Area wide centrex

An area wide centrex communication network, comprising:

• local communication lines;
• a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems each at a different location, wherein each of said central office switching systems connects to a plurality of said local communication lines, each of said central office switching systems responding to a service request on a local communication line connected thereto to selectively provide a communication connection between the requesting line and another selected local communication line through the connected central office switching system or through the connected central office switching system and at least one other central office switching system;
• an integrated services control point, separate from the central office switching systems, said integrated services control point comprising:
• (i) a data base storing call processing data associated with at least one of the local communication lines connected to each of at least two of the central office switching systems which are designed as members of a business group for providing to the business group a plurality of Centrex service features including extension number dialing using extension numbers consisting of a predetermined number of digits fewer than a minimum number of digits necessary to completely identify a destination local communication line, call transfer and call routing control,
• (ii) a service management system connected to said database, and
• (iii) a data and reporting system for capturing and storing a data record of Centrex service features provided to the members of the business group;
• a signalling communication system for two-way communications of data messages, said signalling communication system interconnecting the central office switching systems and connecting the central office switching systems to the integrated services control point;
• wherein:
• in response to a request for service from one of the local communication lines designated as members of the business group, the central office switching system connected to that one line initiates access to the data base in the integrated services control point to obtain call processing data associated with said business group for at least one of the Centrex service features;
• and
• in response to the obtained call processing data the network provides the at least one Centrex service feature to the one designated line.