atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Centrex paired with ISDN-PRI

We currently install systems for and support a school system that uses Centrex for about half of the schools. The main School board offices use (2) ISDN-PRI's.

At present, the schools can call each other via Centrex using 4-digit dialing. In order to call the main offices, though, they must dial 9 plus the entire DID number to reach an extension there.

We have arranged the LCR at the main office to insert the necessary digits to simulate 4-digit dialing to the schools within the Centrex but that's about all we have been able to do in an effort to simplify dialing.

We know that the schools in outlying areas that are not on the Centrex (different LEC) will still have to dial the full 10-digit number to reach any of the Centrex or ISDN DID numbers. They can understand and live with that.

What is causing confusion is that the Centrex and ISDN numbers all fall within the same NXX so users on Centrex lines are thinking that any number beginning with 658 can be reached by just dialing four digits. The split system has been in place for several years, but with high turnover in staff, people are starting to get confused.

We would like the serving central office to translate any 4-digit numbers that are dialed from Centrex lines (in the county, but not in the Centrex) to be pointed to the ISDN-PRI's and have the necessary digit treatment (insertion) to make this happen. The county owns a block of about 2,500 numbers but not all of them are Centrex.

Does this make sense? I can provide more information.

Has anyone ever encountered this, overcome this, and if so, do you have any details as to how the LEC made it happen? We all know that any request that is out of the ordinary with an LEC always results in the statement "that just can't be done", but I don't believe it. The serving CO switch is a DMS100 and it is the host to several remotes. Any prior experience and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Ed
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How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

[This message has been edited by ev607797 (edited June 01, 2005).]

There is a feature called Custom Centrex. This is where only the centrex customers within there database are programmrd and they can set it up as you need. Not all Telco providers will do, but the ones that do charge alittle more than standard centrex.

Have used within one state for a Bank that had locations through-out state, before they went to point-to -point T1 for combined data and voice applications.

You might also explore VOIP to multiple locations.

Good Luck!!

I think I see what you are saying. You want to keep the centrex but make it 4 digit dialing everywhere? Tadiran systems can do this if the numbers don't overlap.

What type of system does the main school offices have? I'm thinking they have a PBX???

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Business Phone Systems

I have ported Centrex POTS numbers to a PRI T1 and still kept the Centrex 4 digit service and all the Centrex features. The LEC should be able to program this as the service still comes from the same CO (exchange). Now if you ported the numbers away from the carrier to a CLEC then you can't mix and match. Sound like you did not get Centrex T-1 service. This can be corrected by any qualified LEC Business office that sells Centrex service. there is a cost savings using Centrex subscriber dialing vs 10 digit local calling. Good luck finding someone to write the order correctly who knows their job.

That's just it......finding someone at Verizon who understands what we are trying to do, or more importantly, can write an order properly!

Yes, the main office has a PBX (Hybrid); a Vodavi XTS. That's not the problem, though since we have it's LCR inserting the necessary digits to simulate 4-digit OUTward dialing. It's 4-digit INward dialing from the Centrex locations that we are trying to accomplish.

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Ed
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How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

I was pointing to poor man's tie lines. Take a group of Centrex into a loop start card in the PBX. If they have a voice mail have the lines answer via auto attendant allowing a 4 digit dial if accessed with a speed dial. You might also have them terminate in a disa fashion. I don't know what luck you're going to have getting Verizon to play ball.

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Business Phone Systems

No, I am not looking to trick anything more than we already have done so far. It's likely that the other half of the county is going to be brought in on the Centrex now that Verizon is the LEC for both sides (it used to be GTE and Bell Atlantic). They have approached the customer to see about expanding the Centrex and I am all in favor of it. It's just inevitable that someone is going to ask why they can call any facility except the main office by dialing four digits.

I am hoping that there might be a DMS programmer out there who might understand what I am hoping to accomplish and give me the buzz word(s) that I need to 'splain this to Verizon.

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Ed
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How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

I unfortunately can't give the solution, however Bell South provides Centrex PRI's to the State of Tennessee that allows incomming and outgoing calls to be dialed via the Centrex network. We have used them on several Comdial systems and it usually sets up on the Comdial just like any other PRI.

This is around about way to deal with Verizon that has worked in the past. Open a trouble ticket for the Centrex service not working. When they close the ticket in repair for not having Centrex service on the T-1 open another ticket refering to the first and Escalate, escalate, then escalate! Do not allow them to close the ticket until a manager or a third line speaks to you. repair can get you intouch with the correct people faster than a sales agent or a customer service coach. Tell them you need Centrex ISDN service. This is marketed as Intellipath.