03/12/93 Announcing Cygnus Data System's Voice Mail System. ANSWER.EXE is a Voice Mail System which supports the ZyXEL modem, Zoom, CompuCom Combo modem, Cygnus Data System's DigiPhone, Creative Lab's SoundBlaster, and LANtastic's Voice Card. Support is planned to be added for additional voice hardware including The BigMouth, Watson, and other sound boards. ANSWER.EXE is designed to operate on IBM and compatible computers. However, most XT systems are known not to be able to support the high data rate required this software. Therefore, a 12 Mhz AT is the minimum system recommended. The software requires at least 384 Kbytes of memory, and should be used with at least 3 to 5 megabytes of available hard disk space. ANSWER.EXE will play and record messages to and from a floppy disk, but since message files are large, and floppies have limited message capacity, a hard disk is recommended. Also required for operation is a telephone line and a telephone receiver and one of the supported voice cards. The CompuCom modem samples voice at 10 Khz ANSWER.EXE and therefore records at 10 Khz and so message files are 10 Kbytes per second. This translates to 600,000 bytes of information per minute. However, the ZyXEL modem implements a 2 bit Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation (2ADPCM) compression scheme. It sends 2 bits at 9600 Hz. This corresponds to only 144,000 bytes per minute. ANSWER.EXE when used with a voice mail card is a telephone answering system which features four primary modes of operation - the Personal Answering Machine, the Voice Mail Box, the Information Server, and the PhoneBook Dialer. Each mode operates independently but may access the same messages. Each of these modes is described briefly below, and in detail in Chapter 5. The Personal Answering Machine will operate just as most common telephone answering machines do, but can do even more. It will select from as many as sixteen different outgoing messages and play it or them to the caller, prompt the caller to leave a message after a tone, record an incoming message, and allow the caller to edit the incoming message. The outgoing message number and the number of rings before answering can be programmed. Incoming messages may be played back from a remote location. A presetable access code is required for this access. The Voice Mail Box provides a system which can receive voice messages for several persons by assigning each person a mail box number. A System Operator assigns mail box numbers and maintains the mail box accounts. The Information Server is designed to present information to the caller in response to the caller's touch tone signals. With this mode, the caller can selectively receive the particular information of interest. Callers may also leave messages in this mode. The PhoneBook Dialer provides an outdialing feature which may be used to automatically dial and redial a single number selected from a PhoneBook or sequentially dial numbers from an ASCII list of phone numbers. When redialing a single number from the PhoneBook, the computer will present an audible beep when the call goes through. When in the list dial mode, the called party will be presented with a menu much like in the Information Server. ZyXEL Modem Owners ------------------ This software supports the ZyXEL U-1496 modems and uses the 2ADPCM mode. It requires a 12 Mhz AT or faster computer, a serial port, a telephone line, MS-DOS v3.2 or higher or equivalent, and a hard disk. In addition, RCVFAX.COM (distributed with the ZFAX software) is required to receive incomming FAXs. To record messages locally (at the computer), a telephone handset with a RJ11C connector at one end (please see section 5.4 of the ZFAX Utility Manual), or a second telephone used to call the phone connected to the computer running the software is required. COMPUCOM COMBO MODEM OWNERS --------------------------- CompuCom has closed its doors. Although this software was promised to its customers, CompuCom defaulted on its payment for this voice mail software. As a result, I am now distributing the software myself. ROM upgrades for your modem are available from The General BBS in San Diego which as been serving as the CompuCom Technical Support board. The data number is (619) 528-0895 and the voice number is (619) 624-0375. You must have v2.77 or newer of your ROM to enable the voice features. You can find the version of your ROM by using the AT command ATI3. To receive the Voice Mail Software, fill out the order form below and mark ONLY the ANSWER.EXE Software for the CompuCom. You do not need the other items for the CompuCom Combo to operate voice mail. The DigiPhone Voice Mail Card ----------------------------- If you do not already have a voice mail card, Cygnus Data Systems produces and excellant sound quality card which uses an external speaker and microphone instead of a telephone handset to play and record messages. It also has a telephone interface with full telephone bandwidth audio quality. These are available for a very reasonable price. See the order form below for ordering information. Ordering Information -------------------- If you do not run a BBS, disregard the BBS questions. But do tell me where you got this order form from. If you are ordering ANSWER.EXE for the CompuCom, only mark ANSWER.EXE Software for the CompuCom. If you have a voice mail card not currently supported and would like to see support added, fill out the order form without ordering any item and send it to Cygnus Data Systems with information on your voice mail card. --- cut here --- ORDER FORM ========== TO: FROM: Cygnus Data Systems Name: ___________________________ 14027 NE 181st Street #B103 Woodinville, WA Company: ___________________________ 98072-6846 Title: ___________________________ Daniel Durbin (206) 481-3484 (voice) (evenings) Address: ___________________________ (206) 481-9582 (bbs/fax) City,State: ___________________________ You may fill in the blanks Zip Code of this form with your text Voice Phone:___________________________ editor in ascii mode before you print it to your printer! BBS Name: ___________________________ Sorry, no online registration. BBS Number ___________________________ rev 3/94 ========================================================================== Item Unit Price Quantity Ext. Price The DigiPhone . . . . . . . . . $125 x ______ = ______ (includes ANSWER.EXE Software) Microphone . . . . . . . . . . $ 18 x ______ = ______ Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 14 x ______ = ______ DigiPhone Technical Reference . $ 25 x ______ = ______ ANSWER.EXE Software . . . . . . $ 25 x ______ = ______ WA Sales Tax (8.25%). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ______ Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5 x ______ = ______ ========================================================= |_| 5-1/4" Diskettes |_| 3-1/2" Diskettes Total Enclosed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ______ (U.S.D.) BBS Name and Version #. . _______________________________ Heard about this from . . _______________________________ Modem Type . . . . . . . _______________________________ Please make check or money order drawn on a U.S.A bank in U.S. funds and made payable to Cygnus Data Systems. Washington state residents please include 8.25% sales tax. Purchase orders (net 30 days) accepted from large business. All programs are Copyright (C) 1989 - 1994 by Daniel A. Durbin