mark@uunet.uu.net (Mark McWiggins) (07/11/90)
Our receptionist just quit, and we're thinking of replacing our (clunky electromechanical) 4-line key system with an offering from US West called Centron. (Like Centrex but smaller, as I understand it.) They're also now offering voice mail, and we think these together would cut our phone-answering labor by 80% or more. The monthly charge for all this is no more than the rental for our current key system. Overall, it looks like a big win, if it works. Am I missing something? I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's using a similar system. Also, we're expecting significant growth over the next couple of years. What else should I be looking out for? Thanks in advance. Mark McWiggins Integration Technologies, Inc. (Intek) +1 206 455 9935 DISCLAIMER: I could be wrong ... 1400 112th Ave SE #202 Bellevue WA 98004 uunet!intek01!mark Ask me about C++!
John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com> (07/13/90)
Mark McWiggins <intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net> writes: > Am I missing something? I'd be interested in hearing from anyone > who's using a similar system. Also, we're expecting significant > growth over the next couple of years. What else should I be looking > out for? Centron sounds like Pac*Bell's Commstar. These "mini" Centrex offerings offer some of the features of Centrex and have the advantage of being tariffed for residential service as well as business. The major disadvantage (if you can bear the cost) is that all features are activated by a hookswitch flash. This means that your people will have to become adept at flashing the hookswitch or pushing the "flash" button if your phones are so equipped. It has been my experience from years in the interconnect business that there are some who simply cannot deal with this form of feature activation. If they don't see a light or some other form of instant feedback, they get lost and lose calls. We sold many feature phones after the fact to customers who originally thought that they were "manly" enough to use the hookswitch. Also, price others' voice mail and the cost of a small electronic key system. Don't just flop over to the arms of the telephone company because it "won't cost any more". You may be able to satisfy your needs for less. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
ndallen@contact.uucp (Nigel Allen) (07/14/90)
John Higdon explains that some users have problems with a hookswitch flash. Northern Telecom's Unity II telephone sets are quite basic, except that in addition to the usual twelve touch-tone keys, they also have an R and an L key. R hangs you up, by disconnecting for five seconds or so; L stands for Link, and flashes the line. Some years ago, Northern Telecom was marketing the Link phone, which appeared to be a standard 2500 set with an additional L button. I don't like the Unity II sets a lot, because the number buttons are too close together, and they aren't concave.
julian@bongo.uucp (Julian Macassey) (07/14/90)
In article <9605@accuvax.nwu.edu>, intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net (Mark McWiggins) writes: > Our receptionist just quit, and we're thinking of replacing our > (clunky electromechanical) 4-line key system with an offering from US > West called Centron. (Like Centrex but smaller, as I understand it.) > They're also now offering voice mail, and we think these together > would cut our phone-answering labor by 80% or more. The monthly > charge for all this is no more than the rental for our current key > system. Overall, it looks like a big win, if it works. > Am I missing something? I'd be interested in hearing from anyone > who's using a similar system. Also, we're expecting significant > growth over the next couple of years. What else should I be looking > out for? First of all, yes if you get Centrex then every employee will be able to have his/her phone number. But to call from station to station you have to call a three or four digit number. If you are all techie types you may have no trouble with all the flash, tone, dial, hang-up sequence to transfering a call, bringing another station in on a call etc. There are phones that will automate these features to a one button process. But using these features is slow. If you are the sort of person who does not have the patience to wait for a prompt on a terminal, Centrex will drive you nuts. You will be nickled and dimed to death with Centrex, every silly little feature costs more. It also takes time for the telco bureaucrats to get the order to the grunt at the CO who will sit at a terminal and turn your feature off or on. If you are currently leasing am ancient 1A2 from AT&T or the Telco, you may be surprised to find that you can upgrade to a modern Electronic KSU with features up the kazoo (all programmable) for about the same money per month. So you could upgrade to a six line by eighteen station piece of gear for the same monthly cash. But you can get the new KSU on a closed lease, so after two years or so, you own the damn thing and you owe no more. Then again, if you are reasonably competent, you could put it in yourself for even greater savings. I suggest you ask around, talk to other small businessmen in your area. Call a few interconnects listed in the Yellow Pages under "Telephone Systems". Don't misunderstand me, I am not pro or con any system, you need to get the system that suits your corporate culture. Many KSUs now include paging, if you get Centrex, that would be outboard. Some companies love to page, some abhor it. Some love to "screen" calls, some want to get the call to the recipient and let him decide if he wants to talk. So you need to decide how you want to use your phones and then get the gear that lets you do what you want to do. If you get the best system in the world and it does not work the way you do it will always be known as "That piece of crap." Julian Macassey, n6are julian@bongo.info.com ucla-an!denwa!bongo!julian N6ARE@K6IYK (Packet Radio) n6are.ampr.org [44.16.0.81] voice (213) 653-4495