Analog Display Services Interface
Encyclopedia
Analog Display Services Interface is a telephony
technology that is currently used in POTS
or computer-based PBX telephone service. It works in conjunction with a screen-based telephone ("screenphone") or other compatible CPE
to provide the user with softkey
access to telephone company or internal PBX custom calling features. It is an analog
service because it uses analog Frequency Shift Keying (FSK
) technology to interact with an LCD screen via short, low-baud rate, downloads to refresh and re-program softkey
s in real-time.
The technology introduced and rolled out to RBOCs from Bellcore in April of 1995, (very soon after the introduction of CLASS-based services through ESS
), was marketed by the RBOCs who implemented it, as a way to streamline all available custom calling options through the use of a screen-based telephone; giving Residential and Small Business telephone subscribers PBX-like functionality at home or in SOHO
locations at a significantly lower cost. The service debuted before the onslaught of PCS
and VOIP-based telephony technologies became available and was originally slated to also work in conjunction with other types of services such as Enhanced Directory Assistance, telephone banking, movie theatre ticket sales, and other services that could interact with an LCD-screen.
Some of those services did become available later, though, not at the dramatic increase the US-based telephone companies had hoped. Canadian telephone companies such as Telus
and Bell Canada
, however, had much better luck implementing more ADSI-based services with other industries such as banking, and still markets the service actively (as of 2005).
The service is marketed at telephone customers who subscribe to the majority of CLASS-based services offered by their local telephone company (such as caller ID
, Call Return, etc) by the customization of a telephone capable of providing one-touch access to these features. This greatly increases customer usability by alleviating the need to memorize dialing codes such as *69.
Additionally, a few RBOCs introduced new features such as Call Waiting Deluxe
and Message Waiting Indicator
to work exclusively with ADSI telephones. The former being perhaps the most involved example of ADSI capabilities and the latter being an example of Visual FSK
; another new technology available through CLASS.
The RBOCs who offer this service also restructured their billing of these services into value-based "packages" to stimulate customer interest.
Powertouch (or Vista) 350 screen-based telephone and "line-provisioning" service to make it work. This service is still offered by Qwest Communications (the successor to US West), BellSouth
and SBC Communications; though the service has different marketing names.
Nortel
discontinued the x5x telephone line and introduced a more streamlined version called the 39x-line and then later the 48x-line in 1998. CIDCo and Cybiotronics later introduced their own lines of screenphones after the original Nortel Patent expired.
Nortel sold off its CPE
line to Aastra Technologies
in 1999 and Aastra continues to market these telephones through various channels.
PHILIPS Austria manufactured a Screen Phone model called the P100. It was sold throughout the US and several European countries.
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
technology that is currently used in POTS
Plain old telephone service
Plain old telephone service is the voice-grade telephone service that remains the basic form of residential and small business service connection to the telephone network in many parts of the world....
or computer-based PBX telephone service. It works in conjunction with a screen-based telephone ("screenphone") or other compatible CPE
Customer-premises equipment
Customer-premises equipment or customer-provided equipment is any terminal and associated equipment located at a subscriber's premises and connected with a carrier's telecommunication channel at the demarcation point...
to provide the user with softkey
SoftKey
SoftKey International was a publisher and distributor of CD-ROM based personal computer software for Windows and Macintosh computers during the 1990s. Their products typically consisted of software intended for home audiences, especially compilation discs containing various freeware or shareware...
access to telephone company or internal PBX custom calling features. It is an analog
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
service because it uses analog Frequency Shift Keying (FSK
Frequency-shift keying
Frequency-shift keying is a frequency modulation scheme in which digital information is transmitted through discrete frequency changes of a carrier wave. The simplest FSK is binary FSK . BFSK uses a pair of discrete frequencies to transmit binary information. With this scheme, the "1" is called...
) technology to interact with an LCD screen via short, low-baud rate, downloads to refresh and re-program softkey
SoftKey
SoftKey International was a publisher and distributor of CD-ROM based personal computer software for Windows and Macintosh computers during the 1990s. Their products typically consisted of software intended for home audiences, especially compilation discs containing various freeware or shareware...
s in real-time.
The technology introduced and rolled out to RBOCs from Bellcore in April of 1995, (very soon after the introduction of CLASS-based services through ESS
Electronic switching system
In telecommunications, an electronic switching system is:* A telephone exchange based on the principles of time-division multiplexing of digitized analog signals. An electronic switching system digitizes analog signals from subscriber loops, and interconnects them by assigning the digitized...
), was marketed by the RBOCs who implemented it, as a way to streamline all available custom calling options through the use of a screen-based telephone; giving Residential and Small Business telephone subscribers PBX-like functionality at home or in SOHO
Small office/home office
Small office/home office, or SOHO, refers to the category of business or cottage industry which involves from 1 to 10 workers. SOHO can also stand for single office/home office....
locations at a significantly lower cost. The service debuted before the onslaught of PCS
Personal Communications Service
At the most basic level Personal Communications Service or PCS describes a set of wireless communications capabilities that allows some combination of terminal mobility, personal mobility, and service profile management...
and VOIP-based telephony technologies became available and was originally slated to also work in conjunction with other types of services such as Enhanced Directory Assistance, telephone banking, movie theatre ticket sales, and other services that could interact with an LCD-screen.
Some of those services did become available later, though, not at the dramatic increase the US-based telephone companies had hoped. Canadian telephone companies such as Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
and Bell Canada
Bell Canada
Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
, however, had much better luck implementing more ADSI-based services with other industries such as banking, and still markets the service actively (as of 2005).
The service is marketed at telephone customers who subscribe to the majority of CLASS-based services offered by their local telephone company (such as caller ID
Caller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
, Call Return, etc) by the customization of a telephone capable of providing one-touch access to these features. This greatly increases customer usability by alleviating the need to memorize dialing codes such as *69.
Additionally, a few RBOCs introduced new features such as Call Waiting Deluxe
Call Waiting Deluxe
Call Waiting Deluxe is the Bellcore term for Type II caller ID with Disposition Options.This CLASS-based POTS-telephone calling feature works by combining the services of call waiting with caller ID but also introduces an "options" feature that, in conjunction with certain screen-based telephones,...
and Message Waiting Indicator
Message Waiting Indicator
A message-waiting indicator in telephony, is a Telcordia Technologies term for an FSK-based telephone calling feature that illuminates an LED on select telephones to notify a telephone user of waiting voicemail messages on most North American public telephone networks and PBXs.As described in...
to work exclusively with ADSI telephones. The former being perhaps the most involved example of ADSI capabilities and the latter being an example of Visual FSK
Frequency-shift keying
Frequency-shift keying is a frequency modulation scheme in which digital information is transmitted through discrete frequency changes of a carrier wave. The simplest FSK is binary FSK . BFSK uses a pair of discrete frequencies to transmit binary information. With this scheme, the "1" is called...
; another new technology available through CLASS.
The RBOCs who offer this service also restructured their billing of these services into value-based "packages" to stimulate customer interest.
ADSI-compatible equipment
U S West Communications, the first local RBOC to offer this service, marketed it as "Home Receptionist" service. Home Receptionist service included a NortelNortel
Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, was a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada...
Powertouch (or Vista) 350 screen-based telephone and "line-provisioning" service to make it work. This service is still offered by Qwest Communications (the successor to US West), BellSouth
BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
and SBC Communications; though the service has different marketing names.
Nortel
Nortel
Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, was a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada...
discontinued the x5x telephone line and introduced a more streamlined version called the 39x-line and then later the 48x-line in 1998. CIDCo and Cybiotronics later introduced their own lines of screenphones after the original Nortel Patent expired.
Nortel sold off its CPE
Customer-premises equipment
Customer-premises equipment or customer-provided equipment is any terminal and associated equipment located at a subscriber's premises and connected with a carrier's telecommunication channel at the demarcation point...
line to Aastra Technologies
Aastra Technologies
Aastra Technologies Limited headquartered in Concord, Ontario, Canada, makes products and systems for accessing communication networks including the Internet...
in 1999 and Aastra continues to market these telephones through various channels.