Abstract: An industrial PC-compatible computer system for telecommunications applications is described. The computer system includes a plurality of peripheral boards, each of which includes a peripheral processor. A computer telephony bus provides communications among the peripheral boards. The computer system also includes a plurality of system processors. A serial telecommunications bus arrangement provides communications between the plurality of peripheral boards and the plurality of system processors. The computer system arrangement providing for greater reliability in the event of a failure of a peripheral board, a system processor or of the communications therebetween.