The Caller
Every EasyLine transaction starts with the caller who has been influenced to seek the information you provide.
The Local Exchange Carrier
Each call is placed by the caller through the telephone service and ‘dial tone’ provided by one of the 1,500 local telephone companies. In the case of pay-per-call service (900), the charges for the call will likely appear on the billing statement they provide each month. In the case of both toll free service (800) and pay-per-call service (900), they forward the call to the appropriate interexchange (long distance) carrier after checking the national routing database for instructions.
The Interexchange Carriers
The EasyLine Network is connected to the interexchange carriers or long distance companies through our own fiber and switching equipment. After the interexchange carrier has received the call from the local exchange carrier, and transported the call across town or across the country, we ‘pick up’ the call at a mutually agreed transfer point. The charge for the transport of the call is set by the interexchange carrier and set out in a ‘tariff’ or price list.
The Easyline Network ™
Our network serves many functions other than forwarding the call. In addition to redundancy (back up equipment and alternate routing paths), the network integrates the features in a way that lets each information provider offer a ‘custom’ product delivery to the caller without having to purchase or maintain any equipment.
Voice Response Units
We employ a variety of computer equipment and software licensing agreements to produce just the type of message delivery the information provider has specified, in a format that is ‘user friendly’ to the caller. The voice response unit can provide completely automated and high quality recorded information to callers, or can act as a ‘clearing house’ that pre-qualifies callers before routing their call to the appropriate destination.
The Information Provider
Each information provider has complete flexibility in answering calls. Calls may be received directly on equipment they provide. Or, callers may hear a network provided message before being transferred to the information provider for ‘live’ consultation. If the information provider chooses to have callers connect directly to the high capacity voice response unit, the information provider may change the recorded messages at any time through the convenience of toll free access and the security of passcode protection.
EasyLine ™ is a registered trademark of the Telecompute Corporation 1275 K St, NW Suite G-9 Washington, DC 20005.