Abstract: A system for allowing a plurality of administrators to control switching system resources in a telephone system. A switching system is communicatively connected to a server computer. The server computer maintains databases that store the resources that a plurality administrators are allowed to access and the functions that each administrator is allowed to perform. When the server computer receives a request from an administrator for an administrative function to be performed by the switching system, the software executed by the server computer accesses the database and determines if the administrator is allowed to perform the requested function and if the resources are available to administrator. If the administrator has made a valid request the server computer generates a command and transmits the command to the switching system that performs the function requested in the command. The server computer may also maintain a database that maintains a pool of unused resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating between Customer Premises Equipment, (CPE) alarm sensing devices, and alarm monitoring stations. The sensing devices communicate with an end office switch by transmitting a message, such as a string of Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, (DTMF) digits to that switch. At the switch, the message is processed and a determination is made which of a plurality of alarm monitoring stations should receive the alarm indication. One or more data packets are sent to the selected alarm monitoring stations with the packets identifying the source of the alarm indication, and the type of alarm indication. Advantageously, the packetized communication between the end office switch and the alarm monitoring system allows a high volume of alarm indications to be sent to an alarm monitoring station, because individual telephone connections are not required for each such alarm message.

Abstract: The customer performs a search or otherwise defines selected data maintained by the information provider. Once the selected data is identified, the information provider maintains the requested data, typically by maintaining pointers identiying the data, but delays delivery of the requested data until the scheduled delivery time, such as a particular day and time requested by the customer or a non-peak period as determined by the information provider. When the information provider determines that delivery is appropriate, it makes a request for a suppressed ringing connection to a switching system. The switching system responds to the request for connection by creating a suppressed ringing connection where a silent alert tone or digital alert signal is transmitted to the customer premise equipment. The customer premise equipment includes a receiving system that receives one or more tones from the switching system over the suppressed ringing connection and becomes active.