enforcement magazine and received a mailing from NYNEX about their "Fast Track" automated directory-search service. It included a demo diskette and some flyers. The demo doesn't allow the execution of any version of the real software, but instead just displays a canned version of the screen display and what some of the search capabilities are, with the viewer paging thru by hitting the space bar. The demo displays include names, addresses, and phone numbers -- I wonder if this is fabricated test data or if this is real information extracted from the database? This runs on a PC with a CD-ROM drive, and the prices for this service range from $595 to $9,500, depending on what part of the NYNEX service area you want (New England, Boston, Upstate or Downstate NY, or all NYNEX), and how often you get update CD-ROMs (annual, semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly). The search criteria let the user get all the info for a record if any part (name, address, phone #) of it is known, and has boolean search to allow combinations of criteria. The demo diskette display mentions in passing, but the literature doesn't seem to explicitly state this, that unlisted phone number data is not included. While that is certainly reasonable for the people with unlisted numbers, it makes some of the examples given, like law enforcement agencies searching for addresses and names when only the phone numbers are known, useless to at least some degree. I suppose they take the approach that some info is better than none at all ... (There was no hint given that a "full" version containing "unlisted" data was available to government or law enforcement, but maybe there is such a deal that isn't mentioned in the open literature.) I dug thru the fine print in the license agreement. I find it interesting to note that they insist that all CD-ROMs containing old data be mailed back to them within five days of receipt of a new version, or upon termination of the contract. The agreement also specifies that the customer cannot make any copies (not even backup) of the software diskette or of the database itself. They can make copies of the documentation for internal use only, but have to send that back too if they terminate. I wonder if the proliferation of this sort of thing will mean the end of the old Polk and similar printed cross-reference directories? Maybe they're already gone? (I haven't looked at one in the library in years...) If the telcos are doing this stuff themselves, will that mean the demise of some of the firms that composed and printed up such directories? (The only advantage to them I can see is that they try to get some of the "unlisted" info that the telco won't disclose.) Regards, Will wmartin@st-louis-emh2.army.mil OR wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil