Telephone system using recorded messages to make outbound announcements

Claim 1

An automated telephone system comprising: a private automated branch exchange (PABX); and a telephone terminal connected to said PABX for communicating with a called party connected to the PABX; and said PABX including; a storage device for storing a pluralty of pre-recorded messages entered through said terminal; a service controller responsive to commands from a calling party entered through said telephone terminal either to store pre-recorded messages in said storage device and associate them with a unique identifier, or to select one of said stored messages using its unique identifier in the event that the called party is unavailable and replay it over the telephone line to a remote party; and a PABX controller arranged, when said called party is busy, to place a camp-on on said called party's line and play said selected message when said called party's line becomes free, and when said called party does not answer, to detect when said line is next used and play said selected message to the called party.