Abstract: A business communication system serving a plurality of telephone station sets is provided with a station-to-station messaging facility integrated therewith. The operation of the station-to-station messaging facility is invoked when a user at a station set enters a respective feature code. Thereafter, responsive to a series of prompts, the user enters a code identifying the predefined textual message that he/she desired to send and enters the identity (telephone number) of the receiving station, the receiving station being one that is equipped with a display. The station-to-station messaging facility responsive thereto translates the code into its respective predefined message and sends the message with the identity of the sending station to the receiving station for display thereat.

Abstract: A stored directory is searched from a display station set to obtain the telephone number of a sought-after name. The arrangement uses the station set keypad to generate signals corresponding to the spelling of the sought-after name. The arrangement adds each entry it receives to previously formed sequence of entries and, for each newly formed sequence, returns to the station set the name and telephone number contained in a directory record having a string of characters that compare to the newly formed sequence. The arrangement also provides means for scrolling through the directory.