Our Early Years...
C&P Telephone (Verizon) was Our First Large Client...
The first telephone systems sold were portable systems to Richmond, Virginia based Bell Atlantic marketing department. The contract stated simply,sa "Make it work like the phone company". Below are some of the many service simulators we designed. These kiosks taught Bell Atlantic employees and customers alike the many benefits of Bell Atlantic service offerings.
"Infotel Systems proved to be competent, creative and technically skilled. All projects were delivered on time and always exceeded our expectations." - Joan Chalkley, (retired) Manager, Bell Atlantic.
The clients listed below are now part of Verizon. Some of these exhibits were quite complex as they mimicked various telephone services. Thus, we learned a lot about how Verizon central office equipment works. Your phone system is only as good as the dial tone that connects to it. The premise based PBX works in concert with the dial tone provided by Verizon. Ask your average phone tech what a load coil or a SLIC is and why that matters. When your phone vendor and dial tone vendor are pointing fingers at each other, knowing the answer could shave hours off your next service call.
Centrex Simulator
Needs: Centrex is a state-of-the art telephone system. All telephone switching equipment is located, updated, and maintained at the telephone company central office. Our client needed to educate the public on how Centrex works. This originally required C & P engineers to install four active Centrex telephone lines at each trade show. Again, these installations were expensive and took too long to coordinate with trade show officials. C & P Telephone needed a solution that would take advantage of the economy of scale.
Our Solution: Our contract had one sentence in it. "Make it work like the phone company". We designed a computer controlled Centrex exhibit that simulates in every detail the desired Centrex telephone service. The exhibit displays four phones on a console and graphically depicts the same on the computer screen above the phones. All Centrex phone interactions are simulated in real time and offer a total of twelve Centrex features. Since the Centrex service simulations take place without the need for expensive and time consuming hook up of outside Centrex lines, the client's ongoing expenses are minimal.
Tech Details: We accomplished this task using a custom-designed "cross-point switch". This switch was controlled by a 386 PC running a Microsoft C 6.0 program. We basically created our own switch software that worked like an AT&T 5E switch. Via the control hardware, the program sensed off-hook telephones and dialed digits. The program then depicted the particular Centrex feature accessed by drawing the scenario as it happened on the color monitor.
911 Simulator
Needs: Teach school children how to use 911.
Our Solution: We designed a portable exhibit that shows what happens in a 911 response center when a call comes in. The high level of automation in the display kept the children's interest while important concepts were taught.
Class Simulator (5E)
Needs: IQ Services was the C & P Telephone of Virginia trademark for generic Bellcore CLASS(tm) services. C & P needed to educate the public on how these IQ services work. This originally required C & P engineers to install four active telephone lines at each trade show.
Such installations tended to be cost prohibitive and took too long to coordinate with trade show officials. Our client needed faster setup of displays at a lower continuing cost.
Our Solution: We designed and produced a computer-controlled CLASS service exhibit that simulates, in every detail, the desired telephone service. Two people can transport it in an extended cargo van and set up the simulator in fifteen minutes. As the CLASS service simulations take place without the need for expensive and time-consuming hook-up of outside telephone lines, the client's ongoing expenses are minimal.
Info & Order Kiosk
Needs: Our client desired a dynamic and interactive display to present new phone services to both business and residential customers attending trade shows. They also needed to answer any question the audience might have regardless of the level of expertise of the employee running the booth. Additionally, NJ Bell managers required that this display track interest levels of each service offered.
Our Solution: We produced a display that describes available telephone services through computer-animated color graphics. The display also allows the client to add details and descriptions to any service description screen. Finally, the display records the area of interest each user selected and maintains an ongoing counter system.
