Abstract: A versatile phone system, consisting of a base unit and one or more peripheral utility devices, is used on the user's premises to provide an effective and private means of telecommunication. A plurality of telephone numbers and names are stored in the memory means of the base unit. The system responds to the ringing signals transmitted over the phone line from the caller without triggering ringer generators at the telephone sets. Alerting ringing sounds to alert the user of an incoming call will be generated only when the derived code of the received DTMF signals matches the derived identifier codes of the stored telephone numbers or the personal access code. Distinct ringing sounds will be generated if a match is on a derived identifier code of a telephone number indexed with priority. When no match occurs or a match occurs but the user does not answer after a predetermined number of rings, the caller is directed to a recording means for requesting to leave message.