Automatic Busy Redial; Tenant Service; Station Hunting - Toshiba Strata DK Competitive Notes

ICS provides a total of 100 account codes of which only six digits are verified. This is not
adequate for many account code applications. To get true account code capabilities with the
Norstar, the Call Detail Recording (CDR) package must be running on a PC attached to the
system.
System Battery Backup
The Norstar does not provide battery backup to keep the system operating when commercial
power is lost. An optional uninterruptable power supply (UPS) is available for reserve power,
but it is expensive by comparison. The Strata DK40i and DK424 systems provides battery
backup interface as a standard feature. All you need to add is batteries. This type of built-in
battery backup is much more cost effective than UPS.

Automatic Busy Redial

No Automatic Busy Redial feature exists in the Norstar. Nortel suggest continually pressing
the Redial button until getting through, but this is no substitute for ABR. Auto Busy Redial is
a widely used and very popular standard feature of Strata DK systems. This is a particularly
valuable feature in heavy outgoing call applications frequently encountering busy outside
numbers.
Off-hook Call Announce (OCA)
The Norstar's Priority Call feature is a poor substitute for OCA. It announces through the
handset, not through the handsfree speaker. It is cumbersome and complicated to use, and
automatically puts the called party's active call on hold if they don't react quick enough to the
priority call warning tone. If the called party presses the release key after the priority call is
completed, the holding call will also be disconnected. The Strata DK's OCA works much
smoother, more efficiently, and does not cause complications. Also, the Strata OCA can
announce either through the handset or optionally through the speaker, giving individual
station users a choice to suit their preference.
Remote Retrieval of Held Calls
The Norstar call pickup feature can only answer calls ringing at other stations, and will not
retrieve held calls remotely. The only way other stations can remotely retrieve a held call is if
they have that CO line appearance on their telephone set. This is a significant limitation in
non-squared installations. Strata systems can remotely retrieve held calls from any stations by
dialing an access code, similar to retrieving a parked call.

Tenant Service

Tenant service enables two businesses to cost effectively share one Strata DK14 or DK40i
system and four businesses can share one DK424. The Norstar does not provide this feature.

Station Hunting

Strata DK systems provide station hunting such that any station can hunt to any other station.
There is no limit to the combinations of hunting or the number of stations that can hunt to
other stations. Strata users find many call coverage applications for hunting. The Norstar
systems do not provide this feature.
Strata DK 12/99
Toshiba Strata DK & Nortel Norstar Product Comparison
Strata DK Advantages Over Norstar
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