About Pooled Systems - AT&T MERLIN 1030 Planning Manual

ABOUT POOLED SYSTEMS

For many businesses large enough to need the MERLIN system, Model 1030 or
Model 3070, pooled operation is more cost-efficient than a square one because:
The lines in the pool are shared by many people, so each line gets more use.
As a result, you may need fewer outside lines.
Only two buttons on each voice terminal are necessary to represent up to 30
interchangeable lines, so you can use more of the smaller, less expensive voice
terminal models.
Voice terminal buttons that would otherwise represent lines are used for system
features — a substantial advantage in systems with a large number of outside
lines or many 5- and 10-button voice terminals.
Automatic Route Selection allows you to determine which of your line pools pro-
vide the lowest cost, most efficient dialing methods for particular types of calls.
The diagram above shows all lines assigned to a pool. You do not need to assign
all your lines to pools; you can assign individual lines that are not included in any
pool to any voice terminal in your system. For example, you can assign individual
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SIMPLE POOLED SYSTEM