To see bigger views, click below a picture.
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 with real time "switch graphics"
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.
A Special Thanks to Joan Chalkley, Clara Ann Handy & especially Mirko
Ploch.
This was a tough one !
*****
911 Teaching Exhibit
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.
C&P
Telephone Belcore Class Simulator
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.
New Jersey Bell
Employee Touch Screen
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.
