IBM offers sweeteners to keep Rolm customer base loyal ahead of Siemens takeover

Keeping the product line warm for Siemens AG, which is now ready to take the company over, IBM, as reported briefly (CI No 1,237), last week announced extensions to its US-market-only low-end Rolm 9750 PABXs with a new Release 9005 of the control software and hardware, and a new member of the IBM 9751 family, Model 10. Release 9005 consists of new software and hardware for Models 10, 40, 50, and 70, and installed Model 20s can be upgraded to Model 40s to get the same benefit. It provides card-density improvements, functional enhancements, new feature capabilities for call centres and data communications. The new Model 10 is a voice+data controller that runs 9750 PABX applications and adds the new features of Release 9005. It also brings the entry point down to 50 telephone extensions. A new Asynchronous Data Communications Module connects asynchronous data devices through 9751, 8000, and 9000 PABX systems. And a new maintenance offering, the Extended Maintenance Option, allows 9751 customers to take advantage of reduced maintenance prepayments.

Substantial enhancements to the control hardware and software in Release 9005 The enhancements in Release 9005 provide support for new single function cards and upgraded systems including T1DN, COT8, DID8, DTR, SMIOC, ACC, DFE II, and Off Premises Station – when the thing becomes available in fourth quarter 1990. The data enhancements are Data Call Detail Recording, data statistics, intelligent modem support in modem pools, and switched data over any 1.544Mbps T-1 channel. Automatic Call Distribution enhancements include ACD status display on Rolmphone 400, priority queueing, and increased configuration table limits. Agent capacity per node remains at 200 agents, but sites with different call characteristics may have higher or lower call capacities. Agent configuration table limit per node increases from 320 to 1,000, but the actual number of agents that may be supported per node continues to depend on the performance capacity and configuration of the system. Agents per group is increased from 160 to 504, and ACD groups per node go up to 255 from 50. The maximum number of queueing slots has been increased to 4,000, and supervisor terminal/printer ports are increased to 14. Other new features are Dialled Number Identification Service, support for New Data Devices, and an Asynchronous Data Communications Module. Model 10s with Release 9005.0 will be upgradable to Model 20 with Release 9005.1; installed Model 20s with Release 9004.3 or Release 9004.4 will be upgradable to Model 40 with Release 9005.1; and installed Model 40s and 50s will be upgradable to Models 40 and 50, respectively, with Release 9005.1. All in fourth quarter, 1990. Currently installed Model 70s will be upgradable to Model 70 with Release 9005.1 in first half, 1991. However, additional hardware prerequisites will be required to complete the upgrades to Release 9005. The 9751 PABX Model 10 with Release 9005.0 will be available in first quarter 1990, Model 40 in second quarter, 1990, Models 10, 40, and 50 with Release 9005.1 in the fourth quarter, 1990, and Model 70 with Release 9005.1 will be available sometime in the first half of 1991.

New low-end 9751 Model 10 unveiled The 9751 PABX family now starts at 50 and goes up to 600 telephone stations, and Model 10 supports all key functions and applications. Data and trunk diagnostics have been enhanced, and it provides improved non-redundant common control and density improvements, and has a T1DN interface for high speed lines with full central office links and switched data on any channel, providing 24 channels for voice or data. It also has single function 8-channel cards – CO trunk, DID trunk, system maintenance input-output, dual tone receiver, and off-premises station – as well as single cards for Attendant Console Controller and Data Front-End Processor. The COT8 trunk card provides eight exchange line trunks; the DID8 card provides eight DID trunks; DFE II supports connection o

f data call set-up process; the Attendant Console Controller provides attendant console interface; the Dual Tone Receiver card detects and receives Dial Tone Multi-Frequency tones for eight channels; and the System Maintenance and Input/Output Card provides eight RS 232 serial ports. Each system can have up to two cards per system for increased application support. However, several facilities are not supported on the Model 10. The 5250 Rolmbridge is not, but will be with Release 9005.1 for Models 40, 50, and 70. Visual notification on analogue phones is also not supported on the Model 10, but Models 40, 50, and 70 with Release 9005 will have both visual and audible notification. Two-wire tie trunks are not supported on the Models 10, 40, 50, and 70 with Release 9005, and Data Front End is an option on the Model 10, although it comes as standard on the 40, 50 and 70 with Release 9005. Centralised attendant service centre support is in Release 9005.

Asynchronous data communications module The new module passes asynchronous data communications through PABX at speeds of up to 76.8Kbps. It supports 110, 300, 600, 1,200, 2,400, 4,800, 9,600, 19.2K-, 38.4K-, 57.6K-, and 76.8K bits per second asynchronous communications, and has an EIA RS 232D and CCITT V.24 compatible interface. It is powered by Rolmlink (single-pair-wire) and provides support for existing 9750 applications. Available for stand-alone applications, eight-channel enclosures, or 16-channel rack-mount enclosures, it can switch between data terminal equipment and data circuit terminating equipment modes of operation, and works with all models of the 9751 PABX, the PABX II 8000, and PABX II 9000. Future releases of the 9751 PABX will continue to support alert forwarding to NetView through NetViewPC. For the 9751 PABX Model 10, it will be shipped in second quarter 1990; dates for other 9751 PABXs will be announced later.

Cheaper pay now, maintain later option The new maintenance option supports 9751 PABX models with Rolm attached devices over a three, four, or five year term, giving savings to users who agree to pre-pay their maintenance charges provided they get their kit from IBM through Rolm Systems’ direct distribution marketing channels only. New users can decide right up to the date of cutover to exercise the option, current customers with the base 9751 PABX installed have until August 7, 1990, or until the end of the warranty period to exercise the option. Savings vary with the length of the term and customers may change maintenance plans or options during the term of the option. Those who want to raise level of service during the term will be invoiced only once, with appropriate savings when the change of level becomes effective.