Modes Of Operation - AT&T MERLIN LEGEND Release 3.1 System Manager's Manual

Modes of Operation

Modes of Operation
The system's mode of operation determines the following:
The types of outside trunks that can be connected to the system
How users access outside trunks
The types of system operator consoles that your business can use
The features and applications that your business can use and how they
work
How the system is registered with the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC)
The choice of system mode depends on your company's needs. Your AT&T
representative and you or your company's representative decide on the system
mode when you plan and purchase your system. AT&T personnel then set the
mode when they install the system.
!
CAUTION:
Because the operating mode significantly affects how the system works,
you should know in which mode your system has been configured. You
can either check the Planning Forms (Form 1, Page 2 , "System Mode") or
contact your AT&T representative.
The system operates in one of three modes:
Key Mode. The simplest way to provide people with more than one line
from a telephone. Easy to use. Recommended for smaller systems.
Hybrid/PBX Mode. Especially useful where toll fraud/security are a
concern. Provides cost-effective call routing, especially useful for
special-purpose network services. Recommended for medium to larger
systems.
Behind Switch Mode. Used when the system is connected to a system
such as DEFINITY. May be appropriate for users who are part of a large
organization, for example, a department within a company.
While Key mode is appropriate for smaller systems and has the capacity
limitations of any key system, the MERLIN LEGEND Communications System,
unlike other key systems, is flexible and allows you to expand to a PBX system
when your business outgrows Key mode.
Table 2–1 describes the primary differences among the modes.
"Line Buttons on Multiline Telephones" in Chapter 3 describes Shared Access
(SA) buttons and Intercom (ICOM) buttons.
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About the System