Early Voice Mail ("voice storage") systems [telecom]

May 26, 2011 2 Replies

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Lisa or Jeff 15 years ago

The May 1982 issue of BSTJ has a seires of articles on voice storage. This technology led to voice mail services.

As usual, Bell Labs extensively researched the architecture, physical design, software, office engineering, maintenance, and reliability, with articles describing in detail the findings.

The preface says the FCC ordered Bell to cease work on this system as it violated regulatory policy--it was considered a premium add-on in violation of "Computer II". So even though in 1982 Bell's competitors were providing both transmission services and customer equipment, Bell was forbidden to offer its own premium services.

How much of this research carried forward to voice mail systems I don't know. But I can't but suspect that subsequent private developers benefited from Bell's original research and trials.

table of contents may be found at:

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Eric Tappert 15 years ago

Typical of the times. In fact, Western Electric was forbidden by the FCC to manufacture the radio equipment for the first cellular service trial in Chicago. The results created a real political storm as a Japanese firm submitted the lowest bid for mobile equipment.

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Sam Spade 15 years ago

The then-AT&T suffered the wounds of their own arrows.

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