Back in the early 1980s, I worked for a small company called Axxa. They were created to build a workstation product desired primarily by Citibank. I wasn't there when the product was designed, but I met many of the folks who were. The product was called the Axxa
911. This was before 911 service was common in the US.It consisted of two workstations, one for a manager and the other for his secretary, linked by a dial-up modem line. The line was usually routed through a PBX so the two stations were local extensions. Of course, each station needed to know the extension or phone number to dial to get to the other, and the default value as delivered to customers was "911".
The story goes that the default was changed after an incident late one night at company HQ. Some engineers working late and testing the device accidentally connected it to an outside line. Some time later, they were surprised to find some officers creeping down the dark hallway with guns drawn. Of course, the 911 operator heard no voice on the line and had no way to return the call as after-hours calls rang somewhere else.
Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA +1 714 434 7359 snipped-for-privacy@compata.com snipped-for-privacy@alumni.caltech.edu "Though the people support the government, the government should not support the people." -- Grover Cleveland