DComTalk.com

First of all I am not the developer of our software, my terminology
maybe a bit off... but I pretty much understand most of this... The
phone manufacture our clients purchases the neccessary hardware from
andthey do try to help some teleco's understand the provisioning of
the BRI line to their phones.. I say sometimes!

Where do I get good documentation for 5ESS and especially the
inferior DMS100 teleco switches? I think its all secret material//
So I can give to anyone of these teleco's across the country.. every
town, city and suburb is different or have different personal that
just are clerks or do not flat out know anything... It's terrible!!!

Listen, the teleco my worst nightmare. I been running and owner of
a telemessaging business for answering service (telephone answering
service) across the USA.. been doing so for 18 yrs.. Our software
www.mastar.com has mostly supported the DID direct inward dial lines,
we did ISDN for years in DOS but gave it up... Now however recently re
developing our DOS based application to the WINDOWS world using VB, we
are more inclined to ISDN, a BRI line configured specifically with RND
or redirected number.. Its the latter number that allows us to know
who the client is or the doctors phone# forward to the answering
service.. And is how we ID the incoming call with the doctors 'answer
phrase.' THat's what make this unique.. Most DID system even one
major ISDN competitor company charges $20-30K per operator station!!!
Not uncomman to pay 50-60K to get into the TAS business.

We are unique, only several of us use the technology.. TO GET INTO
THE BUSINESS with DID, its a minimum of about $3-5K for DID hardware,
Messaging software, expensive DID monthly trunks, DID#'s for $4-500
and expensive installation cost.. verse inexpensive ISDN.. almost
line a regular phone line.. can handle 80-100 TAS clients.. Has great
voice quality and patching capabilities.

One BRI line can handle 2 operators using 2 ISDN phones and the 1
BRI can be configured to have many call appearance.. maybe 8 call
appearances in addition to MADN, (multiple call appearance directory
numbers). These MADN are often used for the TAS service clients that
do not have RND, or their incoming switch doesn't give reorganization
by the RND identifying the call.. Then the TAS assigns on of maybe
several MADN's to that client... these MADN are also forwarded to the
primary SPID# (also 2 phone# or SPID# is forwarded to the primary
SPID#) hunt group..

One of the other problems telco seem to have is configuring the
SPID# line to button 1 on ISDN phone 1 so same button on ISDN phone2
is button 1.. And to make things worst... if we have 8 call appearance
phone button 3-10 are the same on phone#2 button 3-10..

Does any of this stuff make sense... I have several clients having
it all working just fine... DMS100 are worst case but they been
configured just fine.. and those with the 5ESS.. for some reason seem
much simpler..

Its like nobody in the office knows anything... and most techs in
the back know something... some just are nasty and don't care.. or
everyone thinks what modem are we going to use to browse the internet!

I have searched hi and low.. but don't know where to go... If I had
one or 2 really good know it all techs out there that have influence,
I could probably create you a consulting business solving my client
problems.. Wish I had the answers.. I have the interested clients
that get do frustrated they finally disappear.. rod minarik,
www.mastar.com 541-461-2399

Hello Rod,

RM> Now however recently re developing our DOS based

application to the WINDOWS world using VB,

I'm not convinced that MS Windows or Visual Basic are well
suited to mission-critical applications such as the one you
describe. In any case, isn't there off-the-shelf software
for answering services?

RM> we are more inclined to ISDN, a BRI line configured

specifically with RND or redirected number.. Its the
latter number that allows us to know who the client is
or the doctors phone# forward to the answering service
.. And is how we ID the incoming call with the doctors
'answer phrase.' THat's what make this unique..

That's not unique, that's standard practice for an answering
service. I'm surprised you're not using PRI though.

RM> One BRI line can handle 2 operators using 2 ISDN

phones and the 1 BRI can be configured to have many
call appearance..

If I'm paying for an answering service I would expect them
to have more inbound call capacity than two bearer channels
will support. If you're talking about multiple BRI
installations, I would be surprised if PRI (or an ordinary
T-1) wasn't more cost-effective. It would certainly be more
expandable.

RM> Its like nobody in the office knows anything... and

most techs in the back know something... some just are
nasty and don't care.. or everyone thinks what modem
are we going to use to browse the internet!

The U.S. telephone companies I've dealt with don't seem to
understand ISDN. Their engineers do of course, but managers
tend not to, and that means support staff don't get trained
in it, marketing people don't promote it and it gets priced
out of existance. Damn shame imo.

- Andy Ball.