FACS  FACTS
                        A LOOK AT THE NEW FACS SYSTEMS
                                BY SHARP RAZOR


    BELL ATLANTIC (AND PROBABLY THE REST OF THE U.S. SOON ENOUGH) IS REVAMPING
COSMOS. THE PROJECT IS CALLED FACS (FACILITATED ASSIGNMENT AND CONTROL
SYSTEM).FACS IS COMPOSED OF 5 MODULES WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO FUNCTION AS A
UNIFIED SYSTEM. THE PREMIS AND THE COSMOS SYSTEMS CAN FUNCTION AS ST AND-ALONE
SYSTEMS.THE FIVE PARTS OF FACS ARE PREMIS,SOAC, LFACS,COSMOS,AND THE WM.

    THE PREMIS (PREMISES INFORMATION SYSTEM) SUPPORTS BOTH RESIDENCE AND
BUSINESS ACCOUNTS. PREMIS IS USED FOR VARIOUS INQUIRIES FOR THE STREET ADDRESS
GUIDE(SAG),IE::PHONE NUMBERS,BILLING CHARGES,CREDIT,ETC.

    THE SECOND PART OF FACS IS THE SOAC(SERVICE ORDER ANALYSIS AND CONTROL).
THIS IS PRIMARILY USED TO INPUT SERVICE ORDER DATA INTO FACS, AND TO GET THE
APPROPRIATE OUTPUT.  SOAC INTERPRETS, VALIDATES,AND DECOMPOSES ALL INPUTED DATA
AND SENDS THE INFO TO THE COSMOS AND THE LFACS SYSTEMS.

    THE THIRD PART OF THE SYSTEM IS LFACS(LOOP FACILITIES AND CONTROL SYSTEM).
THIS IS THE COMPONENT OF FACS THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE
INVENTORY,DOING THE ASSIGNMENTS, ADMINISTRATING INQUIRIES AND REPORTS, AND IS
THE INVENTORY TRANSFORMATION CENTER. THIS PART OF FACS WILL BE MOSTLY USED FOR
AIDING THE AT&T LINEMEN.

    THE COSMOS SYSTEM(COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR MAINFRAME OPERATIONS) COMPRISES THE
FOURTH PART OF THE FACS SYSTEM. COSMOS IS THE COMPONENT OF FACS THAT IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE MECHANIZED INVENTORY OF MDF FACILITIES,STORING
CUSTOM CALL FEATURES(IE:SPEED DIALING NUMBERS),AND OTHER MISC. INFO.

    THE FIFTH AND LAST PIECE OF THE FACS SYSTEM IS THE WORK MANAGER (WM).  HIS
COMPONENT SERVES AS THE FRONT-END PROCESSOR FOR COSMOS. IT ENABLES A NUMBER OF
COSMOS COMPUTERS TO RELIABLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE OTHER FACS COMPONENTS.  WM
SERVES AS THE MESSAGES SWITCHING SYSTEM FOR THE FACS PIECES, AND GENERALLY IS
THE "MESSENGER AND STABILIZER" OF THE SYSTEM.

        THE HARDWARE THAT WILL RUN THIS FACS SYSTEM IS:
   COSMOS:  22-WECO. 3B-20S MINI COMPS.
   WM:      6-WECO.  3B-20S MINI COMPS.
   SOAC-LFACS-PREMIS: TWO SPERRY UNIVAC 1100/92 MAINFRAMES.
                      BANCS 2 THP CYBER 1000 PROCESSORS.

     THE FACS SYSTEM IS STARTING UP AT THIS VERY MOMENT.  THIS IS BASICALLY A
BROAD VIEW OF THE FACS SYSTEM.  AT&T SEEMS TO THINK THAT FACS WILL BE MORE
EFFICIENT,SAVE THEM MONEY IN THE LONG RUN, AND SAVE THEM WORKERS(HERE COME SOME
MASSIVE LAYOFFS!) WHAT THIS MEANS TO PHREAKERS AND HACKERS IS THAT YOU WILL NOW
HAVE AT LEAST FIVE DIAL-UPS IN AN AREA CODE WITH WHICH YOU CAN PHUCK WITH
AT&T!

  ..LATER..
  ..SHARP RAZOR>>
   THE LEGION OF DOOM!
(NOTE: THE FACS SYSTEM HAS RECENTLY BEEN PUT INTO OPERATION(SUMMER 84) IN
ST.LOUIS MISSOURI)