Importance

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Abstract

A method is disclosed which brings together a combination of special IN features and techniques to allow Centrex stations supported by a plurality of central office switching systems, each at different locations, to function from the customer's perspective as though they were served by a single central office switch. The key to Virtual Wide Area Centrex is a total separation of the telephone numbers seen and used by customers (Customer Number Address--CNA) from the telephone numbers used internally by the network for call routing purposes (Network Node Address--NNA), such that there are two separate and distinct numbering plan domains. A central database, interconnected with each of the Centrex switches, maintains the mapping between CNA and NNA. This database is called upon, as required, to do both forward and reverse translations--i.e., from CNAs to NNA and vice-versa. The net result is that CNAs identify people (e.g., a customer's specific employees and agents) whereas NNAs identify locations (e.g., offices and conference rooms). This permits an environment in which individuals may move from one physical location to another, regardless of the serving central office switch, while keeping their CNA and their network access privileges.

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First Claim