Types of Centrex CPE

Centrex Phones

Centrex phones let you hold, transfer and forward calls by simply pressing a button. Many have message waiting lights that flash for stutter dial tone (CO voicemail) and offer other “smart” features.

Call Accounting

Centrex-compatible call accounting packages bring Message Detail Records straight from the CO to your desktop. You can use this info for charts, graphs and reports. These packages monitor the CO directly via a CO-supplied SMDI (Station Message Detail Interface). Alternatively, there are site-monitoring boxes that live in your office, monitor your trunks and deliver SMDR records via a serial interface, just like you get from a conventional phone system.

Voicemail

Central Office voicemail is fine for small businesses, but is not flexible enough for larger firms requiring auto attendant functionality, dial-by-name and other applications. Fortunately, most general-purpose voicemail systems can be used with Centrex so you have lots of choices.

ACDs

Centrex-compatible ACDs let you queue calls, manage agents and generate realtime reports-all from CO trunks.

Paging Systems

Centrex-compatible voice paging systems give you all the features of classic, switch-based paging equipment.

Attendant Consoles

Centrex answering consoles can take many shapes; multi-button phone, conventional-appearing attendant console, or PC-based system.

Set Handlers

These systems convert analog or digital Centrex service to proprietary digital formats and distribute the service to full-featured digital station-sets. They employ CO features to handle transfer, forward and other functions, while giving you much of the appearance and functionality of an onsite digital switch.

Administration Systems

Centrex administration systems let you reconfigure your Centrex service. Platform-based consoles let you turn enhanced CO services (such as CO voicemail) on and off; activate or deactivate lines; add or reassign trunks and rearrange long-distance dialing patterns to route calls over the least expensive carriers.

Multiple Site Centrex

Almost all of the above categories of CPE come in both single- and multi-site versions. If your company has multiple locations, you should get the appropriate CPE.